ings down in the cellar; she shore eats up the coal. There are
no whippoorwills and no hoot owls, but lots of crows and jay birds and
meadow larks. I like to hear that little, yaller-chested feller whistle
from the pasture gatepost. Far off to the south, when the air is keen
and the sun shines bright, you can see the blue mountains. The window of
the barn loft looks that way. When I ain't feeling right peart, I go out
to the barn and climb up to the loft. I used to keep a joint of stove
pipe up there. When I held that tight to my face I could look through
and see nothing but them hills. Last month down at Richmond town I
bought me a spy glass. It's a good one and she brings them close.

"One day a young feller who lives on yan side of Silver Creek rid up in
a side bar buggy. I thought he was kinder expecting to git acquainted
with Mary. He tied at the gate and come in. I met him in the front yard
where we keep the calves and let the sheep run. He walked up and shook
hands and says: 'I'm Bradley Clay.' I says: 'Dang it, I can't help it.'
He kinder stiffened his back, then he laffed and says: 'Mr. Saylor,
there is a stock sale down at Paint Lick Saturday; come down; you might
get some good cattle and sheep cheap for your fine pasture lands.' I
says: 'All right, young feller, I'll be thar. Will you come in the house
and have a cheer?' He says, 'No,' and rides off. I went over and bought
some right good stock pretty cheap.

"The men were right friendly, specially Jack Gallagher, the auctioneer,
and we passed a few jokes. There was a whole bunch of wimen folks there,
but I didn't meet none of them and they don't seem to visit round much,
at least they don't come much to our house. I sometimes think the old
woman is most as lonesome as I be.

"Caleb went over to the Paint Lick school house after Christmas; kept it
up three days and had a fight every day, then he had the mumps. That boy
is young yet, jest ten, so we let him quit the school, 'cause the
teacher called him a mountain wildcat. He traded a feller out of a fox
hound; now he and his houn' dog hunt rabbits and 'possums nigh 'bout all
day long.

"Mary went east to school about Thanksgiving. It cost me nine hundred
dollars, but she's a good girl and helped you git me off. She writes her
mother nearly every day. I do hope you git down to see us soon. They
tell me there are some nice-looking gals 'round our settlement. You can
have the big boy's buggy which he bought t