Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-07-31

claim over yonder on the hill-bu
there's no use a-trying; fever 7
ager and hard luck for ever n eve
II take the go out of any man."
"Oh, you're blue to-day, Mike,
laughed the girl. 81 dunno what
got you and Mandy here lately
After the cotton s hsled and solt
you'll chirk up. Misery Flat cot
ton beats the hill crop all to moth
in"
EYES," said Mike, a bit more
heartily; San if we just could get
a cabin and a few acres on the hill
where we could live, I'd work the
Flat plantation, and ask no odds OF
any man. But there's no use"
"A-grumbling," interrupted the
girl cheerily. "By-me-by you'll
rastlc out O this, and get your home
tother side O. the slough. That is,
if you don't fume yourself into the
ager again. There, there's your
overalls. Now I'm going"
Missouri Flat is one of the many
islands that dot the Mississippi
river between Cairo and New Or.
leans. River pilots know it by its
proper number, its local name, Mis-
souri, Flat, being given to it by the
small colony of the humble folks
from the State of Missouri, who, in
the hope of lettering their condi-
ton, had settled on the island
which, like many others, was lux
uriantly fertile, producing at small
expenditure of labor, abundant
crops of the finest cotton, as well
as grain and vegetables. AS usual,
where eXuberance of vegetable life
is found, there also is found malaria,
and the unfortunate settlers on Mis-
souri, Flat came in time TO deem the
name flung at their island in the
ironical speech of passing boatmen
no misnomer.
Mike Flynn, bright young man
OF Irish parentage, with his young
wife, a rosy, healthful Missouri girl,
had come with the small colony to
the island full of the hopeful en-
thusiasm of youth, and had set
about the work of cultivating the
soil and building up an honest
home with commendable zeal. Be-
fore they had been a twelvemonth
on the island they found out that
wealth could only be gained on
Misery Flat at the expense of
health. Over on the rolling lands
Of the main shore it was healthful.
If only they could secure a home
there To accomplish this Mike
toiled early and late, carefully
boarding every dollar of his earn
ngs. But sickness and death
three baby forms were laid away in
he neighborhood graveyard on the
hillside beyond the slough-had ;
brought consequent expense and
oss, and Mikes hoard increased
but slowly. Mandy's health gave ,
way at last, aud then all things
seemed to go wrong.
Mike, 10y nature, thrifty and saw
ing, grew close, even covetous. 1t
troubled Mandy to witness the
growing change.
When they had first come to Mis-
cry Flat they had found but one
plantation on the island. It's owner
vas eager to sell out his claim to
Mike for small sum of ready cash. I,
With the plantation he turned over
10 the Flynn's a child about seven
years of ogc, with but the excuse
hat she was "none o their'n," and
as she had come to them "thout
bein' sent fer, so she mout stay thar
thout none o his fotchin' away"
OF the child's history he knew
Only he "allowed" she'd !,
been lost off some steamboat. One
had burned to the waters edge on
the opposite shore only the night
preceding the day on which the lit {
tie creature had made her appear |
nnce at his cabin-door. In his own
phrase, "he'd KEEP her along till :
present, But he didn't allow as he'd J
any call to tote her round the ken
try"
Mike and Mandy, with true,
warm-hearted hospitality, took the |
little waif into their home, and Q
treated her, il not as their child, at |
east as their sister, teaching her to !
read and write and figure respect I
IDLY, and to perform household du-
les quite creditably. She learned |
also to paddle a skifr, and, what S
vas far more difficult, TO manage a J