New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-12-15
THE MOTHERS QUEST.
BY Isle SINGLETON,

Two miners came to our camp as we were
Drosnecting few miles from Placerylllt
dippings AS they came within inc lQI
ijg6t Of the fire, l felt Kentucky Jim, who
was lying stretched out by my SIDE, GRASP
nv arm with an almost YlsellKe pressure
while at the same time he land MS myers OF
his Inns. and moved his head slightly TO
ward The elder of the two strangers. He
was a tall. thick-set man, with long, bushy,
black beard and hair and regular features
that had once, perhaps, been handsome, but
were now swollen and discolored by dlssl-
patton, and bore plainly the marks OF
reckless and vicious life. HIS companion
was apparently an Indian, wrapped IN a
dirty blanket, and clothed, in other re-
enpcts. in a manner that made it difficult to
Determine the sex. They joined with US in
our evening meal, of which all partook but
Kentucky jim, who lay apparently asleep
before the camp fire, his face concealed by
his hat. AS soon as the strangers left us
he started to his feet.
Boys" said he, II must leave you to-
morrow, but l want you to promise me,
first Of all, that whether your !ucks. good
or bad you won't leave these ere dlggln 8
till come back. Now, eff you'll jes' listen,
III tell You the reason why. It's long
yarn, hOwsoever, and perhaps you're too
beat out to hear it tonight. Eft SO, Jes trust
my word Tn you know l never deceived
you), you'll be dom a great sarvlce to God
an man both, by jes' stayin' here, pretend
in to work an keepin' sharp look out on
that Iong-legged, nean-faced, sneakin' cuss
that's ies left u.s."
spin your yarn, Kaintuck = 60 it, old
fellow y "Tell US the story, Jim ~ we're
the EXPLANATIONS on all sides, and Jim be-
gan his story.
you're Gearn me tell afore, boys, that
was raised in Shelby county, old hantuck.
My folks was poor, but close to US was the
estate of General Shelby, one OF the richest
men in the country. The General had no
end of niggers, an horses, an cattle an
dogs; an he'd a fine house an grounds,
with fish ponds an trees, an deer runnin'
around among EN-. Shelby's Park, they
called it; an he'd acres on acres Of the
finest tobacco and corn land in all Kahn
tuck, an he'd money in the bank, an lots
of nice things besides; but what he most
prided himself upon was his handsome
darter. Miss Ida Shelby was jes the pur
test piece of woman flesh | ever seen.
"She was les about near upon my own
age, and many and many time I've mount
ed the rail fence, with my bare teet and
ragged clothes, jes to get look in the Gen
erals kerridge as it passed and see little
Miss Ida in her white dress and blue rib
bOns, and nice little hat with blue and white
feathers, tell Won, she was as purity as
plCJuE anu ROGOl anu CIbASF C'N '"''>A
many a liclin' I've got from the old folks at
home for huntin' birds nests, and kerrying
the birds and strings of the purity blue and
speckled eggs to Miss Ida, tarrin my Old
close THAT was made out on them my dad
had lust worn out) all to pieces. But didn't
keer a red cent for the licking ii could Jes
get chance to give the eggs or the young
birds to Miss Ida, and hear her say, IN Ter
voice sweeter than the moCkIng birds.
Thank you Jim | could go home after
that, and take my licking and never feel it.
" After a while the General sent her to
school, off in the East / hearn EN- call
the place Mrs. Wizards seminary, in Troy,
somewhere in York State; and every sum
mer he and Nine. Shelby d go East to visit
their darter and take her to Saratoga, or
Newport or the White Mountains, or some
other place where rich folks go tTaveLn' to
spend the summer.
"Wen, boys, q good many years have
passed since then; but if l live to be hun
bred III never forget my teelins the first
time / seed her I'd heern tell that the
General had brought Miss Ida hum, and
thought 'prehaps she'll go to church to-
day So I dressed myself in my best Sun
day 60 tomeetin, close, spick and span
new Mother had picked the wool, spun it, |
wOve it into cloth, coIored it with burternut |
bark, and had cut out and made the close |
herself, SO | thought they must be very |
nice; not so nice as those Of the fellers |
that wore store close, but pretty |
good for all that. ! tailored my |
new cowhide boots till they looked |
black and glossy put another lot Of |
taller in my hair to make it smooth and |
shiny and got marin to fasten the ends of |
my cravat with the gold breastpin that she |
had before she was married. | thought | |
looked powerful well that day, and stood !
on the green before the church long before |
the time for the service to begin waiting
for the Generals kerridge AT last it druv
up, and my sakes, boys, wasn't my heart IN
nay mouth when Miss Ida got out She
was dressed all in Wholesome thin, soft
stuff that fell like cloud around her; her
hair, smooth and glossy, and the color of a
chestnut Just ont of the burr, TELL in long
:urls on her shoulders, and she wore a
purity little round straw hat, with q wreath
Of rOsebuds.
~ began to tremble as soon as | seen the
purity head poked outside the kerridge
door, and the little foot, in its neat satin
on the kerridgo step. l
couldn't move or speak if | was to die for
1t, when / saw her speak to the different
folks around her. At last she came up to
me and held cut her purity little white hand,
- soft and tine-OOking as a white rOseleaf
lnd saws she, This, am sure, is my old
riend jim, that used 10 be SO cruel as TO
'UD the little UltdS Oh tutlE NESTS anu eggs,
o please a naughty little girl that / once
Knew. | am glad to see you, jim. You
must come to my fathers, and tell me all |
sbout the birds and nuts and wiidtowers-~
,snecially the wildtiowers-fOr / want TO |
NOW where to find them, so that can !
rather them myself A moment after she |
hook hands with young Frank Harris, I
udge Harris son. l heard her voice. out |
az head was whrliu', so that l couIdn |
ense a word she said, but l knowed she .
poke to him as if he was her ekil, and that |
! spsakin' to nue. she kinder looked down
n me- The General who hated Judge
Tarris like pizen, stood by kind Of iTown'
A. and felt wicked and glad that lie done
0.
"For the fust time in my life / seed what
differ there was a tween me and 1e'iers
Ike Frank Harris, and l knowed then what
hadn't knowed afore, that | had been
vim General SheIby's unly darter ever
nee she was mite of gal. went
raight home and told the old folks that
ust leave kaintuck. Dad, he cussed and
lied me a mean, sneakin' scamp; but marin
oked kind of pitifuI right into my eyes;
I'd She talked kind Of soft, like, and
ought dad round till he give me MS
essin' and d few dollars, and let me go
+ into the world ito seek my fOrun',' as
q story books say. Wal, once in gTet
Sile I hearn from up thar in Shelby {
GhGflsNs ne 1