Elder Brown's Backslide by Harry Stillwell Edwards
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elder brown's backslide

by Harry Stillwell Edwards (1855- )

[ from harper's Magazine_, August, 1885; copyright, 1885, by harper & Bros .; republished in_the volume, two Runaways, and other Stories_ (1889), by Harry Stillwell Edwards ( the century Co .) .]

elder brown told his wife good- by at_the farmhouse door as mechanically as_though his proposed trip to Macon, ten miles away, was an everyday affair, while, as a matter of fact, many years had elapsed since unaccompanied he set foot in_the city . he_did_not kiss her . many very_good men never kiss their wives . but small blame attaches to_the elder for_his omission on_this occasion, since his wife had long_ago discouraged all amorous demonstrations on_the_part of her liege lord, and at_this particular moment was filling the parting moments with arattling list of directions concerning thread, buttons, hooks, needles, and all the many etceteras of an industrious housewife's basket . the elder was laboriously assorting these postscript commissions in_his memory, well knowing that to return with any_one_of_them neglected would cause trouble in_the family circle .

elder brown mounted his patient steed that stood sleepily motionless in_the warm sunlight, with_his great pointed ears displayed to_the right and left, as_though their owner had grown tired of_the life burden their weight inflicted upon him, and was, old soldier fashion, ready to forego the once rigid alertness of early training for_the pleasures of frequent rest on arms .

" and, elder, don't you forgit them caliker scraps, or you'll be wantin' kiver soon an' no kiver will_be a-comin' ."

elder brown did_not turn his head, but merely let the whip hand, which had_been checked in its backward motion, fall as he answered mechanically . the beast he bestrode responded with a rapid whisking of_its tail and a great show of effort, as it ambled off down the sandy road, the rider's long legs seeming now_and_then to touch the ground .

but as_the zigzag panels of_the rail fence crept behind him, and he_felt the freedom of_the morning beginning to act upon his well- trained blood, the mechanical manner of_the old man's mind gave place to a mild exuberance .a weight seemed to_be lifting from_it ounce by ounce as_the fence panels, the weedy corners, the persimmon sprouts and sassafras bushes crept away behind him, so_that by_the_time a mile lay between him and_the life partner of_his joys and sorrows he_was in a reasonably contented frame of mind, and still improving .

it_was a queer figure that crept along the road that cheery may morning . it_was tall and gaunt, and had_been for thirty years or more . the long head, bald on top, covered behind with iron- gray hair, and in front with a short tangled growth that curled and kinked in every direction, was surmounted by an old- fashioned stove- pipe hat, worn and stained, but eminently impressive . an old- fashioned Henry clay cloth coat, stained and threadbare, divided itself impartially over the donkey's back and dangled on_his sides . this_was all that remained of_the elder's wedding suit of forty years_ago . only constant care, and use of late years limited to extra occasions, had preserved it so_long . the trousers had soon parted company with their friends . the substitutes were red jeans, which, while they_did_not well match his court costume, were better able to withstand the old man's abuse, for if, in_addition to_his frequent religious excursions astride his beast, there ever was a man who was fond of sitting down with_his feet higher than his head, it was_this selfsame elder brown .

the morning expanded, and_the old man expanded with it; for while a vigorous leader in_his church, the elder at home was, it must_be admitted, an uncomplaining slave . to_the intense astonishment of_the beast he rode, there came new vigor into_the whacks which fell upon his flanks; and_the beast allowed astonishment to_surprise him into real life and decided motion . somewhere in_the elder's expanding soul a tune had begun to ring . possibly he_took up the far, faint tune that came from_the straggling gang of negroes away off in_the field, as_they slowly chopped amid the threadlike rows of cotton plants which lined the level ground, for_the melody he hummed softly and then sang strongly, in_the quavering, catchy tones of a good old country churchman, was "I'm glad salvation's free ."

it_was during the singing of_this hymn that elder brown's regular motion-inspiring strokes were for_the first time varied . he began to hold his hickory up at certain pauses in_the melody, and beat the changes upon_the sides of_his astonished steed . the chorus under this arrangement was:

I'm glad salvation's free_, I'm glad salvation's free_, I'm glad salvation's free for all_, I'm glad salvation's free .

wherever there_is an italic, the hickory descended . it fell about as regularly and after_the fashion of_the stick beating upon_the bass drum during a funeral march . but the beast, although convinced that something serious was impending, did_not consider a funeral march appropriate for_the occasion . he protested, at first, with vigorous whiskings of_his tail and a rapid shifting of_his ears .Finding these demonstrations unavailing, and convinced that some urgent cause for hurry had suddenly invaded the elder's serenity, as it had his own, he began to_cover the ground with frantic leaps that_would_have surprised his owner could he have realized what_was going on . but elder brown's eyes were half closed, and he_was singing at_the top of_his voice . lost in a trance of divine exaltation, for he_felt the effects of_the invigorating motion, bent only on making the air ring with_the lines which he dimly imagined were drawing upon him the eyes of_the whole female congregation, he_was supremely unconscious that his beast was hurrying .

and thus the excursion proceeded, until suddenly ashote, surprised in_his calm search for roots in a fence corner, darted into_the road, and stood for an instant gazing upon_the newcomers with_that idiotic stare which only a Pig can imitate . the sudden appearance of_this unlooked- for apparition acted strongly upon_the donkey . with one supreme effort he collected himself into a motionless mass of matter, bracing his front legs wide apart; that_is_to_say, he stopped short . there he stood, returning the Pig's idiotic stare with an interest which_must have led to_the presumption that never before in all his varied life had he seen such a singular little creature . end over end went the man of prayer, finally bringing up full length in_the sand, striking just as he_should_have shouted " free" for_the fourth time in_his glorious chorus .

fully convinced that his alarm had_been well founded, the shote sped out from under the gigantic missile hurled at him by_the donkey, and scampered down the road, turning first one ear and then the other to detect any sounds of pursuit . the donkey, also convinced that_the object before which he had halted was supernatural, started back violently upon seeing it apparently turn to a man . but seeing that_it had turned to nothing but a man, he wandered up into_the deserted fence corner, and began to nibble refreshment from a scrub oak .

for a moment the elder gazed up into_the sky, half impressed with_the idea that_the camp-meeting platform had given way . but the truth forced its way to_the front in_his disordered understanding at last, and with painful dignity he staggered into an upright position, and regained his beaver . he_was shocked again . never before in all the long years it had served him had he seen it in_such shape . the truth is, elder brown had never before tried to stand on_his head in_it . as calmly as possible he began to straighten it out, caring but little for_the dust upon his garments . the beaver was his special crown of dignity . to lose it_was to_be reduced to a level with_the common woolhat herd . he_did his best, pulling, pressing, and pushing, but the hat did_not look natural when he had finished . it seemed to_have_been laid off into counties, sections, and town lots . like a well- cut jewel, it had a face for him, view it from whatever point he chose, a quality which so impressed him that a lump gathered in_his throat, and_his eyes winked vigorously .

elder brown was not, however, a man for tears . he_was a man of action . the sudden vision which met his wandering gaze, the donkey calmly chewing scrub buds, with_the green juice already oozing from_the corners of_his frothy mouth, acted upon him like magic . he_was, after all, only human, and when he got hands upon a piece of brush he thrashed the poor beast until it seemed as_though even its already half- tanned hide would_be eternally ruined . thoroughly exhausted at last, he wearily straddled his saddle, and with_his chin upon his breast resumed the early morning tenor of_his way .

II

" good-mornin', sir ."

elder brown leaned over the little pine picket which divided the bookkeepers' department of aMacon warehouse from_the room in general, and surveyed the well- dressed back of a gentleman who was busily figuring at a desk within . the apartment was carpetless, and_the dust of a decade lay deep on_the old books, shelves, and_the familiar advertisements of guano and fertilizers which decorated the room . an old stove, rusty with_the nicotine contributed by farmers during the previous season while waiting by its glowing sides for their cotton to_be sold, stood straight up in a bed of sand, and festoons of cobwebs clung to_the upper sashes of_the murky windows . the lower sash of one window had_been raised, and in_the yard without, nearly an acre in extent, lay a few bales of cotton, with jagged holes in their ends, just as_the sampler had left them . elder brown had time to notice all these familiar points, for_the figure at_the desk kept serenely at its task, and deigned no reply .

" good-mornin', sir," said elder brown again, in_his most dignified tones ." is Mr Thomas in ? "

" good- morning, sir," said the figure ."I'll wait on you in a minute ." the minute passed, and four more joined it . then the desk man turned .

" well, sir, what can I_do for_you ? "

the elder was not in_the best of humor when he arrived, and_his state of mind had_not improved . he waited full a minute as he surveyed the man of business .

" i_thought I mout be_able to_make some arrangements with_you to git some money, but I reckon i_was mistaken ." the warehouse man came nearer .

" this_is Mr brown, I believe . I_did_not recognize you at once . you_are_not in often to_see us ."

" no; my wife usually 'tends to_the town bizness, while I run the church and farm . got a fall from my donkey this_morning," he_said, noticing a quizzical, interrogating look upon_the face before him, " and fell squar' on_the hat ." he_made a pretense of smoothing it . the man of business had already lost interest .

" how_much money will_you want, Mr brown ? "

" well, about seven hundred dollars," said the elder, replacing his hat, and turning a furtive look upon_the warehouse man . the other was tapping with_his pencil upon_the little shelf lying across the rail .

" I_can get you five hundred ."

" but I oughter have seven ."

" can't arrange for_that amount . wait till later in_the season, and come again . money is very tight now . how_much cotton will_you raise ? "

" well, I count on ahundr'd bales . an' you_can't git the sev'n hundr'd dollars ? "

" like to oblige you, but can't right now; will fix it for_you later on ."

" well," said the elder, slowly, " fix up the papers for five, an' I'll make it go as far as possible ."

the papers were drawn .a note was_made out for $552 .50, for_the interest was at one and a half per cent . for seven months, and a mortgage on ten mules belonging to_the elder was drawn and signed . the elder then promised to send his cotton to_the warehouse to_be sold in_the fall, and with a curt " anything else ? " and a"Thankee, that's all," the two parted .

elder brown now made an effort to recall the supplemental commissions shouted to him upon his departure, intending to execute them first, and then take his written list item by item . his mental resolves had just reached this point when a new thought made itself known .Passersby were puzzled to_see the old man suddenly snatch his headpiece off and peer with an intent and awestruck air into its irregular caverns . some_of_them were shocked when he suddenly and vigorously ejaculated:

"Hannah-Maria-Jemimy ! goldarn an' blue blazes ! "

he had suddenly remembered having placed his memoranda in_that hat, and as he studied its empty depths his mind pictured the important scrap fluttering along the sandy scene of_his early- morning tumble . it was_this that caused him to graze an oath with less margin that he had allowed himself in twenty years . what would the old lady say ?

alas ! elder brown knew too well . what she_would not say was what puzzled him . but as he stood bareheaded in_the sunlight a sense of utter desolation came and dwelt with_him . his eye rested upon sleeping Balaam anchored to a post in_the street, and so as he recalled the treachery that lay at_the base of all his affliction, gloom was added to_the desolation .

to_turn back and search for_the lost paper would_have_been worse than useless . only_one course was open to him, and at it went the leader of_his people . he_called at_the grocery; he invaded the recesses of_the dry-goods establishments; he ransacked the hardware stores; and wherever he went he_made life a burden for_the clerks, overhauling show-cases

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