Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1878-06-18

mans got 10 have hisself for company
three-quarters of the time, and he's got to
take good care of ii, and got to play q
lone hand anyway, and don't git no
chums in bis six-by-two."
Still, think the pleasure of living is
In having good friends"
80 thought when was young and
foolish. Experience is everything, young
feller, likewise is eddication, which don I
mean book-learnin', but facts which is
knocked inter yer by hard bumps. 1t
makes me laugh to read them books
which is printed at the colleges, which
says as how we are advanced in eddica-
ton. Why, down in Australia there's
tribes of lnjuns as can holy-stone 'em all.
They've got a Weeping they calls a
boomerang, which is only bent stick /;
but them niggers will jerk it into the air
till you can't see it, and whiz it comes
back and hits anything they want before
or behind EN-. Them learned beggars
can't do nor exolain that. Them niggers
have trained their eyes to look into mud
dy water, aud can see fish to spear EN-
and they trains porpQises to catch fish
as we'll. So much for eddication.'
You have been in Australia, then ?'
"Og course or l couldn', toll yer of
this But It's tine to turn in. Come,
Bruce" and here a dog that had not
seen before, answered his masters cali
and followed him into the room. AS
they came TO the light | thought | recog-
nized the dog grandson of the old
one. afterwsrd learned, ,--anG on scan
ming the man closely found he was
Five, my old missing friend.
why old man from TuoNmne, don't
you remember me p
Cant say do"
Don't you remember our camp in
early days, and Sim, and Brsnnau, and
Bunyan, and ne ?"
A cloud OF recollection seemed to pass
before his eyes, and at last he exclaimed :
ais it possible that you're the little
unP"
Yes, am
well, this is master surprisin', to say
the least. am glad to see yer. How's
all the folks ?"
"rll talk TO you tomorrow, old man :
it's too late to spin yarns now" and we
all rolled up in our blankets, and soon
everything was quiet.
Still dark and rainy was the morning,
when at an early hour We were aroused
by the sound OF voices, and conquering a
disposition for one moro nap, we arose
and made ready for the fragrant coffee
and biscuit, prepared by the busy hands
of Wacks. who sang at his toll.
Five silently swallowed his breakfast,
slipped quietly from the house, opened
his corral, and followed his sheep out 10
pasture. went out, too, and soon came
up with five.
"Old man. l hardly expected to sec
you again, and here"
Eyer may say that; it's funny to me
sometimes"
Where have you been all these
years2'
Shifting"
"In this country all the tlme?'
"No. Seein' you made me kinder
trembly-like about the gills and brought
back old times. III tell yer where I've
been. AFTER you left the diggings
struck il rich for while, and had good
lot OF dust in the locker, and thought I'd
steer for home to SEQ il that mother-in'
law hadn't died, and how my babies was
And | went down TO Frisco and went
home by steamer TO Providence-bui
didn't find much Providence in it. you
bet. Nobody knew me there, where ons'
knew every one. suppose | had
changed 10 them years was agone.
wouldn't break in upon my wife, so
vent to "a hotol and cast anchor. Very
Gurus man they thought me, askin' ques'
tions bout every body"
did you not find your family ?"
IL found she was married to another
felier."
did they think you dead p
~ suppose so, as | hadn't sent any dis
patch while l was gone. She was rict
and happy, they said, and had rich hus
band but the mother-in-law hadn't ye
pegged out. l could not help feelin
mean like till | heard the last, but wher
found she was livin' with 'em didn'
make no more signs"
"But your children-you surely made
Yourself known TO them ?"
mot as the roads are. There was only
one | cared ior-my little Maggie, M
b!ue-eyed darling-snd found where
she played in the park, and spoke to hel
one day. | knowed her by her sunny
hair, and she had little dog on the enc
OF a spun yarn. She had the same pretty
ways, though she was heap grown
Once | walked up to her when she wa
alone, and says to her: 'GOod-morning
little lady 'Good-morning, sir, say
she, little timid-like, for suppose die