The Project Gutenberg EBook of Una Of The Hill Country, by
Charles Egbert Craddock (AKA Mary Noailles Murfree)

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Title: Una Of The Hill Country
1911

Author: Charles Egbert Craddock (AKA Mary Noailles Murfree)

Release Date: November 19, 2007 [EBook #23550]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK UNA OF THE HILL COUNTRY ***

Produced by David Widger

UNA OF THE HILL COUNTRY

By Charles Egbert Craddock

1911

The old sawmill on Headlong Creek at the water-gap of Chilhowee Mountain
was silent and still one day, its habit of industry suggested only in
the ample expanse of sawdust spread thickly over a level open space in
the woods hard by, to serve as footing for the "bran dance" that had
been so long heralded and that was destined to end so strangely.

A barbecue had added its attractions, unrivalled in the estimation
of the rustic epicure, but even while the shoats, with the delectable
flavor imparted by underground roasting and browned to a turn, were
under discussion by the elder men and the sun-bonneted matrons on a
shady slope near the mill, where tablecloths had been spread beside a
crystal spring, the dance went ceaselessly on, as if the flying figures
were insensible of fatigue, impervious to hunger, immune from heat.

Indeed the youths and maidens of the contiguous coves and ridges had
rarely so eligible an opportunity, for it is one of the accepted tenets
of the rural religionist that dancing in itself is a deadly sin, and
all the pulpits of the countryside had joined in fulminations against
it Nothing less than a political necessity had compassed this joyous
occasion. It was said to have been devised by the "machine" to draw
together the largest possible crowd, that certain candidates might
present their views on burning questions of more than local importance,
in order to secure vigorous and concerted action at the polls in the
luke-warm rural districts when these measures should go before the
people, in the person of their advocates, at the approaching primary
elections. However, even the wisdom of a political boss is not
infallible, and despite the succul