Dans" mountain Homer (standard:Inspirational stories, 1405 words)
Author: stanley mcqueen kentucky backwoods writer	Added: Jul 22 2007	Views/Reads: 3443/0	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
short mountain tale

Homer Mountain Home Backwoods writer Stanley Mcqueen 

The grey headed old man that I had often seen along the wagon roads of
Muddy Fork county was a loner and no one around here really new much 
about the old man. I had seen him often which coming from the sawmill 
after work time. Last week I spoke a howdy to him as we meet in the 
wagon road him going one way and me going the other toward home. He 
seem friendly enough and I was curious to learn more about him, I 
decided the next time I meet him in passing that I would strike up a 
conversation with him and maybe I could figure out what he was in 
character , my name is Frank and I have lived around here all my life 
and im not married and I have reached the age of twenty one , I work at 
old man Webb saw mill at the bottom of the mountain , my folks Maw and 
paw are like most everyone around these part simple common folks and 
Paw is a farmer and we all three live in a little crude shack that set 
surrounded my the rough ridges , paw tends corn and tobacco crops and 
me being still a single man haven't left home yet, so I help around the 
place and have the extra Job at the sawmill. I never mention our last 
name is Turner and there is a lot of us Turners around here most of my 
people settled in this region several generation ago , and I guess that 
how we come to be in this place.. It was on Tuesday when work was 
finished for the day when I meet the old ,man along the way and again I 
spoke to him and asked him how things was going for him and he answered 
very well young man, well I have seen you along these wagon road since 
I was a young sprout and I never did have a talk with you so how about 
us swopping some words I suggested to him, well boy that will be ok 
with me what is it that you wanting to talk about he asked? Well first 
off where do you live I asked him? Well boys I live on a ridge knob 
about two miles due west of right here he tells me.  I live like a wild 
bore hog he laugh at his own words, how that I asked him what do you 
mean like a wild hog.? Well boy I have no wife no kin folks no work at 
least not a paying job like most folks around these parts do he added” 
how in the world do you manage to eat and have a roof over you head I 
asked” well boy there is a shallow cave that I have took for my home it 
Is cool in the summer and a might warm in the winter, and I trap and 
hunt my food and get by pretty good so far he bragged” don't it get a 
might lonesome living all by yourself I asked him” boy I have never a 
dull moment im too busy trying to fine food and I do work just a little 
in the summer for some of these farmers when there crops are needing 
gathering, I get by pretty fair and that a fact he added” well it seem 
like some folks like you have life in a hand basket , I replied “ well 
boy life is what a man make of it , some folks are meant to be loners 
and like myself im a might ugly and never did spark a lady eye and I 
guess that why I have live a hermits life I would suppose he said and 
seem to be in deep thought. Now boy i.m thinking your admiring my kind 
of life, and you being young and all I can see why, every man want to 
be free like the wind and that ain,t a bad idea in a way he said” but I 
might tell you this if you find a good women in the future and settled 
down and buy you a little farm that would grow corn and tobacco and 
have a mess of kids that would be better than my life is would you 
agree he asked? Well I never new no one like you before that live a 
free care free life I replied, your life seem to fit my fancy I told 
him, you go to bed when you want to and come and go like a free wild 
mountain bird , that seem like a good life to me I said” well boys last 
winter do you recall that big snow that covered these mountain he 
asked” yes I recall I answered ‘ Well boy food got scarce for me all 
the game never stirred and I though for sure I would starve to death, 
see son it isn't as good of life as you think, he declares”   Now see 
here boy a man must think what kind of life he is willing to take up, 
and I would strongly advise you to find you a mate in the future and 
get this  free life out of your noggin, you don't want to be like me 
boys a loner and a nobody he said” well sir I don't see you as a nobody 
you're a human being just like all the rest of us people around here 
and that the way I see all human I said “ Boy do you know what folks 
call me around here my name I mean he added” no I never have heard you 
name spoken of I tell him. Folks call e crazy old Dan hopper , folks 
here shun me because im ragged and sort of grown over with hair he 
said” now boy I might be a hermit but I have never hurt anyone in my 
life my hearts is as clear as spring water, I have no ills toward and  
man , maybe I look different but inside my heart there is a caring 
person, let me tell you some wise wisdom son he said, now listen boy a 
man heart is the most important thing about him .. If a man heart is 
evil he will come to naught.. His life will be filled with hate and 
misery .. His way will be displeasing with the lord and master , his 
hand will be empty at the day of judgment..and the end he will suffer 
punishment.. Now boy some men don't believe in nothing and those men 
are like empty vessels they have nothing but vanity inside them, now 
boy you might ask me where I learn these things of wisdom he said” yes 
I do wonder where you got such knowledge I answered” well boy my dear 
old departed mother read me the words of the good book the holy bible 
when I was just a young sprout, and I have live to know how a man heart 
should be he declares” I know that you are a young kind gentleman and 
it good to have swopped words with you. And if you recall this advise 
and tie it around your heart and now boy I have to go and it was a 
pleasure to swoop words with you and I hope someday you'll come to my 
ridge and visit me and see my cave home... you're the fist person that 
ever had a talk to me other than the folks that I have helped in crops 
and their talk was commands of the work projects that I was helping 
then do.. The kind old gentleman reached our his hand and shook my hand 
and we parted and I thanks him for his advise and assured him that I 
would come and visit his cave home, before we parted I took out my 
purse and reached him a ten dollar bill and he asked what is this money 
for ? For a new friend with words of widows I have meet today along 
life road... he smiled and we parted each our way .. Somehow I feel 
that I have learned a great lesson that will follow me the rest of my 
days along these rough mountain ridges that I call my home THE END


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