Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-04-20
Miscellaneous.
THE MARQUIS.
BY CHAuNCEY HICHKOK.

BY CHAUNCEY HICHKOK.
MRs. RUGGLM lived near Craw6sh
Creek Crawfish Creek ran near ThOmp-
son City. Thomson City was in West.
ern State, but now is in middle one. 1t
was always in the midst of u great country
accepting local testimony and rank
growth Of corn and politicians as the test
Of greatness. The earth there was monot
onously parched in summer, and monot-
0nously muddy at all other times. The
forests were gigantic, the air carbonic, and
when the citizens wished to give Thomp-
son City the highest communication, they
did so by saying that "fevernagur was
worse in some other places.
In the parlor of Mrs. Ruggles, which
was also her kitchen and dining hall, hung
frame containing seven by nine mirror,
which was the frames excuse for being,
although o compartment above and
one below held squares OF glass Gov
cred with paint instead Of mercury. The
lower one was colored like the contents OF
wasitub after liberal use Of indigo;
and in the center was horizontal stroke
of rcd, surmounted by q perpendicular
dash Of white, intersccted by an oblique
line of black-all of which represented
W
making an endless voyage across the lake
of indigo. The black crosses in the sky
were birds. Tho black lines on the left
were bfrushes. And among these bull
rushes certain gloomy little object was
either a Hebrew prophet or muskrat
Above the mirror was painted long
tailed coat, from behind which extended
a hand holding bell-crowned hat, to
whose scarlet lining the holder seemed in
viting the spectators particular attention.
There were also pair Of legs and boots,
heavy shock of hair, labyrinth OF
neckcloth, and ford human face. I'm
der the boots were the words:
MARQUIS DE LA FAYETTE
And the beholder was ever In doubt
whether the Marquis was trying to stand
exclusively upon this title, or was un-
consciously trampling IL into the ground
Mrs. Ruggles admired this picture. Her
knowledge Of French was not great, but her
ear was delicate; and thinking the words
"sounded handsome" she had deliberately
conferred them on her irst-born. When
in good humor, she was content with call
ing him Marquis-de." In fact 1t was
only when chasing him into the street,
with lilac bush In her hand, that she
insisted on addressing him by his full name.
At such times, between each flourish OF
the lilac bush and each yell Of the young
nobleman, she pronounced with significant
fullness, and with fearful exactness the
handsome sounding name Of Marquis de
Ia Fayette Rugglcs. Ills playmates, how
ever, had not the delicate ear Of the
mother. and, as the son had brown specklcs
on his face, he was popularity known as
"Frecky Rug"
Mrs. Ruggles and her late husband
were pioneers in Crawfish Valley. Sub.
sequent settlers knew little, and apparently
cared less, about her. They knew, how.
ever. that she had been Peables, and
that Peables blood was still doing duty in
her veins. And, from her independence
and reserve, they argued that the Peableses
must have been "high up"-at least In
the estimation of Mrs. Ruggles, After
Mr. Ruggles had been overcome by mala.
ria in clearing the creek bottoms, the
pride of the Peables had sustained her In
long brave fight with circumstances
Il was while he lay one night upon his
death bed, mistaking watching neighb0r
for his wife, that he started up, saying,
Becky, If I could prove II to you afore
der
"Out of his head" was the quiet re
mask of Mrs Ruggies to the watching
neighbor by the bedside There was nc
further sign Of delirium. That exclama
ton of the dying Mr.. Ruggles WAS q mys
terry to the women of Crawtish Greek
and remains 80 to this day.
It may be that the pride of Mrs. Rug
giles was In excess of her wisdom. 1t may
be, II that pride had been little more re-
spected by the irreverent Crawfish set
tiers, they would not have had occasion
to wonder, rs they did wonder, how 9
heart 80 true, an honesty 80 stoical, dis
elimination so acute, could exist with al
Independence so absurd, mind 90 uncul
tured, sense of dignity so ridiculous, a.
were found united In her character. II
may be that the Peables blood was worthy
Of receiving honor as great as the ridicule
it did receive. 1t may be If the world
had known the Peableses It would have
been e. proud of them a. she was.
She was person Of scrupulous neat
ness, careful never 10 be seen by strangers
except In tidy dress, and with her hail
in 6recian knot, gracefully secured by {
leather string and wooden peg. "Weal
oreeDinqs" were her main reliance In thu
nv al disease. She was also troubled, q
Zeses. With afullness of the head" II
~ Gtion, there were other times when hel
6perssids "felt separate" Butshe seldom