The Princeton union., 1879-08-13

they were better off out of the world than
in it. Jack though, he TOUCHED il out,
though. he had all the drawbacks the
Others had, had grew to be little, black
eyed youngster, hanging to Melindy's
skirts, trottin' round after Dan'l or lynn
in the sun and sand alongside them mis-
erable dogs. .....s ,..l,.s
Melindy Went when the seventh baby
come, and she and the child were buried
together, and you wouldn't hardly think
t,but one day when one of my boys went
past the place where she was buried, it
there Want that forlorn little Jack a
walking round and round it and pipin',
NANNY, mammy!' ..-4.. le.-f..@ -f..1
''Misfortunes never comes single, they
say, and believe it, and to prove it
Danl's gun went off all of a sudden one
day when he was climbing o fence, and
somebody found hlm the same day lying
there clean shot through the, heart.
After he was decently buried no one
knew what to do with Jack. 1t want
to be thought Of that anybody around
should want him, and the only way SEEM
ed to be to send him to the poor-house.
L ICu1CAlUC1 IC S<lU olO OA OlSS SGOuc Ill
the yard, hiding his face from everybody
in his torn jacket sleeve, and crying tor
the dog that Squire Jones had took away
'eause he SAID he was a good bird dog,
and somebody or other had hushed him
up quite sharp when he called for pap
py.' .... . .. ..'...
"Ol6 Mrs. Fox asked me if I didn't
feel to take him, but I didn't mean to fly
in the face Of providence by taking that
child when I had tough work to keep
my own. So Jack went to the poor-house.
I'm sure we have to pay taxes to keep it
going, and it's fair somebody should be
sent there once in awhile.
do you know the Brones? No: Well,
that's CURIOUS, for they live only a matter
OF four miles away. Likely as not you We
heard enough of them to know that they
arc awful close, but I'm free to say that
of all stingy, scraping,' rich creatures
they are the very beat. I was sent for
to come and nurse Toms wife when she
had her baby q couple of years ago. Tom
came over beforehand to strike a bargain
with ME, tried to tell me the work would
be light with Samantha, her niece, there,
and asked me right out to take off a
couple Of dollars in my price. But I
knew the Brones, and they knew me-, and
l went for my regular wages or not at all.
You see, there is great deal to do ON a
large farm like theirs, and they expected
me to be busy every minute.
Il often wondered when I was there
what was the use Of money if you couldn t
enjoy it. They certainly didn't seem to
get any good, 50 to speak, out Of theirs.
Their very table was mean, mean for
them who could afford better-sour rye
bread, rusty pork and the small potatoes
they couldn't sell. Though they had a
big lot Of poultry none Of it ever came on
their table, neither did eggs Or such, for
everything that could fetch a. copper
went to market and it they lived like
that you can think what sort Of vittles
Jack got! Yes, Jack, for I found Danl
Briggs Jack there. .....-.
':You see the first nj gnt when I see
that tall, shamblin' creetur shuflin' in
with his head droppln' forrards 7 mis-
trusted that I'd seen him somewheres be-
fore, and 1 watched him while nd eat
his bread srusts and cold potatoes, and
after he'd gone out I asked Samantha,
who's he?''
"'Jack,' she says
"'Jack what?' ....
"Jack Briggs ....
':And then | had it sure enough h...... -
Tom got him out Of the poor-house
some time ago. she said, sharply: hes
half q fool. hate him. @ae. =.
"Well, wouldn't blame any one for
being half q fool living on such food as
they gave him. Fat edges of FORK with
out bit of meat on them, cold potatoes,
and bread left to get hard and dry so he
couldn't eat so much Of it. Bless you,
child, I'm not lying; I'm tellin' down
right truth; I've seen Christian folks
more than once play that trick on their
hired folks. ........
II spoke to him next morning as he
was washing outside on the porch. Il
knew your folks once,' says I. ~t Il
"'Eh,' said he, looking at me with
those dull, black eyes of his'n. ..
Eyes, and knew you when YOU
was a little fellow; you've growed
considerable since. How did you get
along at the poo1house?" 2 .... !.
81 had fits sometimes, and they flogg-
ed me sometimes' .. IL, =. : S'0
"'You don't say so,' says l, How long
have you been here?' = .s~-n... - g5@a0
'''Quite SPELL ..a,o< elaes Ha.
'''You look kind of peaked and. vel
ler,' says I, don't you feel wcll?' :, ~
::He stared at me and real tears came
to his eyes. I've lots Of pain here said
he, putting his hand to his side, and my
head hurts sometimes. =
'Four days after I went there, Jane,
that's Toms wife, got word that her
father and mother were coming down to
see the new baby and spend the day
She was nightly flustered when she
heard it, for she hadn't bit of pie or
cake in the house and she wanted me to
make some, She said though it must be
apple pie and cake that wouldn't take
more than an egg or two, and but little
butter, say a tablespoonful. 1 concluded
to make it as best suited me, seeing
had fair field, Samantha having gone
to the village; and though James bed
room opened into the kitchen, her bed
stood SO she could not see the part Of the
room where I was at work. All the