Litchfield enquirer., 1875-01-14
From Lippineott's Magazine LITTLE JOE.

| Mp& standing at the corner talking to friend. He held a cigar to his mouth with his left hand, and with his right had just struck a match against the lamp-post, when at or rather under-his elbow 8 voice ex- claimed cheerily, Busted agin, Mas Tom''
 Tom th-ew glance over his shoulder. and there stood Little Joe,' a small, misshapen negro, about 15 years old, with crutches under his arms and feet all twisted out of shape, his toes barely touch ing the ground as he hopped along. He had on an old straw hat with only a hint of brim. There must be some law of CO., hesive attraction between straw and wool, for Little Joe's cranium 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 it's place like a nat l ural excreSence or horrible bore. Joe had met with very few people mean enough to laugh at him; for, though he possessed all the brightness and cheerful ness and pluck of deformed people gener- | ally, there was a wistful look about his eyes which his want of height and his po- sition on crutches intensified Gndeed, per haps, created by keeping them upturned l while talking with any one taller than him. self; 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 8 sentiment of charity let the gods decide. Busted agin, Mas Tom!"
 "What busted you this time, Joe?' asked MT. Wise.
 'Lumber, Mas Tom. was in de lum- Der bizniss, las week, buyi2' ole shingles an sellin' 'em for klndlin'; but my pard- her, he naked a run on de bank, k,-leas' ways on my brooches pocket, an den run- ned away hisse'f. Ain't you gwine to sot me up agin, Mas Tom?"
 "What business are you going into, this week?"
 "Feckshunerry, replied Joe, taking the quarter Mir. Wise handed him. ''Dis Ill do to bny de goods, but twon't rent de sto', Mas Tom.''
 s'What store?" asked MT. Wise.
 'Dat big sto' Hunt an Manson is ies' moved outen. Mir. Manson say may hab it for sebben hunderd dollars eff you'll go my skoorty."
 Tom laughed: 'sWell, Joe, was think ing wouldn't go security for anybody, this week. Don't you think you can do business on a smaller scale?"
 Joe's countenance fell, and he suffered visibly, but cheering thought presently struck himi and he exclaimed disdainful- ly: "Anyhow, I ain't a-keerin' bout Hunt an Manson's ole sto'-der old seb- ben-hunderd dollar sto'! can git goods box an turn 1t upside down, an stan it up by de capitol groun's, an more folks Il pass long and by goobers dan would come in dat old sto' all dc year. Dey ain't spitin' me!'
 ', 4 As s,;j, Joe limped off to invest his money, low-tails Tapping, Toms friend asked wno 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. I set him up in business with twenty-five cents, every week. and look after him a little Tn other ways. Some times he buys matches and newspapers, and sells them again, sometimes he buys ginger-cakes and eats them all; but he is invariably busted, as he calls it, by Sat urday night-Joe! o h, JoeP'
 Joe looked back, and with perfect in- difference to the fact that he was detain- ing MT. Wise, answered that he would ''be dar torectly," continued his negotiations for an empty goods box lying at the door of a neighboring dry goods store. 'sWhat you want, Mas Tom?" he asked on his re- turn.
 ''Miss Mollle is going to be married, week after next, Joe, and you may come to the house if you like. Twas afraid I might forget it. y
 'Whoop you, sir! Thanky, Mas Tom. I boun' to see Miss Mollie step off de car pit. But, Lord-a-m -mussy dem new niggers you all got, ain't gwine to femme in.
 "Come to the front door and ask for me. Cut out now, and don't get busted, this week. because shall need all my money to buy Q breastpin to wait on my sister in. Come, John. let's register"
 Joe's glance followed Mir. Wise and his friend till they were ont of sight; and then he turned and paused no more till he reached an out-of -the-way grocery store, in the window of which were displayed samples of fish and soap and calico and kerosene lamps and dreadful brass jewell ", among which was frightful breastpin in the shape of crescent set with red and green glass, and further ornamented by a chain of the most atrocious description conceivable. Before this thing of beauty, which to him had been a joy for weeks, Joe paused and fingered, and smote his little black breast and sighed the sigh of poverty. Then he went in. 'sWhat mout be de price O dat gents pin in de corner of de winder?" he inquired.
 ''I don't see any gent in the corner of the window" said the proprietor of the store.
 Joe took the mild pleasantly, and in- quiring "What mout be de price O de pin?" was told that it might be anything, from nothing up,-but it could go for seventy-five cents. He stood again outside the window, looked sadly and refectingly at the at tractive biiou, then seated himself on the curb-stone, his crutches resting in the gutter, and thoughtfully smoothed be- tween his fingers and thumb the twenty five cent note which Mir. Wise had given him: 'sEf takes dis, an de one Mas Tom gwihe to gimme, nex' week, dat'H be fifty cents, but it won't be seventy-five, so I got to make quarter on de two. Elf Miss Mollie knowed, I spec she would wait anoder week to get married, an den I wouldn't run no resk O desc; but ain't gwine to tell her, cos know she couldn't help tellin' Mas Tom, and I want to s'prise him. Mas Tom is made me feel good . many Q time; want to make him feel good wnnst. He don't nevvur come dis way. an amt seed dat pin, or La would ha' had 1t fore now r~-z
 Then little Joe bestirred himself. and. obtaining the assistance of friend, took his dry-goods box up to Capitol square. There he turned it upside down. spread newspaper over the top, and proceeded to display his wares
 A pyramid of three apples stood in one corner; small stack of peppermint can- dy was its vis-s-vis; tiny glass of pea nuts graced the third. and was confronted by Q lemon that had seen life, and was nowmo sere than yellow. But the crown. ing glory was the center -piece-an unhap- pylooking pie, of visage pale and thin physique, yet how beautiful to Joel He stepped back on his crutches, turning his head from side to side as he surveyed the effect. took up . locust branch he had brought with him to brush away the flies
 and, leaning against the iron railing, witf calm dignity awaited coming events