Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1880-11-03

few seconds. He had set down the
little child he had been carrying
and the two little things, attracted
BY the bright flowers, had found
their way 10 the mound and were
abOnt 10 gather them.
Here, you mustn't touch them
flowers" he said, aud, taking
hand Of each, led them away.
well, mate he then went on to
say to me, in reply TO my question,
IL don't rightly know who or what
he was. He was q stranger down
here. and neither me nor my mates
ever heard tell where he Name
from or who he WAS. When this
here pit, Fenton's Pit we call il,
WAS frat worked we had bnt few
hands hereabouts and men IA could
work had no call TO wait long for a
| job and got good wage as well.
Most of the hands were Stafford
shire but we never knowed where
Joe came from, AMI ] don't know
IA we asked, and p'raps he wonldn't
have told ne if we had. He was
Quiet and lonely like and said hut
littl.-tbat is, when he WAS all
right; but when he'd had drop of
drink, as maybe OF a Saturday
night when he had gotten his wage,
OF all the hands | ever see tn swear,
spend his money, wrestlr or fight,
there wasn't one like Fighting joe
"And hence his name, ] SUPPOSED
| asked. "And of course il ia the
old story again-drink, n quarrel. a
fight and n violent death; though !
cannot understand, in that case,
the evident care that ia bestowed
on the poor fellows tomb-such rs
it is"
mo, sir" the mau said, gravefy.
after a moments pansr; "not quite
all that A violent death, yes; and
such u death as | might pray God
might ne'er happen TO the worst of
US; but il wasn't drink, nor quarrel,
nor fight with another man, that
brought him to il. 1t was more
the other way, poor md-more the
other way
The rough fellow beside me said
this with u geHtlenpss of tone and
manner that was sufficiently out of
keeping with his appearance 10 tx
cite some degree of curiosity and |
told him | should like TO learn more
} of the story.
ATS not much rs such as you
might care tor the man replied.
Here he said, turning 10 the lit
tie ones who were straying toward
the green mound again, "you
( mustn't touch them posies, thou
knows; go and get some OF them,
and hr jerkrd II small piece OF coal
, he had in his hand toward where
some daisies aud dandel;ons were
. growing among the rank grass.
I ale worked III Fent0p's Pit along
. y uir. an, though We never had
? augiy words, many an many Il day
| would pass and neither him nor me
p would speak. He WAS quie:, AS
, said; and when he hadn't had drink
D would keep hissrft To hisseit. There
4 WIS n lass living in these parts then
4 aud Fighting Joe WAS right fond u
4 her. don't know that he had said
/ much to her, but We could ste tina
he was about as fond Of that lars al
/. n lad could we'll he. know that
Il for mother WAS living then, and THU
4 lass would often he between heI
e house aud ours. II seems that on
n Sunday, HIS it might he this, JOE hat
;, met her, aud told her how fond b.
O had been of her and asked her Il
= become bis wife. She told mothe
d that this same night. We'll, it Scent
e she said that Joe mustn't look tU
u that, Tor she was alread, PROMISED
=. aud was going TO he wed that Whit
= suntide. When she told Joe tha
q he said ne'er word, but he grew
II yer, white in the face aud turiie,
quietly away. The next day be bat
/ to work beside the NpIl man VIII
II was promised TO the lass as he 10, u,
d Well, they had been at work 10
>. some time, " hen JW's mate, turn
Al ing round To get hold OF n shOIte
r pick that VAS ~ lug near, sees hin
n standing behind him with his arr
q raised and the pick IN his hand, II
D, il IN doubt whether To strike or not
"A and with look III his eyes as b
II had never been known To wear bt
y, fore. The two men looked III on
I. another without speaking tor
Of while, ill joe said, "God forgir
me !" and turned away, and trOI
1t that time the. never worked sid