The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1877-03-22

mountain brooks, the rapacieus NAV of
Tillage gossip got hold of it all. Tie
md of it was they bounded her out here
% service. However, there's no law
against travelling the highway, and my
vicious brute, that ought to know the
,oad well enough, took fright at stump
oy the way-side the other day, and
though Hetty was foolish enough to
cling to his bride, and did check him in
The main, he broke her arm and my leg.
and we were both brought in to be
mended.
q" Hetty lies up over the kitchen some
where, poor child, and am in a capacious
chamber at the front of the house, the
three windows of which command the
whole panorama of splendor in light and
shadow on yonder misty mountainous.
Ny leg holds high carnival of agony at
times, by way of contrast, but there's a
capital doctor here that knows how to
manage this sort Of revelry, and faculty
for nursing close at hand. Anyhow, I'm
within here, and I'm glad, and I am al
ways your worthless.
"JACK LIVINGSTON
"MY BEST DAM" wrote Jack Living
ston, later on, edo you remember Whit
tiers Sweetest woman ever Fate, per-
verse denied household mate p who
kept SO long her genial mood and simple
faith of maidenhood?' Well, here she
is, and her sister too. The first time our
excellent buffalo of doctor helped me
down into the sitting-room, and into a
stuffed chair that just fitted my aching
spine, and lifted to a magical footstool
my demon of leg, and my eyes fell
upon Miss Mary, who sat opposite me,
drawing in and out her needle upon
some tasteful design for pulpit cushion,
/ recognized the gentle, gracious element
30 happily pictured in the poem-the
pale low forehead, from which was drawn
back her hair, without crinkle or curl;
the mild beam of her hazel eyes; the low
monotone of her voice; the perfect
curves of her lips, which never vary or
break into smiles, or, draw themselve.
out of shape as other lips are prone to
do, with agony, or joy, or nasty sarcasm
1t was fine, it was good, Dan. Then nc
sooner had / lain back and shut my eyes
to digest this comfortable felicity for the
tired soul and the aching brain, than
found close to my fainting lips mug, t.
which l was impelled by some intuitive
power-a mug of quaint devise anc
transparent texture, which ] afterware
admired, but not then, Dan. / drained
the delightful beverage to the dregs, anc
opened my eyes upon the generous
cup-bearer, and here, in plump
dimpled, comfortable humanity, wa
the other element needful to tn
household-the sagacious, the culinary
the administering. Fancy your poo
tempest-tossed, crippled Jack in tn
hands of these two dear womenl Befor
a fortnight has gone by, the seven devil
are driven out of me. Only this morn
ing held out my hands to them in help
less gratitude, and audibly thanked Go'
for my broken leg.
"Oh yes,' / said, i can't help il
You know many and manifold are tn
ways in which His infinite mercy is d
rected. / was gone in body and spirit
not bit of faith, hope or charity left i
me-only blind drifting to that specie
of feline fatalism popularity known as tn
dogs. Nothing but you two wome
could have saved me. Now Pm di'
armed, Pm happy, I'm grateful. ] fet
like Christian did when he lay down h
burden at the heavenly gates For
can't tell you, Dan, just what a point i
Turkish philosophy had reached whe
I mercifully broke my leg and poor lit
Hetty her arm that morning. ! hay
incidentally learned that Hetty
not very strong, but she is
, good hands and will doubtless speedil
mend. Old Blisby is to go out ives
they say, in the spring and take his who
, wretched brood. His old ramshackle I
, place is for sale-unbearable, perhap
for the amenities of life, but wondIousl
alluring to vagabond taste. There's
bit of rocky waste behind the old bar
: where Hetty and ! spent the swhole pc