Fair and Tender Ladies

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Book: Read Fair and Tender Ladies for Free Online
Authors: Lee Smith
Tags: Historical, Adult
nor hollered nor nothing, just pushed open the door and poked those old black bonnets around it, Silvaney and Beulah screamed bloody murder and Ethel she went for the gun.
    Law, law, Momma said, but Daddy he slep on.
    So the Cline sisters comes on in laghing like silver bells, then they see Daddy and goes over ther and bends way down and tuches him here and ther, ther hands is fluttering like butterflys down by Sugar Fork in the spring. Oh oh they said, John Arthur is going, and they tuched his forehead, he stirred but he never awoke. He is going they said, Oh la. For they had not knowed this, they never leave ther cabin hardly ever wich is way away upon Hell Mountain, Daddy used to take us up ther to hear ther storys.
    Lord you orter see how they live! ther cabin is so little it is like a dolly cabin with everthing just so. They is two pallets ther with the prettest quilts, and two little old rocky chairs by the fire, and two cups and two plates on the table and two little brooms, and not a thing else. Gaynelle and Virgie Cline are maiden ladys, and have not been apart for a minute. They sit on the porch in little strate-back chairs with seats of woven hickory, smoking pipes. Ther faces are little and squnched up like apple dolls, they are teeny-tiny with curly white hair and dont way hardly a thing. Dont nobody know how they live exackly Daddy said, they do not farm nor raise a thing but beans and flowers in the yard, nor have a cow, but folks takes them food just to hear ther storys.
    I think myself they live on storys, they do not need much food.
    But I am telling how they come in here last nigt and like to have frigted us outen our wits and then Silvaney, now mark you it was Silvaney, I swear she knows moren folks think, Silvaney says, oh it must be Old Christmas! for this is when they used to come ever year, Janury 5 like clockwork and stay up all nigt and drink coffee and tell storys with Daddy, they did it when he was not but a child living here with his own momma and daddy and his sister Vicey and brother Revel. Daddy allus said it seemed to him that they were old ladys then, so dont nobody know how old they migt be now.
    So Gaynelle and Virgie Cline were talking back and forth amongst therselves, and looken at Daddy, ther talking was too soft to hear good and it sounded like a nother langage almost, like bells in the snow. You culd tell they didnt know iffen twuld be better to stay nor go. Danny and Johnny was holding onto Ethels legs and peeping outen her skirt with ther eyes as big as a plate.
    And you culd hear our daddy drawing ever breth.
    I looked at Momma wich werent no good, Momma was looking wild and she bit at her lip, she had bit it so much it was all ready bleeding. Her hair was all over her head. She clutched up her skirt in her hands. And all I culd think of I sware was that snow outside I sware, where I had layed as I said for upwards of a hour and where it was so quite and peacefull. Lord it was like it drawed me out the door almost, it was like I was being pulled.
    But then all of a sudden I heerd myself say, and it was me , mind you, I was the one that said it, Well now that youve come so far we hope you will stay, take off your bonnets come close to the fire and tell us a story. For it seemed to me that the only way I culd keep from running back out in the snow was to hear a story! Momma looked ill as a hornet at me but then she looked down at Daddy and then she told Beulah to make some coffee wich Mrs. Brown had sent us up here by Green Patterson. And the ladys sat down by the fire and we all gathered up around.
    Dont tell Bloody Bones begged Beulah, whatever you do.
    And just the mention of it set Silvaney off, I had to wet her face down to make her hush.
    Tell Old Dry Fry, I said. This one is funny and Daddys faverite.
    Well Old Dry Fry was a preacher man, one of the ladys started, but you cant tell Gaynelle from Virgie, its not worth your truble to try. And when they tell a story it goes back

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