Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-11-20

j
the word "Jim. and the date of
his burial. A strange mark OF af.
lection this; for though many lay at
peace in the uncouth cemetery, il
was the only one.
Then II was that each had some
good to tell of him. OF some mi
vate kindness or help offered aud
performed that be had required
they should keep to themselves. Il,
may have been that love aud graf.
itude maguiHed the debt, but il the
truth at all approached the showing,
he bad certainly something noble
and good TO Offset his crimes in the
great Book OF Life.
In time his memory became a
tradition in the camp. and the bet.
ter traits Of bis character, 40 much
discussed, grew to be the standard
Of emulation, and the old boys Ia
their convivial moments would tell
With dewy eyes Of Jim, and of the
manhood - blurred with vices
though 1t was--that never failed
him.
1t WAS in these scenes, perh APPS,
that the tale which passed for his
history gradually arose. Likely
enough it wss mere fiction; an At
tempt to give form and substance
to the many specuiations concern.
ing him-bnt there were few who
did not accept it "a the truth.
Several Of the earlier settlers 30
far corroborated it that they well
remembered the day when with
twenty Thousand dollars In gold in
his possession, he determined to go
East. There was not a man in the
camp Oh the occasion, they remark
ed, that did not drink himself
"biind' at Jim's expense, and was !
only prevented from wishing him
good luck on his journey by being |
under the table or sirewed promis. !
cuously round the Villages blight.
eel commentary on Q too liberal
hospitality.
They also stated that abOnt three |
months subsequent to his departure !
he again appeared among them,
penniless, and very much changed
in demeanOr. Formerly lie seemed
anxious to save, rarely drank, and
never entered into tue coarser pas.
times Of the camp, but now the
natural outlets Of his daily toll
were always the gaming table and
the orgies of the bar.
Tins BY slow accretiOBs, 10 much
Of the tale WAS bniIt mp. Then
others asserted-thongh how or
where they learned it was never
known-ihat he had sought the
Land Of Gold through disappointed
affection. A man we'll born and
selfedueated. but poor. he had for
The reason of his poverty been re.
jcc'ed by the woman that he loved.
Stung to desperation, with q bleed.
ing heart he rushed to the Pacific
coast, md there by working late
and early, and living as only a man
with his hope couid live, had striven
to repair Fortunes ills.
His LABOR was blessed by fruitful
returns and ere two years had pass.
ed he had gained much-honorably
and honestly.
Then occurred his departure, &C
cording to the chroniclers, with its
incident of tue most gen.
eral, lengthy and profuse car0ase
known in the recollections Of the
camp.
But il was also said that on bis
arrival home he had found his soul's
idol welded to another. While she
had loved Jim even in his poverty,
her refusal Of him had been in ODE.
dieuce to her parents commands,
and her marriage of the later suitor
dne to the same caDse. This man
was reputed wealthy, was a worthy
gentleman; she had heard nothing
OF her old lover for . double twelve
mouth, and 30, though With many
misgivings of the lesrt, accepted
Her peoples choice.
Misfortune, however, came upon
them. The commercial crash of '57
struck the country, and many not.
too. well supported firms toitered.
Among them was that OF the mate
of Jim's whilom sweetheart
When be heard Of it-for it hap.
pened shortly before he reached his
native towu-he sought an inter.
view with the husband aud wife.
What might have passed the story
never told, but the end Was that Jim
IN the grandeur Of his love for the
girl that should have been bis own
Offered them-nay forced them to
take the wealth for which he had