Voices; Birth-Marks; The Man and the Elephant — John Shaqi
Voices; Birth-Marks; The Man and the ElephantHolt, Mathew Joseph
History
Voices; Birth-Marks; The Man and the Elephant
Holt, Mathew Joseph
Kentucky -- Fiction; Kentucky -- History
Jeannette’s school in 1922 closed on the twenty-third of June. She was
in the habit of visiting the Allens each year at the beginning of her
vacation, but Mrs. Allen’s health being poor they had gone to the sea
shore for a couple of months and did not expect to return until the last
of July. They had written asking her to join them, but this she declined
to do, saying: “I will defer my visit until you return, probably coming
to Lexington the middle of August, unless I can be of real service by
helping you.”
About the first of July, Simeon Blair informed her that his cousin Sandy
Blair was coming to spend a few days with him. There was plenty of room
as she had built a wing of two rooms, which she occupied as a study and
bed room.
Although she had never liked Sandy, she could not object. She looked
upon his visit as of little importance; though she was sufficiently
interested to inquire as to what he had been doing since he had joined
the army in 1917. Simeon replied: “Sandy was in Germany three years. He
came back last January and was sent to Mexico. I asked him but he did
not say what he was doing, except that he had quit the army. I guess he
has been dancing and frolicing around with them Mexican senorinas. You
know how he loves to dance and fiddle. He’s a big fellow. He hasn’t been
working much. There are no corns on his hands; they are almost as soft
as yours, Miss Jeannette. I saw him yesterday at the mouth of Big Creek.
He don’t gab as much as he used to.”
When Mrs. Blair blew the horn for supper, Jeannette came in from the Big
Rock, where she had been reading. The others were already at the table;
and as she entered the room, a tall, broad shouldered, red headed man,
dressed in blue overalls, a hickory shirt and laced army boots rose up
and came forward to meet her. She saw it was Sandy and was surprised
that he rose to greet her and did not resume his seat until she was
first seated. He also called her Miss Litman, instead of Jeannette, as
he had always done.
She watched him during the meal. He had little to say; did not eat with
his knife or drink his coffee from the saucer as he used to do. All his
clothing except his boots appeared to be new. After watching a while,
she thought: “the same old Sandy; nothing worries him; he has a
pleasant, intelligent face and he certainly is good looking; but his
hands are too white and soft for a working man’s. I guess he will marry
some poor woman who will work herself to death supporting his family,
while he fiddles and dances through life.”
After supper, Simeon asked him to play. She noticed that his violin was
of German make and evidently a fine instrument. He played “Turkey in the
Straw,” “The Arkansaw Traveler” and such other local dance music as had
been played when her granny was a girl. He did it so well that she was
satisfied with training he would make an accomplished musician.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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