The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-03-17

he determined to make It a little moi pala
table for him. J. J. was accordingly admit
ted to Noware Hall in the capacity, Of '.sall
Sorts" that is, one who helped the groom
and the valet, and every body, indeed. who
wanted help which he could give. And i
was astonishing how he improved under
'civir' influences There were few ebul
iltionse even against Mr., Noman him sete
who was more than necessarily .imperious
sometimes; but by the time J. j. was twenty
(and he had entered Mr.. Noman's service a,
fifteen, ia mixture of forbearance, encourage.
ment and restraint on the part of Mr. ,Nomar
and his household had rendered Miss 'Melia's
''young murderer quite a reasonable and
docile being. j, j. moreover, had been gra
dually promoted to the post Of confidential
attendant npon Mr.. rNoman K who had dis.
missed hisvalet for peculation) alway rode
out with him, always went on his errands
/ and when he was not required for anything
Of the kind, usually worked in the garden
1t is not to be supposed that he had lived in
a world so obligingly communicative of un.
/ pleasant intelligence as our own without re-
ceiving full account of bis father car eer;
butall the different falsehoods had set in the
middle Of them, like white camelia In the
middle of a bouquet, the one pure truth. tha,
his father had been Transported for life on
| the evidence Of Mr. Norman and his keepers.
He had obtained a copy of newspaper
which corroborated this part of the story:
though as for the rest that was told him, it
wac so contradictory that :he hardly knew
what to believe. .esaa
j. j. was working one day in the garden
at that part where the wall was low and
looked into the high road, when he became
aware Of 4 weather beaten face, shaded by a
rotten looking straw hat, from. under which
peeped locks Of grzz!ed gray hair. The chin
that belonged to the face re sted on the wrist
of one of two hands which had evidently
worn few gluyes, and had been freckIed by
the rays Of many powerful sun and the
hands very aptly finished off two brawny
arms which were folded upon the top Of the
wall. He paused with his right foot upon
the right shoulder Of the spade. share, and
looked up at the weather beaten face, and
stared agape. He had never seen the face
before, to the best of bis recollectipn,p but
somehow it seemed to him familiar !: he fan
cied that the face was his own, only ge,I. =.
barbarized The eyes which were in the
face twinkled, and the mouth which made a
rent in the face widened and said = ~ say,
young man ~ '5t.l RI" 81 ii+a ~'-'
"Wely'" rejoined the young man. .
"You didn't'appen to know young man
name o j. j., did yer?" continued the face !;
"'e works ere I'm told. ss ,a, y.
That's me- said ]. j. ,r
"Take paw" re)oined the stranger, md
one of the freckled hands was extended. .a.
J.J. hesitated moment, but eventually
took 'paw," and enquired: 'Jyho might
you be sir ?,,uGs 9#i- 1J7.t = -. -.
a"Tm @. J.,' said the face; "And If so be
as your father were blacksmith in this place,
and met with misfortune as sent'ip away
Pm i'm" i - ''a''4'' ''s
j. J: trembled exceedingly; but he knew
it was his father fronr the likeness he saw.
Il were a ''lifer," continued the, elder.
''but escaped, and ere an aud ifyonre
'alf arpluckei un, as a son o mine should be-
you'll lend us a land towards gittin' on. -
What's become o. the old homan ?" st.
"She died." said j. j., "soon after you
youileft.' adf 10 e1aq attIiJ 80 EH
s"Where did she die, then. ~ asked the el.
der careless'y ;"In, the work us suppose 81,
JJ. nodded assent. and was treated by
his, father to a volleyt Of uniutellisble exple-.
t,yes, tho pame Of Nom m alone being dis
tinguishable, At last, the senior growled'
fiercely: sHYou won't tell any one yon'v
seen me xny'ow; you would mt be such Gu I
asthat, If you won't do anythink towanis
SEEM Us on ?" 5ihEaii9Igaf hJt tTaeaa
"Ono, no, no. But what can do ?" ask.
ed poor j. j.
why, you've got 3 better pair ,eboots
than them, I .dessay," reioined tie elder,
showing boot over the wall "an' pair
o'breeches as amt bu' stin,' showing rent
or SO in his corduroys. ~,
~ can manage that for you," replied J. j.:
."Pll go and fetch them in a minute :;
there'll BE- nobody here for the rest Of the
Trs afst ia5&nlttH ass 4