FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   >>  
The Project Gutenberg EBook of Una Of The Hill Country, by Charles Egbert Craddock (AKA Mary Noailles Murfree) This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org 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
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17   18   19   20   21   >>  



Top keywords:
Charles
 

Craddock

 

Egbert

 

spread

 
political
 

COUNTRY

 
Murfree
 

Country

 

Noailles

 

Gutenberg


Project

 

opportunity

 
accepted
 
tenets
 

succul

 
countryside
 

joined

 
fulminations
 

pulpits

 

dancing


deadly

 
religionist
 

ridges

 

ceaselessly

 
flying
 

figures

 

spring

 

crystal

 

tablecloths

 

insensible


fatigue

 

maidens

 
youths
 

contiguous

 
rarely
 

Indeed

 

impervious

 

hunger

 

immune

 
eligible

importance

 
secure
 

vigorous

 

questions

 

primary

 

present

 

approaching

 

burning

 

concerted

 

action