Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-10-27
CHAPTER TX.
Has COP FORGOTTEN SuoCKY ?

"Pap wants to know eff you would
spend to-morry and Sunday ut our
house 81 said one of Squire Hawkins
girls, on the very next evening, which
was Friday. The old Squire was
Thoughtful enough to remember that
Ralph would not find it very pleasant
boarding out" all the time he was
entitled to spend at Pete Joncs'S. For
in view of the fact that Mr.. Pete
Jones sent seven children to the school,
the " Master =" in Flat Creek district
was bound to spend NO weeks in II at
comfortable place, sleeping in pre-
occupied bed, in the 'fufdest corner"
with insufficient cover, under an in
sufficient roof. and eating floating is
lands of salt pork fished out Of oceans
of hot lard. Ralph was not slow to
accept the relief offered by the hospi-
table justice of the peace, whose prin-
cipal business seemed to be the adjust
ment of the pieces of which be was
composed And as Shocky Travelled
the same road, Ralph took advantage
of the opportunity 10 talk with him
The Master could not dismiss Hannah
wholly from his mind. He would at
least read the mystery of her life, if
Shocky could be prevailed on to fur
nish the clue.
Poor old tree ~ said Shocky, point
ing to crooked and gnaried elm stand
inc by itself in the middle of field.
For when the elm. naturally the most
graceful of trees, Cnce gets a bad set, -
as ladies say, it can grow to be the
most deformed. This solitary tree had
not n single straight limb.
"Wty do you say poor old tree p
asked Ralph.
"'Cause it's Lonesome. All its old
friends is dead and chopped down, and
there's their stumpts a-standin' jes
like grave-stOnes. 1t must be lone
some. Some folks says it don't feel,
but think it does. Everything seems
TO think and feel. See it modelling its
head to them other trees in the woods,
and a-wantin' to shake hands, But il
can't move. / think that tree must q
growed in the night"
Why Shocky 81
"1Causc it's so crooked, !" and Shocby
laughed at his OWE cOnceit; "mnst Il
C.oued when they was 30 light so ms
it could see how to grow
And then they walked on in silence
Il minute. Presently Shocky began
looking up into Ealph's eyes to get a
smilc. 81 guess that tree feels just
like me. Don't you?" S-'
WHY, how do YOU feelr' ..
Kind o. bad and lonesome, and
like as if | wanted to die, You know.
Felt that way ever seiice they put my
father into the graveyard, and sent my
mother to the poor-house and Hammer
to ole Miss Mcans's. What kind of a
place is n pooy-housc? + it poorer
place than Means's? | wish / was
dead and one of them clouds was car
rvin' NE and Hammer and mother up
TO where fathers gone, you know. |
wonder if God forgets ali about poor
folks when their father dies and their
mother gifts into the pOor-house? Dc
YOU think he does? Seems so to me.
Nav be God lost track Of my father
when he come away from England
and crossed over the sea. Don't no.
body on Flat Creek keer fer God, and
7 guess tod don't keer fer Flat Creek.
| But / would though, ef he'd git my
mother ont OF the pOor-house and gil
Hammer away from Means's and lei
! me kiss my mother every night, you
know, and sleep on my Hammers arm,
jes like l used to refather died, you
see"
Ralph wanted to speak, bu; he
couldn't. And So Shocky, with his
eyes looking straight ahead, and 40 j
| forgetting Ralph's presence, told Ovel
the thoughts that he had often talked
over TO the fence-rails and the trees.
at was real good in Mr.. Pearson t.
take me, wasn't it Else I'd beer
bound out tell l was tweDty-one, may
be. TO some mean man like Old Means
An | ant but seven. And it wOul'
take me thirteen years TO git twenty
one. and never could live with IN.
mother again after Hannah gets Con
her time. Cause you see, Hanner1
be through in three year, and I'll b