Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1875-01-01
LTTTLEJOE,

Tom Wise, great, big, handsome fell
low, with heart OF the same order, was ,
standing at the corner talking to friend. =,
lie held a cigar to his mouth with his len
hand, and with his right had jus. struck
match against the lamp post, when at-or
rather under-his elbow, voice exclaim-
cd cheerly: "Busted again. Mas Tom T.
Tom threw glance over his shoulder,
and there stood Little joe" small mis-
shapen negro about Is years old, with
crutches under his arms and feet all twist
ed out Of shape, his toe barely touching
the ground az be hoped along. He had
on an old straw hat with only hint Of
brim. There must be some law OF cohe-
| siSe attraction between straw and WOOL
| for little Joes Uranium WIS iarRv, hile
| the hat was small and set back much near
| erthe nape OF his neck than the crown OF
his head, yet held its plsce 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 cheerfuness and plucksI.,
OF deforHed people generally, there W as
a wstful look about his eyes - '.-"nch
want of hight and his pLsit'H' "a on crutch
intensified, Qndeed, peri ps, created)
keeping them upturnc' "a while talking wi
any enc taller thai / himself; and this W
generally the cS ~ lse, for there were no grow
people so sm. 5.all as little Joe. His shirt W
to- ri aud his pantaloons ragged, but 10 81
these faded glories, he wore a swallo
ooo tailed coat with brass buttons, which sol
one had given him, whether from ser
of humor or = sentiment Of charity, Let I
gods decide.
Busted again, Mas Tom =
OOO "What busted you this tine?" ask
Mr.. Wise.
J. Lumber, Mas Tom. was In de In
Der bizness las week, buyin' ole shin
900 an sellin' em for kindlin': but my pal
ucr, he NAKED q run on de bank-le
n ways on my breeches pocket-an' den rr
ned away hlsselE Amt You gwine to
me up agin, Mas TomH''
WV "What business are yon going into /
week 2"
%. "Feckshunnery," replied Joe, TAX
the quarter Mr.. Wise handed him. "I
900 II do to buy the goods, but 'twon't r
sto', Mas Tom
m "What store - asked Mr.. Wise.
"" "Dat big slo' Hunt an Manson is
mover outen. Mr.. Manson say may
"OO it for sebben hundred dollars ef you'll
my skoorty."
Tom laughed. "Well, Joe, was thl
a. ing wouldn't go security for anybc
900 this week. Don't you think you can
business on a smaller scalei"
CO, Joe's countenance fell, aud he sufre
visiby, but cheering thought preser
.,, struck him. and he exclaimed dlsdan
Ix.. Anyhnu I atnff EaarpO
Hunt an Manson's old sto-der old
, 10. ben hundred dollar sto'! can git &c
box an turn II upside down, an stan i
900 by de capitol groun's, an more folk
pass long an buy gooders den would ct
in dat ole sto' all de year. Dey ain't
la me r.
As Joe limped of to invest his MOI
wv" his poor little legs swinging and his s.
c low-lails Tapping, Toms friend as
D. w. who he was.
belonged TO us before the war;"
'oOO Tom. "Poor little devil The good ]
=. ~ and the birds of the air seem to take
'' VV' OF him. l set him up in business
twenty-five cents every week, and lool
'>"O ter him little in other ways. Someti
r. he buys matches and newspapers and
10 w. them again; sometimes he buys gi
cakes and eats them all but he Is inv
100 bly, busted as he calls it, by Satul
night-Joe oh, Joe |"
CO. Joe looked back, aud, with perfec
difference 10 the fact that he was detail
Mr. Wise, answered that he would "b,
!, oO, torectly," continuing his negotiation
an empty goods box lying at The door
6. IN. neighboring dry good store. "What
WV want Mas Tom :" he asked on his re
= OOO "Miss Mollie Is going to be ma
week aler next. Joe, and you may
rp IA up 10 the house II you like. was air
might forget It,"
n. .OOo "Whoop you, slri Thanky, Mas
-, Iboun' TO see Miss Molly step off dc
holdersi pit. But, Lord a mussy dem new
gers you all got Amt gwine to lemme
10. "Come to the front door and ask TO-
Cut out now, and don't get busted
Block week, because shall need all my m
to buy breasIpln TO walt on my slsI'
a4S Come, John, let's register"