Litchfield enquirer., 1873-07-03
From Old and New. lPSlE.
BY H-A. HERToN.

tranquility and retirement In front, anG to the right and left, lay the yellow Mis- sissippi, on either bank of which, as fa1 as the eye could reach, was thicket O young cottonwood trees. When the rivel was low, band of brown mud separated the changeless yellow of the water iron the unyarying green cottonwoods wher the river was high, the brown mud disap beard, and less than usual of the greer was visible. No other diversity of land scape was noticeable or possible
 When one turned from the natural fea tur6s of the Bend to it's society, the same conservatism was found. The inhabitants exclusive of animals and chickens, were three, Sam Kavvery, Mrs. Kavvery, anG their daughter Mary Jane.
 Once in a while, Sam went hunting once a month he walked to Larkey's Cros. Roads, five miles of, to trade skins, furs and cotton, for sugar, coffee, whiskey, to bacco, and other necessities of life, occa sionally. he cultivated a little corn ani cotton, and killed pig: but the few peo pie who came to the Bend were brett, sure to find Sam on bench ill front ot the house. smoking serenely, and tender ly cherishing one knee.
 Mrs. Kavvery, with a cob-pipe in hel mouth, could generally be found before the fire, watching the cookery (when any was going on), and reading Benson's Com mentaries, and other good books, when she was at leisure.
 But Mary Jane, nicknamed Ipsie, was not a creature of such admirable regular ity; in fact, her good mother occasionally remarked with some impatience, ss. 'Ston. ishin' the places that gal ken find to be in when she's wanted for any thin'!' There were no neighbors within five miles: so Ipsie had formed confidential acauaint- ancesh1p with certain of the dogs and chickens. She examined her fathers fish lines half dozen times day. and threw them out again in frightful tangles; sat in her fathers skiff, and caught the rollers sent in by passing steamboats; carved gourds into bird-houses, and climbed in- to all sorts of breakneck places to locate them; and made lively use of the few re- maining resources of the Bend.
 Where Ipsie found the light of her eyes and the bloom of her cheeks, and the ten der lines at the conner of her mouth. was a mystery; but girls are always find ing such things in out-of-the-way places: perhaps they were given her for the pur- pose of proving, that, unlikely as it might seem, the Loed had really visited Big ging's Bend. It was equally a mystery where she learned what little she knew. The "Cross Roads Gonfalon' n'-blessed be ors!-occasionally told her of ladies clothed unlike herself, and of men differ ent from any of the angular tobacco chewers who occasionally struggled into the Bend. And once in a while, at night, some enterprising engineer wculd drive his boat staggering past the Bend, with two great yellow sparkling steamers trail ing across the silver and black of the sky, leaving Ipsie's great dark eyes dreaming for week. Occasionally a boat would touch at the Bend to take or leave a pas senger belonging at the Cross Roads; then, from behind a friendly tres, Ipsie would see, perhaps, two or three pretty children playing on the guards, perhaps lady with dress not of calico or the Cross Roads style, or perhaps bride, with eyes and hair like her own, lerning on the shoulder of some one who did not look the least bit like any of the boys at the Cross Roads.
 For several years there had been slowly working through the miasma and tobacco smoke which enveloped Sam Kavvery's mind, the idea that his daughter might be in need of advantages not afforded at the Bend; and the effect of long thought on this subject worked Sam up to such a pitch, that he one day took his pipe from his mouth, and said,-
 ''M'riar, somethin' ort to he done for Ips."
 "I know it Sam" replied his wife.
 Then, after the manner of most peo- pie acquiescing in any statement, they felt as If they had done their duty.
 But ideas are restless, even on the Mis- sissippi; and the resistless power of truth was demonstrated by the fact. that, six months later, Sam Kavvery took his pipe from his mouth, and said,-
 M 'riar, somethin.' ort to be done for Ipsie."
 And M'riar rgain replied,-
 ''I know it Sams"
 Sam puhed a few moments longer and then astonished the echoes of Bigging's Bend by asking
 "What's it to be?"
 And Mriar again faced the situation, and said,-
 That's the question"
 S M Mriar went further: she gave vent to an opinion she had held for many years, by remarking,-
 ''She needs religion"
 His wife's words awoke in Sans mind the memory of gamblers, steamboat cap- tains, hatboatmen, and other sinners he had known; and mental view of Ipsie standing among these affected him so powerfully, that he concentrated great deal of indignation, pity, and contempt into the single word,-
 "Mebbe p
 Mrs. Kavvery had no idea of arguing with her husband; but, to stay her own soul in the faith, she repeated as solemn ly as cracked voice would allow
 "All mankind is born in sin, an by na- tur under the wrath"-
 Sam Kavvery astonished his wife by actually speaking before she had finished her quotation.
 'tM'riar," said he, ''that wuz writ fur deck-hands and the boys at the Cross Roads; but Ipsie ain't mankind at all. She's woman, or goin' to be; an she ort to hev aagood 'un. Her mother got n good-fur- shote; an one in fam y's"-
 Just here Sam was interrupted; for love whose wings seem as much at home in tobacco smoke as in the pefumed air of rose-gaadens, prompted Mrs. Kavvery to get up and lay great kiss right across her husbands lips.
 '.Ef she gets ez good man ez her moth CT did, she'll do. we'll, said Mrs. Kavvery, as soon as her lips were disengaged from their rather unusual occupation. ''An' yet," she continued, her dim eyes looking a shade more weary than ever, ''I don't want no daughter O mine to spend all her days ez mine hes ben. Faint no fault O yourn, Sam"
 But Sam felt guilty; and, never having studied logic, he did not know how to ar que himself out of his sense of wrong 50 his contrition moved him to press the faithful old head close to his breast. A rap at the door ended this coniugal tab- ieau; and Sam shouted,-
 Come in P
 The door opened; and an unusual look ing young man appeared. He had blue eyes and light hair, and smooth clean face; while his dress, though of common material, was suspiciously clean. Sam promptly determined that he was neither Q Cross Roads man, a boatman, gam