Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-07-16
IPSIE.
BY III. A. BERTON.

BY H. A. BERION.
The city of Biggins Bend offered SUI
perior inducements to those who loved
tranquility and retirement. In front, and
to the right and left, lap the yellow Mis-
sissippi on either bank of which, as fa1
as the eve could reach, was thicket of
young cottonwood trees. When the river
was low, band of brown mud separated
the changeless yellow Of the water from
the unvarying green of the cottonwoods
when the river was high, the brown mud
disappeared, and less than usual of the
green was visible No other diversity OF
landscape was noticeable or possible.
When one turned from the natural fea-
lures Of the Bend its society, the same
conservatism was found. The inhabi
tants exclusive of animals and chickens
were three-Sam Kavvery, Mrs. Kavvery
and their daughter Mary Jane.
Once in a while, Sam went hunting
once a month he walked to Larkey'
Cross Roads, five miles off, to trade skins,
furs, and cotton, for sugar, coffee,
whisky tobacco, and other neces
stiles Of life; occasionally he cultivated a
little corn and cotton, and killed pig
but the few people who came to the Bend
were pretty sure to find Sam GA a bench
in front Of the house, smoking sercnely
and tenderly cherishing one knee.
Mrs. lKavvery, with a cob-pipe in her
mouth, could generally be found before
the fire, watching the cookery when any
was going ON, and reading Benson's
Commentaries, and other good books,
when she was at leisure.
But Mary Jane, nickname ed Tpsie, was
not creature of such admirable regulari-
ty; in fact, her good mother occasionally
remarked, with some impatience "'Ston-
ishin', the places that gaI ken find to be in
when she's wanted for anythin' ~ There
were no neighbors within five miles; so
Ipsie had formed a confidential acquaint-
.anceship with certain of the dogs and
chickens. She examined her fathers fish
lines half dozen times a dav, and threw
them out again in frightful tangles; sat in
her fathers skiff, and caught the rollers
sent III by passing steamboats,; carved
gourds into bird houses, and climbed into
all sorts of breakneck places to locate
them; and made lively use of the few re-
manning 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 corner of her mouth was
"a mystery; but girls are always finding
such things in out-of-the -way places per
haps they were given her for the purpose
of proving that, unlikely as it might seem,
the Lord had really visited Biggin's Bend
1t was equally mystery where she learn
ed what little she knew. The Cross
Roads Gonfalon-blessed be scissors!-
occasionally told her Of ladies clothed un-
like herself, and OF men different from
any Of the angular tobacco-chewers who
occasionally struggled into the Bend
3 And once in a while, at night, some en-
terprising engineer would drive his boat
Staggering past the Bend, with two great
yellow sparkling streamers trailing across
the silver and black Of the sky, leaving
Ipsies great dark eyes dreaming for a
week. Occasionally boat would touch
at the Bend to take or leave a passenger
belonging at the Cross Roads; ard then,
from behind friendly tree, Ipsie would
see, perhaps, two or three pretty children
playing on the guards, perhaps a lady with
a dress not of calico or the Cross Roads
style, or perhaps bride, with eyes and
hair like her own, leaning 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 tobac-
.co-smoke which enveloped Sam Kavvery'
mind, the idea that his daughter might be
in need of advantages not afforded at the
subject worked Sam up to such a pitch,
that he one day took his pipe from his
mouth, and said:
''Mriar, somethin' ort to be done for
Ips"
II know it, SAM" replied his wife.
Then, after the manner Of most people
-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 1"
And M'riar again replied:
II know it, Sam"
Sam pulled few minutes longer, and
then astonished the echoes of Biggin's
Bend by asking:
What's tito be-"
And M'riar again faced the situation,
and said:
That's the question:
M'rlar 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. f1atbOatmen, 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:
"Mebbei"
Mrs. Kavvery had no idea of arguing
with her husband; but, to stay her own
soul in the faith, she repeated as solemnly
as a cracked voice would allow:
sAll mankind is born in sin, an by ma
4ur under the wrath"
8 Sam Kavvery astonished his wife by
actually speaking before she had finished
her quotation.
aM'riar," said he, ssthat wuz writ fur
deck-hands and the boys at the Cross
Roads. but Ipsie amt mankind at all.