The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1879-08-16
"OsdPip."

l have knocked about a coed
deal in my time and seen many
apps and downs; for a man who
has led such nomalic life as
myself would Ea singularly lucky
person if he tver found himself
minus a meal or q dollar.
In "a | was in California. and
pretty wealthy, for | had been
fortunate i'll the diggings. In u s
| traluped from Ballarat to Avoca
i'll Australla without cent IN
my pocket, TOR luck had deserted
me, aud l could hot hit on a
clain III Victoria that half REPAID
me for my labor in working it.
Une Chilly evening in June
a winter Month in the so,:thern
hemisphere-I halted after a lone
days march, at The door of a little
shauty near Avoca, over which
was rudely letter signboard, in
dicatine it a store.
"IOt're welcome, chum, even
if You haven't grain o. dust or
six pence in your pocket 4; for
you don't look like q lag and the
best Of us sees hard times now
and then. Come inside. Is that
your dorg? Well he's welcome
too. poor cree t"r-thopgh he amt
noways handsome. [ like man
better when / see a dorg at his
heels; for a feiler amt bad enough
to ontlawed ii one OF them
poor, dumb brutes loves him.
said bright.eyea, bnxom, garru
lous nation. who answered NY
appeal Tor supper and a nights
lodging.
My dog WAS not enc that would
have takeii ii prize for beauty at
amy show IL the States. He was
Il tnlndlrd b,lil>terrier, and his
pngnaciou~ propensities had cost
him all eye; but he was true as
steel. and like most OF his breed,
was keen and quick -witted as a
hrmon being. | loved Pip, for
he stuck to ne through all my
mlstoltunes, and was almost the
only remaining tie that bound me
to the world. .. ..,a.
Our kiud hostess ushered US
into a small kitchen that was a
model OF cleanliness, and present
ly set before me al abundant
supply of succulent viands, which
| ate with avidity.
Neither was old Pip forgotten.
He came in for a share of the
good things, and received more
careSSes from our hostess and her
two sprightly youngsters than
had been bestowed upon him du-
ring his lifetime.
"Where's Maggie, Mrs. Hy-
att?" asked tall, handsome
young man; evidently a privileg
ed person, for he entered with
1ut knocking.
"She went to Carriers this after
noon, and hasn't returned vet.
[ wish she'd come back, for it's
bad road she's got to travel.
You'd better go to meet her,
Ned, If you are not too tired; for
my old mans away at the Ovens
STILL"
''All right; Ill go, for [ want
to see her,' said the young, man
gruffly, as he took his departure.
''Maggie is my eldest girl, aud
Ned Vance is her sweetheart,"
Mrs. Hyatt.
l smoked my pipe and chattei
familiarity with my hostess until
about ten o'clock, when Vance
entered the room, hot
and breathless.
"Hasn't Maggie returned? he
inquired excitedly. She left Car
ter's soon after nighttall, for 1
went all the way there, thinking
to find her. l kept a sharp look
out for her on my way back; but
not seeing her, thought we must
have passed each other on the
Old Swan diggins, and she would
have arrived here before me.
What can have become of her |
wonder = he added.
You haven't got time to Won
der, Ned Vance! If you love nv
girl half as much as you profess
to, you'll go seek her at once.
She's lost her way, and maybe
has fallen into one of the old
slnklngs on the diggings. Get a
lantern out of the storeroom. and
be quick about it l.! for some of
those holes must be half full of
water, after all the rain that fell
last week.