New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-20

of mourning to the grave the minister had
been astonished and panied by q remark OF
the bereaved husband. which shows now
little delicacy Of soul one may acquire even
under the constant droppings OF the sanct.
uary. Mr.. Fortner. short and etumpy olc
man. being little lame with rheumatism
and having no adult relative present to lean
upon, had taken his pastors arm IN order
the more comfortably TO lead tie solemn
procession.
"Yes. Parson, I'm left nightly Alone he
sighed in answer 70 some worldly sugges.
ton. "It's powerful loppin' off for me. l
shall feel the loss OF Miss Former nightly.
IAN, Parson. I'd he mighty much obliged
to yeef you'd name somebody that you think
| fifteen to I'LL her place. Not now. Parson.
We orter be thirkin' Of other things now:
At titten time. ParsOn. At titten time.
AS the clergyman departed after the con.
cluded service. he meditated sadly upon
this strange request. unparalleled even in
| his large experience of hard and narrow
| types OF humanity. Then he reflected hum
! bly, that neither was he free from unworthy
though hts on funeral occasions. calling to
mind how. while his mouth was opened IN
| prayer before the grave. his eyes had dwelt
| with grief on the neglected exterior OF his
church. and he had longea fo1 some white
| paint wherewith to cure :ts weather.stained
| leprosy. Grieving over such instability OF
| devotional feeling. be felt che sOlemnity OF
| solitude. Instead, therefore. OF walking
| home By the now babbliDg highway. he
turned aside and descended a lonely path
| toward the banks of the Saluda.
| Imagine him in this serious frame. looking
| across the black stream as across a Stygian
| river. and witnessing ar exchange OF hight.
| minded kisses between his student ward
and that wild Luce Raddle. The startled
good man felt an historical desire to scream
aloud over world which at the nome Mt
| seemed to him more one OF Sin than VI soI'
| row. Then lie became ashamed for these
| two, and did not want them to see that they
had been discovered in their folly. and
reascended hastily the covering shadows OF
| the slope.
But this matter could not 90 on thus. and
how should he arrest il! As is usual with
ascetic and unworldly persons who interfere
IN such passionate complications. be blum
| dered. He should have gone straight at
Mayteid; he should have said to him, ~ on
are gentleman. and you abuse your posi-
ton: you have been educated under worthy
influences. and Yet you play the telnpter and
mlsleader: you are responsible tOr tins FOLLY.
ard you must end IL.
Blu. he Was preiudiced against Lucy, as
not being a church member. and as being
the daughter .. Il Cracker and sumseller: he
concluded tina: it was her rustic effrOntery
which was chiefly responsible for this fur.
tive and INDIGENOUS love making; and. as
he did no: ind in himself the hardness to
face her with such charge, he resolved to
report her to her father.
By the way. Maytieid nursed similar no.
tons as 70 Lucy's guilt: he conveniently
forgot that he had touched his lips to her
cheek before she had ever opened hers TO
speak TO him: he maundered and grumbled
after the fashion OF over lucky lovers, about
"a woman throwing herself at fellow s
head" And vet. If Parson Seymour had
boldly said to him. Thou art the criminal
he would have admitted il.
AS the minister approached Raddle's he
saw chance OF tightening his dreaded task.
In front of the tavern. Just about to mount
lis tall and bony bay. stood the father OF
sicklv Mrs. John Raddle. ieatnery. kinewy.
round shOuldered old farmer OF eighty,
popularity styled old Zeke Setiris. This man
beng. for some undiscoveraDie reasons.
famous IN SoMervilie. we must not bring
him into our narrative without a word OF
description. As philosophical arts: de.
fined lion 70 be "a pair of jaws mounted
Oh four legs so l may portray old Zeke
Jetirls az a nose cn Two legs. The pro.
tuberance of his bowed shoulders seemed
barely suticien: 70 balance lis enormous
aGu,line proboscis. Children were terrified
at 1t. and n their manhood never forge: 1t.
His claim TO antiquity was unques:ioncd:
he was not obliged 10 in>is: upon it. after
the egotistic fashion OF John kaddle: time
out OF mind every body who knew him had
called him Old Zeke Jetiris. To the imagi.
nations OF the students OF American history
in the Methods: Seminary it seemed posi-
bic that he Nigh: have been clearing up
land about Somerville before the advent of
'nl h,,, bo
monuments Of the mound-builders of the
West have confessed that they never behel,!
anything which had to them such an ak .;
forgotten ages as Old Zeke Jet.ris.
1t is. however. difficult to account for his
reputation as u character" Ee was called
"a keen old chap" "a dry old chap "a
severe old chap and yet he never seemed
to do or say anything to Justify these cpl.
thets. He simply minded his own business
and held his tongue. ifyou E.ade remark
to him his usual comment was a no;seless
laugh. round shOuldered lurch, and two
steps to the right OK lett. by way Of recover.
ing his equilibrium. But people who knew
him felt that the laugh anI iurch were
very significant. being always on the look.
out for keenness. Q: Gryness, OF severity, in
Old Zehe Jetyis.
When the Seymour family horse ran away
with Mrs. Seymour and two children, and
the ancient husbaniman galloped after the
escapade hallooing like fox hunter. there.
by soaring the family horse into twice the
speed he had contemplated. all Somervile
was agreeab!y conscious tina. he had win.
Dictated his reputation for being something
out OF the common way. Pornt Hendricks
Chloe. the lame laundress. related from
house to house how 'Ole Mars Jeffris went
a poundin down de holier:" and John Rad.
die triumphantly observed several times
day for week afterward, u told We the
old man had it in him."
To Instrumentation of mysterious keenress.
dryness and severity, Mr.. Seymour gently
broke the information tina: his grand
daughter was carrying on Irritation in
Oak Grove. Old Zeke received the an.
nouncement as he received most commu.
which did no: refer strictly to his
farming affairs. He gave one OF his laughs
and made one Of his lurches: then, with a
strenuous pinch Of his leathe-y lips. he
the bony bay and rode Off at
sallop; all this without saying a word to
1he anxious clergyman or to anybody else.
What he thought OF Mr.. Seymoar's reyela.
ton he never told. and no merely human
being could guess. Nothing could be in
Ierred from his going Off at gallon. for he
was continually departing frog, 1ssople in
that fashion. !: an angel had cone to him
With message. &c was capable O. Going off
At gallop.
Thus the minister found himself OBLIGED. |
IS he clumsily concluded, to report Lucy's
nsdoing directly 20 her parents. John
Raddle had come or. OF his front door lust
IS his father in-law Numbered away and
low stood looking after the venerable cav.
alier with tobacco stained smile of adni. |
alton. He touched his hat as Mr.. Seymour
approached. for he recognized the fact fiat
ne parsen was gentleman. although cot |
u course SO ehivalrone as the Squire acd |
Jews OF luce's misder,eanor was az dis.
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