The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-09-02
THE AFFLICTED FAMILY.

q
They entered Vicksburg just at dark.
The two mules before the covered
wagon leaned against each other for
support. and man having any knowl-
edge of mules would have said that a
lunch of scrap iron would have been a
god-send tothem. There was . big
dog under the wagon, and he looked
around in a suspicious, frightened
way, as if expecting an attack from
some quarter.
Peering out from the wagon was q
woman and three children. Her face
was as yellow as ochre and as sharp
As plantation hoe, and if the children
had had a bit of bacon for months
past their looks didn't show it. m
"We're q sad family" replied the
man, as he returned from the grocery
with a pound Of crackers and bit OF
cheese.
"Anything bad happened?" asked
the reporter.
"Yousee that weman in the wagon
thar3 Well, she weighed 16O pounds
when we struck Louisiana year ago.
Thar she is now, gone down to a
shadder, and you couldn't hear her
holler across the roadl -. ~ ez
eyes, she does look bad.'
"And thar's the three children-fell
away to bones, and hide, and har. Thar
used to be seven. The rest are plant
ed over thar across the river!"
"Well, that is bad"
'And thar's them mules" continued
the stranger, his voice growing husky
seThar was q time when they was jist
ole lightnin'; had to tie 'em out doors
for fear they'd kick the stable down.
They don't look like it now, but they
was once able to run plough so deep
into the sile that it took niger q
day to dig Down to the handles"
"They seem worn out now" eL
"And gaze on that dog-our poor
Timothyl". continued the man, brush-
ing tear from his left eye; "that's
what takes the pluck out s'me! When
brougot that dog from old Kaintuck
the taller fried out of him as he
walked, and when he sot his teeth on
anything it had to come or die. And
what is he now? sWhar is his bound
en- step, his fat, his grit?'
"You had bad luck, then 2"
"Yes, things -sot agin' Us from the
start. The rain drowned the crops
out, the ager shook us up stairs and
down, fever took the children away
and the ole woman and the mules and
Timethy sot right down and pinned
away to shadders."
"And you are moving 5if1T 7
"We're > joggin', stranger, kinder
joggin' along and around, loekin for q
place to squat. The ole woman sighs
for Kaintuck, and Timothy, he'd get
up on his hind legs and howl if we
were pinted that way, but thought
we'd jog little further"
"And you will settle in Mississippi"
"I'll see. They say the sile here is
good and crops sure, but dunno. If
I can git good bit o. land on shares,
we1l stop and make the dirt fly, but if
1 can't well make for Kaintuck and
keep joggin as long as the mules hold
out"
well, I'm sorry for you," said the
reporter.
"'Bleeged to you, stranger; I've
tried to keep a stiff backbone, and l
guess kin see this thing through, but
when felIer remembers what them
mules was, and sees 'em now, it's 'nuff
to break his heart, to say nothin'
about Timothy under the wagon,
dog who was brung up on the fat Of
the land, and who amt used to sorrow
and grief"
And he climbed. into the wagon,
pushed on the lines, and the mules
slowly moved don.-Ticksburg Herald