Press enter after choosing selection

An Afflicted Family

An Afflicted Family image
Parent Issue
Day
23
Month
July
Year
1875
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

They entured Vieksburg jast at daik. 'he two nuiles before the oovered wa50U leaned agninst each other tor supjort, and a man having auy knowledge i uialeB would have said that a lunch of scrap iron woúld have beeu a Uodeud to thein. Thore was a big dog under the wagon, and he looked around in a suspicious frightened way, as if exiecting au attack trom souie quarter. Poeriug out trom the wagon was a women and three children. Her face was as yellow as ochre and as sharp as a plautation hoe, and if the children iad had a bit of bacon for months past their looks didu't show it. '■ We' re a sad family," replied the man, as he returned froru the grocery with a a ponud of crackers and a bit of cheese. " Anythiug bad happeued 't " asked the reporter. " You see that womau in the wagon tbar' 'i Well, she weightid 160 puunda when we struck Louisiana a year ago. Thar she is now, gone down to a shudder, aud you couldu't hear her aollei across the roau ■" " Yes she does look bad,"' " And thar's the three children - foll away to boues aud hide and ha'r. Thar' used to be seven. The rest ar' planted over thar' acroas the river ! " " Well, that is bad." "And thar's them niules," continued the siranger, his voice growing husky. " Thar was a time when they were jusi ole lightning ; had to tie 'em up out door for fear they'd kick the stable down. They don't look like it now but they was once able to run a plough into the sile so deep that it took a nig ger a day to dig down to the hanrlles.' " They seeui worn out now." " And gaze on that dog - on poor Titn othy ! coutinued the man, brushiug a tear trom his left eye : " that's wha takes the pluck out o' me! When brought that dog from old Kaintuck the taller fried out of him as he walked and when he set his teeth on anythinj it had to come or die. And what i h now ï Whar's his bounden step, his tal his grit 'i You had bad luck, then f " " Yes, thiugs sot agin' us from th start. The rain drowned the crops out the ager shook us upstairs 'and down fever took the children away, and th ole wouian and the mules and Timoth; sot nght down and pined away to shadders." " And you are moviDg 'i " " We're a joggin', stranger, kiuder joggin' along and nround, looking tor a lace to squat. The old woman sighs tor KaintucK, and Tiinothy he'd git upon his hind legs and howl if we were pinted that way, but 1 thought we'd jog aliltle further." " And you will settle in Mississippi Y" " JL'11 see. ïhey say the sile here is good and crops sure, but 1 dunno. If can get a good bit o' land on sheers we'U stop and niake the dirt fly, but i I can't we'll make for Kaintuck anc keep joggin, as loug as the uiules hole out." " Well, I'ra sorry for you," said tbe re porter. " Bleedged to you, stranger I've tried to keep a stiff back-bone, anc I guess I kin see this thing trough, bu when a feller remembers what thos 'mules was, and see 'em now, it's 'nuft' t break his heart, to say nuthin' abou Timothy under the wagon, a dog wh was brung up on the fat o' the land, anc who hain't used 10 sorrow and griet'!'' And he climbed into the wagon pushed on the Unes, and the niules slow moved on. The Vicksburg Herald says : It cos Zack Chandler f 20,000 to prosecute th Washington correspondent whochargec him with drunkenness, and even then i was left au open question whethe Chandler was drunk on a lounge o druuk on the floor.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus