Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-11-06
"LITTLE JOE"
BY JENNIE wooDYILLE.

BY JENNIE wooDYILLE.
Ton WISE, a great big, handsome fell
low, with heart of the same order, was
standing at the corner talking to a friend
He held cigar to his mouth with his
left hand and with his right had Just
struck match against the lamp-post,
when at-oT rather under-his elbow a
voice exclaimed cheerily, "Busted agin,
Mas Tomn
Tom threw glance over his shoulder
and there stood Little joe" a small,
misshapen negro about fifteen years old,
with crutches under his arms and feet
all twisted out of shape, his toes barely
touching the ground as he hoped along
He had on an old straw hat with only
hint of brim. There must be some law
of cohesive attraction between straw and
wool, for little JOe's Uranium was large
while the hat was small and set back
much nearer the nape of his neck than
the crown of his head, yet held its place
like natural eXcrescence or horrible
bore. Joe had met with very few people
mean enough to laugh at him; for
though he possessed all the brightness
and .cheerfulness and pluck of deformed
people generally, there was wistful
look about his eyes which his want of
height and his position on crutches inten-
sified Gndeed, perhaps, created) by keep
ing them upturned while talking with
any one taller than himself; and this
was generally the case, for there were no
grown people so small as Little joe His
shirt was torn and his pantaloons ragged,
but to gild these faded glories he wore
swallow-tailed coat with brass buttons,
which some one had given him, whether
from a sense of humOr or sentiment of
charity let the gods decide
Busted agin, Mas Tomw
"What busted you this time, Joe?"
asked Mr.. Wise.
Lumber Mas Tom l was in de
lumber bizness las week, buyin ole
shinsles end sellin' 'eIn for kindlin', but
-ieas'ways on my breeches pocket-an'
den ruined away hisse'f. Amt you
gwine to sot me up agin, Mas Tom?"
"What business are you going into
this week."
'Feckshunnery," replied Joe, taking
the quarter Mr. Wise handed him.
"Dis'll do to buy de goods but 'twon't
rent de sto', Mas Tom"
"What store?" asked Mr.. Wise.
dat big sto' Hunt an Manson is jes'
moved outen Mr.. Manson say l may
hab it for sebben hundred dollars ef
you'll go my skoorty."
Tom laughed: Well, Joe, L was
thinking | wouldn't go security for any
body this week. Don't you think you
can do business on a smaller scale?"
.Joe's countenance fell, and he suffered
| visibly, but a cheering thought presently
struck him, and he exclaimed, disdain-
| fully, Anyhow, amt a-keering bout
| Hunt an Manson's ole sto'-der ole seb-
| ben hundred dollar sto'! | can gitJ a
| 1c hax ~ down n
stan it up by de CAPITOL groun's, an
more folks'll pass long an buy COOLERS
| dan would come in dat ole sto all de
year. Dey amt spitin' me-"
AS Joe limped off to invest MS money,
his poor little legs swinging and his
swallow-tails Tapping, Toms friend
asked who he was.
Belonged to us before the war;" said
Tom. "Poor little devil! the good Lord
and the birds of the air seem to take care
of him. l set him up in business with
twenty-five cents every week, and look
after him a little in other ways. Some
times he buys matches and newspapers
and sells them again, sometimes he buys
ginger cakes and eats them all; but he il
invariable busted as he calls 1t, b.
Saturday night-Joe! Ooh, Joe"
Joe looked back, and, with perfec
indifference to the fact that he was de
tanning Mr.. Wise, answered that IN
would "be dar torectly," continuing hi
negotiations for an empty goods box ly
ing at the door of a neighboring DIR.
goods store "What you want, Mas
, Tom?" he asked on his return.
"Miss Mollie is going to be married
week after next, Joe, and you may com
J up to the house if you like. l was afrai
, might forget it,"
/ "Whoop you, sir! Thanky Mas Ton
! I boun' to see Miss Mollie step off d
J carpit. But, Lord-a-mussy! dem ne'
: niggers you all got amt gwine to lemm
3 in"
/ "Come to the front door and ask fC
; me. Cut out now, and don't get buste
: this week, because i shall need all m
0 money to buy breastpin to wait on m
/, sister in. Come, John, let's register"
C Joe's glance followed Mr.. Wise and h
t friend till they were out of sight; then
r turned and pausedno more till he reache
3, an out-of- the-way grocery store, in Il
IS window of which were displayed sampl,
y of fish, and soap, and calico, and keroseI
Il lamps, and dreadful brass jewelry, amor
It which was a frightful breastpin in u
It shape of crescent set with red al
r green glass, and further Ornamented by
1t chain of the most atrocious descriptiC
d conceivable Before this thing of beaut
D. which to him had been joy for weel
N Joe paused and fingered, and smote
r little black breast and sighed the sigh
re poverty. Then he went in. What mo
er be de price o. dat gents pin in de corn
=" oh der winderY" he inquired.
ir g. don't see any gent in the corner
IN the window" said the proprietor of t
,k store.
m Joe took the mild pleasantly, and
e. quiring, "What mout be de price @
re lpinH" was told that it might be anythi
te, from nothing up-but 1t could go
seventy-fve cents
He stood again outside the windo
n looking sadly and reflectivcly at the
ct tractive bijou, then seated himself on /
an curbstone, his crutches resting in
,er gutter, and thoughtfully smoothed
Is, tween his finger and thumb the TWEEN
flve-cent note Mr.. Wise had given ii
"Ef l takes dis, an de one Mas T
'se gwine to gimme mex week, datll be A
II" cents, but it won't be seventy-fiVe, s,
en got to make quarter on de two.
Miss Mollie knowed, spec she wo