The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1854-09-20
ug1v as Sin.

1.-The scene was the country store at the eros
roads, in the town of H, which all wht
have hunted or travelled much in Herkime
county will recollect; and the polite interrogato
: was large, bushy- whiskered hard faced man
in red flannel shirt, whose appearance no les
than his dialect proclaimed him to be from tn.
far west. 1t was evening, and groupof loun
gers were smoking and chewing by the ope1
fire, whose warmth, though it was mid sum
mer night, was far from unpleasant
'The person to whom the question was ad
dressed partly turned his head toward the
speaker, but did not Immediately reply: and
took the opportunity of examining him more
closely than [ had done upon his entrance He
was, without exception, the ugliest, most pitia-
bic specimen of humanity that have ever seen
One of his legs had been amputated above the
knee, his right hand was withered and contrac-
ted, as if by severe burn; his shoulder had a
curious hump, and the cords of his neck were
so drawn and shortened that the cheek seemed
to rest upon it, as on pillow. His eye lashes
were gone, and his boodshot eyes were contin-
ualy, moving uneasiy within their raw and
lnf1amed lids. But more painful to the bcholde1
than all this, was strange, undefined express
sion of fear or horror, which was never absent
from the face, and which told more strkngly
than his wounds, the story of some awful trial
| to which he had been subjected
With all this, however, there was something
SO mild and gentlemanly in his.manner that he
seemed at once to challenge and obtain the
pity and sympathy of every one. His entrance
into the store, apparently total stranger, had
checked the lively flow of the ordinary bar
room conversation, but more than one chair by
the fire was offered him, and many glance Of
| commisseraton exchanged between the rough
laborers.
Bar or catamount?' repeated the hoosier'
L thought, said the stranger, in the hollow
voice of a consumptive,' that l should find
some one in here tonight who would recollect
me. l recognize many of your faces. And
yet,' he added, sadly, my own mother did not
know me-
There was a quick movement in the group
about him at the words, and every eye was
bent once more upon him. But no one spoke
Deacon Peton,' resumed the ugly man,
your son Bill and I used to 90 to school to-
gether down at the creek
Lord help us, said the good old deacon, to
think Of the changes Well he added, re-
signedly, it's what we must all come to- 1t
was plain that the elder was fairly y'puzzed.
Inever thought till lately, pursued the Grip
ple,o that | should be obliged to tell my name
to my old companions and friends Look at
me again.
No, no, muttered the man in the red shirt
audibly, 'one look at that fellow is as much as
can comfortably stagger under
But the store-keeper, taking step or two
forward, gazed into the ugly mans face for
moment with an eager air. and said:
'Neighbors, it's Ben Larkins!'
Ben Larkins!' said the deacon, why, We
heard YOU were dead =zE
You will hear that again soon,' said the new
conner, and it will be a true story then
There was an awkward pause, for the old
friends of the poor man with all their curiosity,
had native delicacy which restained their
questions. But the western man, who now saw
him for the first time, was wholly free from any
such embarrassment.
Stranger said he, i amt much given to
man against his will, but should
like to know how you came SO, just to keep out
of Such a scrape myself
I came in here this evening, said the ugly
man, 'on purpose to meet as many OF my old
as | could, and tell my story. |
knew should have to tell it some time or other, !
and | want to have it over, to5feel that myomis-
fortune is known, and that am free from ques-
TONS
lie shifted his seat, as if to obtain an easier
position, and continued Those Of you who saw
me a couple of years since will recollect that
was then, as | had been for many years previ-
ously, warm and active politician. Now that
have come home to die among you, it seems
I4+ +l,,,,
hese doubtful races, but then it was a different
hing to me, and I believe was never wanting
n any service which my party asked of me,
rom the time Of the election of the good old
zen. Harrison, who is trust in a better place
han the white house now
'Amenf said the red-shirted man solemnly.
when / emigrated to Ohio, two years SINCE
continued Larkins, I carried my enthusiasm
With me, and became pretty well known in the
section Of country about the village Of W,
where I settled. You must remember at least
III of you who read the newspapers, that our
asst 9ubernatorial election was an unusually ex-
ting one. | belonged to one Of the state gene
al committees and, as the returns on election
lay camein by express we began to grow fairly
Wild We had beforehand made all the neces-
ary arrangements to have the earliest authcn-
ic news of the result posted off to the New
FORK papers, and I had agreed to see that
ertan budget of returns which we expected
0 receive during the evening should be sent on
o the town of B., some thirty miles distant ;
" the railway, as soon as it arrived, and had
hartered an engine, which was to be in readi- ;
cs, at vlc, o'clock that might.
well, the budget came promptly at the time, {
nd the news was quite as favorable as we de-
ired, and much more so than we expected. |
uppose it was this fact that so sudden deter ,
1incd me to carry the intelligence on myself t
1t any rate, hastily resolved to go on the To- t
omotive, and, seizing the returns, ] ran down 6
. the depot, where the engine was fired up and f
'histling it's readiness for start. It was but s
he work of a moment to pursuade the engineer
, take me with him, for the fireman who was
, accompany him was nowhere to be found,
nd the engineer had resolved to run over the
rack alone. | volunteered at once to assist t
i'm as well as could, and Immediately ly noun {
I'd the engine. s
cit was dark and wild, though warm t
light, and every thing gave indication of an ap t
oanh;pr ctorn, Eaarfu1Iu black Glands uara .