Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-09-08
THE YOUTH FROM THE COUNTRY.
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BLACKJACK. Ark, Sept. 1, 1870.
To the Editor of the Ledger;
| shall never cease TO thank you for
the interest you have taken in our John
Wesley. One OF my neighbors down
at Longjack has just returned from
Memphis, and brings good news. He
says John Wesley made the trip safely
to Memphis without getting lost, robbed,
or snake-bit, although he walked all the
way. When he left here he only had
two dollars and my two shirts, all Of
which he spent on the road, except one
shirt. am doubtless indebted to you
for assisting him to get a place. He is
one of the chief clerks or porters, or
something of that sort, in cotton house
on Row Front, or Front Row, where
Squire Jones found him after two days
search. John Wesley let on not to
know him. The Squire had been by the
store two or three times, where John w.
was cyphering on the end Of some bar
rels with black brush, before he was
certain it was John Wesley he had found.
John was nightly changed and dressed
in the latest New York style. His home-
spun clothes had been snapped off or
hid out in the woods behind log He
had on a bob-tailed coat and other
clothes, cut where cloth was
amazingly scarce. He didn't want
to recognize neighbor Jones, and said,
81 spect your mistaken in the man.
"No Tn not, John Wesley" said the
Squire, beginning to embrace him afi'ec-
tionately, " haint / seed you going to
mill thousand times with them lazy
steers, and didn't know your father
and mother in Buncombe, North Caro-
lima, near unto forty years ago2
" Don't talk so loud, Squire" whis-
pered John Wesley, folks will hear
you"
: =" What if they do, You young scamp"
said Jones, yer daddy told me to hunt
you up and get them shirts"
John took the Squire off to one side
and invited him to go home with him for
dinner. Jones has weakness for some
thing TO eat, and so he went. ] rather
guess that they had something to drink,
and that John Wesley pulled the wool
over the Squire eyes, for | could never
get him to tell me the rest. think /
will have to come over myself and see
about John as soon as we get through
boiling down the sorghum crop. e
As John seems to be in way to do
some good, weighing cotton and rolling
barrels and other light work, | request
you not to mention the shirt business
any more. He always had consuming
desire to live in city where he wouldn't
L..o - l~;,-o o.,a,, Lonl ao,, Loo, ebualy
corn, dig potatoes, hunt up the cows,
rive clap boards, and like other healthy
exercises on the farm. If he does well |
shall be satisfied, and as long as | feel
sure that you are looking after his morals
and manners he will doubtless prosper.
Jones says that Johns mustache has
broke out in new place, just below his
mouth, where such an ornament is least
needed. Don't let John spend his money
for fine clothes; he's fearfully fond of
style, and if left to himself will soon run
into kid gloves, tight boots, starched
shirts, and other senseless toggery, worn
chiefly by weak-minded persons who
affect to he rich and prosperous. The
most dressy man that ever lived in this
county turned out to be one Of the
grandest of rascals.
Keep an eye ON John Wesley; keep
an eye on him; and oblige,
Yours trooly, ANsoY DRooD.
p. ST. inclose fifty cents. Send me
your paper as long as that will hold
out. A. d.
P. S. No. IF John Wesley is
ashamed of his old clothes, tell him to
send them back, and some of the other
boys can wear them of Sundays. He
can keep that shirt; I've got another one
now. A. ID.