The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-11-12

oil paintings, and the air heavy with the
perfume of flowers, and told her about
Little Joe-Cf his shapeless feet and for
lorn life, his empty pocket and grateful
heart. And she agreed that it must be
dreadful to be so poor and deformed, and
all that, and of course he ought to be
grateful, but really she thought Mr.. Wise
rather morbid in his philanthropy when
/ he could wear that brass moon before five
hundred people only to please a little de-
/ formed negro.
Perhaps you do not understand said
Tom, gently, " that have given Joe per
mission to see the ceremony I believe
told you that he was the personal property
of my mother, and a favorite with herr,
and he will certainly know whether !
wear this pin that he has worked for, and
gone in debt for, and probably starved
! himself for. VIII there be any one here
save eyourself-whosel laugh dread enough
to induce me TO mortify and disappoint
/ him ?''
"It will make us both ridiculous said
she, haughtily.
Tom quietly unfastened the pin and
| placed it in his vest-pocket, and with it dis
appeared Miss Annan's prospect of becom-
/ ing Mrs. Wise, enviable as she deemed that
| position.
! 81 have no right to include you in my
sacrifice, if sacrifice there be" said he, with
| grave courtesy, and referred no more to
| the matter; but as soon as he could leave
| her he sought his sister, and requested
| that the honor of standing with Miss An
nan might be conferred on Mr.. Marshall,
/ and himself allowed to take Mr.. Marshall's
| partner, she being a little girl on whose
| pluck and good nature he could alike rely.
] &c cic ho1 no n nj n ortia
ulars. but made the desired change, and
Mr.. Wise said to Miss Amman, 81 could not
sacrifice Joe, Miss Emily. | could not
sacrifice you, so have sacrificed myself,
and am a volunteer in the noble army of
martyrs"
When. however, as the bridal cortege
passed through the hall, nc saw Joe nudge
a fellow-servant with his elbow and point
out the pin. he felt repaid, though Miss
Amman was holding her head very high
indeed
The next morning, Little Joe came by
the Office: "What did de folks say bout
yo' bres'pin. Mas TOm?"
"Say? Why they did not know what
to say, Joe. They could not take their
eyes off me. That pin knocked the black
out of everything there. The bridegroom
couldn't hold a candle to me-" said Mr..
Wise and Joe laughed aloud with de-
light. "Did they give you your sup
per?'
g Did dat, Mas Tom; an TUX home a
SNOWFALL an a orange to Kiah," said Little
Joe.
Late on the evening OF the same day,
Mr.. Wise was about leaving his office when
Little Joe's crutches sounded in the door
way, and Little Joe himself appeared,
IL l. or lou
his face: "Oh, Lordy, Mas Tom! oh
Lordy :"
"What is the matter, Joe?'
"Oh, Lordy, Mas Tom! Kiah's done
dead !"
"Kiah! Is it possible? What was the
matter?" asked Mr.. Wise.
"Oh, Lordy! oh, Lordy." sobbed Lit
tie Joe. "Me an him went down to de
creek, an was playin' baptizin' an I'd
done baptiscd Kiah, an'-oh, Lordy
Lordy AN Kiah was jes goingto baptize
me, an he stepped out too fur, an his
legs was so short he lost his holt on me
an drownded; an couldn't ketch him
coz | couldn't STAN up widout nothin' to
hold on to. Oh, Lordy! l wish l nuv-
vur had ha' heerd o. baptizinr | couldn't
get him out, an jes' KEEP on a-hollerin'
butnobody didn't come till Kiah was done
drOwnded.'
Il am sorry for you, Joe; wish had
been there. But, as far as Kiah is con-
cerned, he is better off than he was before, -
said Mr.. Wise.
"No, he amt, Mas Tom" said Joe
stoutly; '"leas'ways, Kiah didn't think SO
hisself, cos eff he had a-wanted to die he
could ha' done it long an merry ago.
don't b'leeve in no such fool-talk as dead
81 - "a ,In,, Il, h,f.N
Tom was SILENT and Little Joe went on
with renewed tears: /" come up to Ak
YOU to gimme clean shirt an par O
draws to put on Kiah. You needn't
gimme no socks, cos he hain't got no feet
/ Oh, Lordy! oh, Lordy!' sobbed Little
Joe, 4" eff me an Kiah had jes' had feet
like some folks, Kiah wouldn't ha' been
| drownded :"
Take this up to the house." said Mr.
Wise, handing him note, "and Miss Mol
| lie will give you what you want"
"Thanky, sir" said Joe. 81 know you
| amt got no coffin handy, but you cal
gimme de money an / can git one.
/ don't reckon it will take much. cos Kial
warn't big"
Then Mr.. Wise wrote note for the un
! dertaker, and directed Joe what to do will
/ it.
The next day was cold and dark ant
! misty, and the pauper's hearse that con
/ veyed Kiah to the graveyard was driver
so fast that poor Little Joe, the only
mourner, could hardly keep up as he
| hoped along behind it on his crutches.
The blast grew keener and the mis-
/ heavier, and before kiah was buried out o
sight the rain was falling in torrents tha
/ drenched the poor little cripple sObbine
beside the grave, and the driver of thu
hearse, a gOOd-hearted Irishman, said Il
him, L" In wild We, or get up here by me
an ye're mind to. I'll take yer back"
But Joe shook his head, and prepared tt
hop back as he had hoped out
Thankee, sir" said he, "but I'd rather
walk. feels like l would be gittin' a ride
out O. kiah's funeral"
The wind blew open his buttonless shirt
and the rain beat heavily on his loyal lit
tie breast, but he struggled against thu
storm, and paused only once on his way
home. That was beside the goods boz
that he and Kiah had for stall. Now i
was drenched with rain and the sides be
spattered with mud, and the newspaper
that had served for cloth had blown ovel
/ one corner and was soaked and torn, bu
clung to its old companion, though thu
. Nlllb lliCu W IL away NiiC lam u
beat 1t down. Little Joe stood minute
beside it, and cried harder than ever.
For several days Little Joe dropped an(
shivered and refused to eat, and at lengtl
he sent for Mr.. Wise, but Mr.. Wise wa
out of town, and did not return for ;
week; and though, when he got home
the first thing he did was to visit Littl
Joe, he came too late, for Joe would neve
again rise from the straw pallet on whicl
he lay, nor use the crutches that now stoot
idle in the corner.
His eyes frightened and he smiled faint
" as Tom entered like breath of fresl
air-so strong and fresh and vigorous tina
it made one feel better only TO be nea
him.
''Why, Joe! how is this?"
The little cripple paused to gather VI
his strength then he said: 50 Busted agin
Mas Tom, and you can't nuvvur sot m
up no mo-"
"Oh. stuff! DIR. North can il | can't
Why didn't you send for him when yol
fo,,al 1 r1-oc