Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-07-03
TIE ROY.
By MARY IIARTWELL.

CdII Stc tIidts tstN w iilic culIluil
were heaped over the wood tops, but
the middle sky was, blue and clear.
Though was doing on saloon
step, this day of beauty got even
through my wavcring sight. Perhaps
| sat there an hour, pcrhap. an age,
in which the blinks | got were the
recurring days.
1t suddenly occurred to me that
such long continuance of fine
weather ought to be mi Dyed more ac-
lively. But the world whirls. as
everybody knows. mnmblcd Il
number of jokes on nature as stag
gercd abroad. After a tircsomc jour.
ney, came up all alley, and Il group
of boys travelling through a game OF
marbles on their knees, like peniten;s
stumping through Jerusalem. And
in their midst was Billy. Billy was
Il noble looking bov. paused
and tried to get into position to look
at him. l felt Il maudlin pride III
Billy. He had Nora's blue eyes.
blessed Nora. She was gone whc.'C
she couldn't he cursed any more, peol
little brokcu-hcartcd thing.)
AS Billy photographed himself il
my eyes, his bright hair blowing, his
lusty fingers gouging 4 pit for Iii.
.t,l l,n ,ftS Int W IilI
he and ! were born to be and what
we were struck me like n bullet.
had tried to reform. Dyes. Ant
every failure was link III my chain
| was utterly given over to the snake;
and furics.
Now here was Bill walking i'll III,
vagrant stcps--a vicious Arab la :
beautiful CaucaSiina guisc.
SAY, Bill, begged one of thctribr
casing covctOus eye on his indus
trious Jaws, "let me chaw Your wa,
awhile"
Bill, with graceful generosity ans
contempt of gain, tossed it over, say
ing:
There You can take it and keep it
don't want it any more.
While stood in drunken dolo
against the fence, the group whirlc,
up suddenly into Il maelstrom; tn
centre to which they were all suckc'
was sicadfast rock with churnin;
fists and yellow top.
"Bill." shouted, in fury; "com
here, you young scoundrcl.'
Hearing my voice over the broil, h
dashed through the boys and came
crying, bloody and rutilcd.
"What are You fighting about:"
asked, in trcmulous Judgment Owe
him.
Il can't tell you father." he an
swered bravely. What! Even tn
boy dcSpiscd and dared me. | lff.ct
my hand and felt that | could Kill
him.
"Takc that, then, and that, you lit
tie wrctchG I'll show you how to b.
I bully and turn against your ow,
father"
My muscular hand brought fright
full blood cash out of his bruised face
| thought he should feel that his fa
thcr was a solid man in one respect
if the rest of my body was mass o
moist wrctchcdmess.
The bog. the boy. groaned whcl
remember it.
"Oh, don't, father he begged
wringing his little dirty hands. "Oh
father, please don't strike me, and II
tell you all about it. The bows sal,
you was Il drunken old bloat, and II
tight anybody that calls you that, fl
ther: l will. if you kill me for it,
sat prone down upon the ground
That was the hardest blow that Icve
had.
"Gct up, father" said Billy. cast
ing look of bloody and warlik
glance behind him, land I'll help yo,
along
took hold of him, but n weakness
not born of rum,kcpt me at his crack
ed, stubby little feet. There was n,
one in the world who cared whethe
| rose or went on down but him. IL
cared. put my arms around tn
boy and cried against him. No NOR
drunken, glazing repentance for me
Every tear was as hard as n pear
with resolution. The good Chris
appeared that instant in his love M,
long suffering, through the boy, q
plainly as no appeared TO the dyin,
Sir Launfal through the lcper. Whcl
on earth lie was always going abou
picking up the abominable, and sine
He has left the earth. lie send
for them by messengers they canmo
help knowing.
Men should respect in me tha