The Van Buren press., 1873-11-11
MISCELLANY.
The Pixies Penance.

Where they came from no one knew
Among the farmers near the bend ther,
was ample ability to conduct ressarchs,
bsset by far more difficulties than was tha
Of the origin Of the Pixies themselves
but charge Of buckshot which = good
natured Yankee had received one evening
soon after putting questions to vsnsrs
BILE Pike, exsrtsd depressing infuenc,
upon the spirit OF Investigation. They
we're not bloodthrsty, these Pixies; bu,
they had good reason to suspect all in.
quirers Of being at least deputy SHERIFF.
il not worse, and a Pixies hatred Of off
GERS Of the law is squal!ed in intensity
only by his hatred Of manual labor
But while there was doubt as to ths
fatherland Of the little colony Of Pixies a,
Jagger's Bend, there every nsighbsr
would willingly make affidavit as to the
cause OF their locating and their remain
ing at the Bend. When humanitarians
aud optimists argued that it was because
the wster was good and convenient, that
the bend itself caught enough driftwood,
and that the dirt would yield little gold
when manipulated by placer and pan, all
farmers and stock. owners would freely
admit the validity of these reasons; but
the admission WAS made with q eounts
nance whose Indignation and sorrow In
dicated that the greater was yet unnamed.
With eyes speaking emotions which
words could not express, they would
point to sections Of wheat fields minus
their grain. bearing heads; to hides and
hoots Of cattle unslaushtered by them.
selves; to mothers of promising calves
whose tender blcatings answered not the
maternal call; to the places which had
once known fine horses, but had besn un
tenanted since certain Pixies had gone
across the mouatains for game. They
would accuse no man wrongfully, hut IN
snd cattle and horses. aud where prowl
ing Indians and Mexicans were not, how
could these Gisappearances occur =
But to people owning no property in
the neighborhood-to tourists and ar
iists-the Pike settlement at the Bend
were as interesting and u!ly asa SKYE
Terrier. The architecture OF the village
was of original style. and no duplicate
existed. Or the half dozen residences
one was composed exclusively OF sod,
another Of bark, yet another or poles,
rooted with wagon cover and plasterea
ON the outside with mud; tue fourth was
Of slabs nicely split from tho logs that
had driftcd into the bend; ,Gs lii Was
of hide stretched over a frame, strictly
gothic from foundation to r'dgepOle
while the sixth, burrowsd into the hiIl'
side. displayed only the barrel which
formed the chimney .
Al more aristocratic nei2hborhood did
not exist on tho Pacific coast Visit the
Pixies when you would, you would never
see any one working. or churches
school houses, stores aAd other plebeian
in Institutions, there were meme. and n"
Pike demsancd himself by entering .
trade or soiling his hands by agriculture,
Yet unto this peaceful, consen'sa
ncighborhood there found his way . Wis
itor who had been everywhere in the
world without once being made welcome
He came to the house built Of slabs and
threatened the wife OF Sam Trotwlne,
owner of the house; and Sam, after sun
ming himself uneasily for day or two,
m o united q pony and rode off for doc
tor to drive the intruder away.
When be returned be found all the men
in the camp seated on log in front OF
bis swn door, and then be knew he must
prepare for the worst-only one OF she
great influences Of the world could force
every Pike from his own door at exc ly
the same time. There they sat, yellow
faced, bearded, long backed and bent
each looking like the other and all i'k:
Sam. and ~ he dism ountsd they locked
" him.
"How ia shsi" asked Sam, tyiag his
horse and the dectsr's. while tho latter
went in.
"Well, said tho oldest man, with de.
liberation, " the wimmcn's oil thar, II
that's any sign
Each man on the log inclined his head
slightly, but positively - the left. thus
manifestins the belief that Sam had been
correctly and sufficiently answered. Sam
himself seemed TO regard his Information
in about the same manner.
Suddenly the raw hide which formed
the door OF Sans house was pushed
aside and a woman came out and called
Sam, and he disappeared from his log.
As hs entered his hut oil the women
lifted sorrowful faces and retired no sns
even fingered. for the Pike has not the
common human interest in other people
business-he lacks that - we'll as Ger
tain similar virtues Of civilization.
Sam dropped by the bedside and was
human; his heart was in the right place
and, slough heavily entrsnched by years
Of iszinsss and whisky and tobacco. u
could be brought to the front. and II
came now.
The dying woman east her sy" np
pealingly Ut tho surgeon, and that worthy
stepped outside the door. Then thsyei
10 " faced woman said:
"Ssm; doctor says ! sin't got muo0
time lsr "
Mary" said Sam, 81 wish ter Gea
could die far yer The childisn- :,
:, 80, 49, ..cN IN taik ahOu ut, Nam,