"I wish I may die," she exclaimed, flinging the corners of her shawl
back over her shoulders and dipping her clay pipe in the glowing
embers--"I wish I may die ef I ever see sech gangs, an' gangs, an'
_gangs_ of folks, an' ef I git the racket out'n my head by next
Chris'mas, I'll be _mighty_ lucky. They sot me over ag'in the biggest
fuss they could pick out, an' gimme a pa'r er cotton kyards. Here's
what kin kyard when she gits her han' in, an' I b'leeve'n my soul I
kyarded 'nuff bats to thicken all the quilts betwix' this an'
Californy. The folks, they 'ud come an' stan', an' star', an' then they
'ud go some'rs else; an' then new folks 'ud come an' stan', an' star',
an' go some'rs else. They wuz jewlarkers thar frum ever'wheres, an'
they lookt like they wuz too brazen to live skacely. Not that _I_
keer'd. No, bless you! Not when folks is a plumpin' down the cash
money. Not me! No, siree! I wuz a-settin' thar one day a-kyardin' away,
a-kyardin' away, when all of a sudden some un retched down' an' grabbed
me 'roun' the neck, an' bussed me right here on the jaw. Now, I hain't
a-tellin' you no lie, I like to 'a' fainted. I lookt up, an' who do you
reckon it wuz?"

"I bet a hoss," said Teague dryly, "that Sis wa'n't fur from thar when
that bussin' wuz a-gwine on."

"Who should it be _but_ Sis!" exclaimed the old woman, leaning forward
eagerly as she spoke. "Who else but Sis wuz a-gwine to grab me an'
gimme a buss right here on the jaw, a-frontin' of all them jewlarkers?
When I lookt up an' seen it twuz Sis, I thought in my soul she 'uz the
purtiest creetur I ever laid eyes on. 'Well, the Lord love you, Sis,'
s' I; 'whar on the face er the yeth did you drap frum?' s' I. I ketched
'er by the arm an' belt 'er off, an' s' I, 'Ef I don't have a tale to
tell when I git home, no 'oman never had none,' s' I. She took an'
buss'd me right frontin' of all them jewlarkers, an' airter she 'uz
gone I sot down an' had a good cry. That I did. I sot right whar I wuz,
an' had a good cry."

And then the old woman fell to crying softly at the remembrance of it,
and those who had listened to her story cried with her. And narrow as
their lives were, the memory of the girl seemed to sweeten and inspire
all who sat around the wide hearth that night at Teague Poteet's.

A PIECE OF LAND.

THE history of Pinetucky District in Putnam County is preserved in
tradition only, but its records are not less savoury on that account.
The settlement h