New-York tribune., 1879-12-21


bold thief. She made him rob my wine
cellar; just know she did. | went away one
day and left them the only living beings on
my place, and when l came back they had
taken gallons of wine out of one of my casks
LEFT the faucet half-turned, and the whole
floor of the wIne-cellar covered in wine. to
pretend il hai been left so and leaked!
called 'em up. and asked 'em what they meant
by rObbng me IN that style, and what they
tried 10 hide il for. Deny itf OF course they
dld-lut what's the usei Don't | know they
did its-George, though, he is a sly thiei-he's
the worst kind. I've amused myself watching
George steal an umbrella out Oh my Office,
Jessie. Let me tell You how he does 1t. A
gentleman goes out, perhaps, and leaves his
uinbrella--forgets ii. The first day Georgel
have IL put UP ID corner, and he'll let IL
stay there day or two; then II you don't
take any notice, he'll n owe it away and set
| II IN a less conspicuous corner; if that
passes, he'll hide IL next-pokes t away
under a desk OF behind a bookcase, ready To
hand IL out IN an instant If you ask for il. And
after giving you falr time TO forget 1t, he
whips it out, and takes il of with liim some
day ask him for it then, and fore gracious.
Mars Judge. amt laid eyes ON II y
George and his wife are very unhappy
together, | believe" | said.
" Yes. She's a good-iOr-nothing creature.
What In the broad green world did he marry
her for, anyway | told bIm not to. Shes
yellow woman, and they're never any good.
She'd served out one term for stealing before
Et eyer UtI iltf. fltf lffi>titSe WIS "A NOIlLtiQ
woman. and tney don't stand any nonsense, do
q ey, JeSsiea ? They think up yOnder that we
fellows persecute the poor wfetches hike every
thing, and right here IN these very courts
nearly every mar that prosecutes a daTkey Il
a Yankee | wouldn't prosecute a nigger If
bc we've to break into my house-yes | would
II he broke INTO my hHuse, because that's
a serious OGeuee--but I'd no more go to law
with them ion stealing ! SEE you look. you
hard headed little woman; you're not quite
agreeing with me, are you Wei, We won't
quarrel about that, VIII We Gordon, my son,
Gld You bring those pal ers In the johnson case
home with you yesterday, or have l mlslaid
them p
They're in my desk at the office, father
" Is that johnson divorce granted yet, su y
mo, II HASN'T come uD yet, JesSica, 1t will
be granted, though. It's easier Tor women 10
get divorce than if is to get a husband these
Uays. It's just right, though l don't blame
h,r, poor woman. He's great dTunKard.
There woman mp here near Gainesville
whose husband sold her for gallon and
half Ol WhSkey, some years back, and John
son Is about the same stamp OF man.
" sold a wife u
Bless my life, he did. There was a man
up here-a very decent widower-was sorry
for the woman, ana had large family TO
raise, ana he bought her from her husbal
tor gallon aud a half of whiskey; she took
her children along tco, and raised has
children they had after he took her.
ali together, like one family and about ten
years after. She was sold, her husband drank
himself to death. and she was married to her
delIverer. lt was about twenty years ago.
She was good, pious woman, 100. ana "A
capital manager of children. WIong7 No,
siI, il was perfectly plumb right, iii my opun-
ION. Why, the man was <O husband 10 her
lac beat her, and hated her, and maitreated
her chidTen-a low, worthless rascal, not
worth killing with thrash-pole-it was not
morality 10 live with such brute, and It WAS
the best thing she could have done III this
green world just TO quit hun and save her
self and her babies
This novel view OF the matter tlckled Cor
don Immensely. 1 saw hun smiling through
his ciOuu OF tobacco smoke.
/ knew all the people in that district well
before the war;" the Judge went on. :" us, d
10 ride the circuit then. Ii was up here III
Floyd, Jesslca, that l gave that charge TO a
Jury that somebody was mlsquotIng tn yUu
the other day. What L did say was that the
man WEO carried concealed weapons on his |
person mad streak of cowardIce big u
fence-rall running down his back bone and
said: That's my opinion, gentlemen OF the
jury, and / give it for what IL Is worth /
dld not say, And l Charge you, gentlemen OF |
the jury, that that Is the law!'"
DO you remember one time when was a |
little fellow, father, that yOu found Tom and /
Leigh at tisticuhs, and armed them both 7"
10 be sure | DO. L did 1t Tor purpose. |
You see JessIca had Il whole gang of lttie !
chaps 10 raise, and they used TO almost plague |
the lie out OF me, to know how to bTlug |
them up, that they would love one another, !
and tell tie truth. and be gentlemen In the |
end. There Was Leigh, the oldest, and Tom, |
and Jack ana Robin, " ho died OF the scarlet |
fever. poor httie chaps, and Ned, who was
killed, you know. IL Was Sunday mOrnlng-a |
beautiful day, early in Summer, and l had |
sent my nigger down To cOtch my horse aud |
hitch up the buggy, for l was going 10 preach |
the IL o'clock sermon at camp-meetIng at |
Mount GIiead and the lazy Niger Was |
So long about my horse 1 went down |
ahaur n aud fh-r1 Ie1Oh and !
Ton at it, rough and tumble, lighting hke |
eat and cog. 1 just gathered em III, and |
took 'em up to the house, and earned 'em TO |
my room. | put Leigh IN one corner, and
Tom in the other-Gordon was little chap, |
just big enough 10 run around and get IN the
way-and 1 gave 'em "A pistol apiece. Ire !
away, now, when l drop the handkerchief. |
| saId. Ii you will fight, hight like gentle
men !; | want my children to love one another, |
and rd just as lief die as see 'em fighting ana
scratching; but If you will tight, fight like
nlen. Blaze away now. One. here Was |
GOId don, running between my legs bawIing at |
the top OF his lungs, " papa, don't let Leigh
kill Tommy y Tommy, beg hlm not TO make
you kill Leigh Ow. wow, WOW! Leigh |
looked sorier sick, and hung down The pistol. |
Papa, | don't want to Kill Tommy, lie said, |
mid as milk. Tom had great big tears swell |
ing over his eyes, and he looked at me as ii
he would die. Must | shoot, Papa the little
chap said, SoDblng.
- lie would have done it if you had told
him 10, fatker,n Gordon sand. we We're
trained TO obedience, Jessica, at least"
% Yes, know ne would have obeyed me-"
tbs Judge sald, laughing. =" Well, ! made
them beg desperately before | let them off, |
Ii was the best way 10 show them what Was
wrong, and make EN- quit lighting
"Ah, but they come by their pugnacity
naturally, didn't they y asked, iaughingiy.
That isn't SO, JessIca, that isn't 1air. Pm
no fighter. Id lose my lite before I'd faIl 10
defend my children. or the truth and law; but
a man don't need to fight much n he COM
ulauds the respect OF his fellow creatures. pve
had about twenty-five tights In my life, aud
fuaa m. fI 1eft.