New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-25

ID hardly had the door closed on Miggles tina
y we crowded together, whispering, smoker
ing, smiling and exchanging suspicion.
0 surmises, and thousand speculations i
le regard to our pretty hostess and her singu
le lar companion. fear that we even hustle
Y that little imbecile paralytie whe sat like
voiceless Memnon in our midst, gazing wit
n the serene Indifference OF the Past in hi
A. passonless eyes upon our wordy counsels
e In the midst of an exciting discussion tn
r. door opened again, and Miggles re-entered
n But not, apparently, the same Miggle
a who few hours before had flashed npoI
= us. Her eyes were downcast, and she hest
b tated for a moment on the threshold, will
, blanket on her arm; she seemed to have
e left behind her the frank fearlessness
q which had charmed us a moment before
+ Coming into the room; she drew low stoo
9 beside the paralytics chair. sat down, drew
8 the blanket over her shoulders and saying
IF it's all the same to you, boys, as we're
rather crowded, I'll stop here tonight
took the invalids withered hand in her own,
and turned her eyes upon the dying fire
! An instructive feeling that this was only
| premonitory to more confidential relations.
and perhaps some shame at our previous
curiosity, kept us silent. The rain still
beat upon the roof wandering gusts of
wind stirred the embers into momentary
brightness, until, in a lull of the elements,
Migales suddenly lifted up her head, and,
throwing her hair over her shoulder, turned
her face upon the group and asked:
1 lis there any of you that knows me :"
There was NO reply.
Think again / lived at MaryvilIe in
1853. Everybody knew me there, and every
body had the right to know me. | kept the
Polka Saloon until | came to live with jim
That's six years ago Perhaps I've changed
| some"
The absence of recognition may have dis
concerted her. She turned her bead to the
4 fire again, and it was some seconds before
she again spoke, and then more rapidly:
! well, you see thought some of you
| must have known me. There's no harm
done, any way. What | was going to say
was this: Jim here'-she took his hand IN
| both hers as she spoke-"used to know me,
II you didn't and spent heap of money
| upon me. i reckon he spent all he had.
| And one day-it's' six years ago this win
ter-Jim came into my back room, sat
down on my sofa, like as you see him in
that chair, and never moved again without
help. He was struck all of heap, and
never seemed to know what allied him.
The doctors came and said as how it was
caused all along of his way of life. for Jim
was mighty free and wild like, and that he
would never get better, and couldn't last
long any way They advised me to send
him to Frisco to the hospital, for he was no
good to any one, and would be baby all
his life. Perhaps it was something in Jim's
eye, perhaps it was that | never had a |
baby, but said No. / was rich then, for !
was popular with rybOdy-gentlemen |
like yourself, sir. came TO see me--and | |
sold out my business and bought this YER |
place, because 1t was sort of out of the Way |
of travel, you see, and brought my baby |
here"
With woman's intuitive tact and poetry
she had, as she spoke. slowly shifted her
position so as to bring the mute figure of the I
ruined man between her and her audience
hiding in the shadow behind it, as if she
offered it as tacit apology for her actions.
silent and eXpressionless it yet spoke for
her; helpless, crushed and smitten with the
Divine thunderbolt it still stretched an in
visible arm around her.
Hidden in the darkness, but still holding
his hand, she went on:
at was a long time before could get the
hang OF things about yer, for was used TO
company and excitement. l couldn't get
any woman to help me, and man dursent
trust; but with the Indians hereabout, who'd
do odd jobs for me, and having everything
sent from the North Fork. Jim and man.
aged to worry through. The doctor would
run up from Sacramento once in a while
He'd ask to see 'Miggle's baby, as he called
Jim, and when he'd go away, he'd saw.
Miggles, you are trump-God bless you;'
ana 1t didn't seem so lonely after that. But t
The last time he was here he said, as he t
opened the door to go, do you kHow, Mig t
,les, your baby will grow up to be a man ,
yet, and an honor to his mother: but not
lere Miggle, not herer And thought he {
vent away sad-and-and-" here Miggle's t
'oice and head were somehow both lost a
completely in the shadow. !
The folks about here are very kind" f
aid Miggles, after pause, coming little ?
T.. Al
DIRK used to hang around here until they t
ound they wasn't wanted, and the women v
re kind and don't call | was pretty lonely L
ntll picked up Joaquin in the woods Won II
er one day, when he wasn't so high, and s.
aught him to beg for his dinner; and then Il
bar Polly-thats the magpie-she knows Il
o end OF tricks, and makes it quite socia- fl
lie OF evenings with her talk ana so | don't I'll
eel like as | was the Only living being 81
bout the ranch. And Jim here" said Mig W
les, with her old laugh again coming out W
ITO the freight. "Jim, why boys, YOU Il
'ould admire to see how much he knows in
'r man like him. Sometimes l bring him Y,
overs and he looks at 'em just as if he IL
new EN-; and times, when we are sitting tie
one, have read him those things on the IN
all: Why, Lord" said Miggles. with her G
ank laugh, I've read him that whole p,
de OF the house this winter. There never W
as such man for reading as Jim"
why, asked the Judge, do you not NJ
AIRY this man to whom you have devoted X
'ur youthful life :" ...,'rs ,,.~., he
well, you see" said Miggles, ut would TO
playing it rather low down on jim. to X,
Ike advantage of his being so helpless. M
nd then, too, if we were man and wife, bn
Nv, we'd both know that l was bound to Ia
what do now of my own accord" til
but you are young yet and attractive" wi
Its getting late" said Miggles, gravely, Re
nd you'd better all turn in. Good night, at
VS." and throwing the blanket over her bl,
adj, Miggles laid herself down beside Jim's be
air, her head pillowed ON the low stool hu
at held his feet, and spoke no more. The 70
slowly faded from the hearth; we each tis
nght our blankets in silence: and pres KIN
I ~ there was no sound in the long room COZ
I the pattering of the rain upon the roof. nu
d the heavy breathing Of the sleepers KIN
1t was nearly morning when l awoke En-
m troubled dream The storm had /
ssed, the stars were shining, and through ella
shutterless window the full moon, lift the
!, itself over the solemn pines without, We;
ked into the room. 1t touched the lonely enc
ure in the chair with an infinite com thi
ssion, and seemed to baptize with a by
ming flood the lovely head of the woman pee
Ose hair, as in the sweet old story, inn
he'd the feet of him she loved 1t even cal
a kindly poetry to the rugged outline tiol
luba Bill, half reclining on his elbow knC
ween them and his passengers, with wa
ageIy patient eyes keeping watch and to
rd. And then / fell asleep, and only ent
Ike at broad day, with Yuba Bill stand so.
over me, and "All aboard ringing in hea
ears. MIA
,Otfee was waiting for us on the table mo-