The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-09-24

t,mental ballads, and were never weary
of chronicling the smallness of her glove
and slipper. There were moments when
hated Them. For a time came, and
quickly, too, when the cutoff seemed
the length of an eternity, and Max's
tleetest pace could not keep step with
my desire.
As for Lagniappe, he became her alb
ject slave, testifying his alteration BY
rolling his eyes and lolling out an inor.
dinately long red tongue when she held
him in her arms, and addressed him as
"an old precious,' and "too cute to
live" His greatest breach of decorum
was to bite the ends of her long braid as
it tossed over her shoulders, and to take
rides on the train Of her gown. Lagni-
appe's heart was in the right place, that
was clear. But all the world was not OF
our mind.
On one occasion found Abram leis-
urely setting Il "igger-fo'" trap among
the cotton as l crossed the field, and
while he worked he sang the following
plaintive air:
ooh, do roof is Gavin in, an dc chilnly's tum.
bin down,
An amt got long bout hyeh to remain;
While dc angels watches DER me, an dis good
ole dawg o. mine,
In d. little ole lawg cabin in dc lane."
The idea of Abram watched over by
angels was too much for me, and burst
into derisive laughter.
He looked up, and remarked, as he
pulled his grizzled forelock, "Howdy,
Mas Camplon? hope l see y well. rs
jes lookin' everywhere fer YOU
$50 it seems" said /, with sarcasm.
He was obtuse.
EYES," said he, artlessly, "dat's
fac. Missy Anne she sent me ober in a
big hurry wild sumpin-now what 'oos
it she gimme? A book-or-or-no,
twas q letter; m where'd Iput dat ERE:
Glare to mussy! hope | amt loss it.
Won't she skin me alive!"
This was soothing to a lovers ear.
"You had better try to find it,"
advised him.
"Well, amt Ia-tryin'? Law shucks
won't missy be rampagin'? She writ
an tore up. an writ an tore up, forty
'leven times, I reckon. ....
As he said this he fumbled wildly ii
numerous pockets too ragged to hole
ANYTHING, up his sleeves, and in his hat
and at last produced it from one of thu
gigantic brogans that adorned his enor
NOUS feet.
improved the occasion by a few
words Of advice; but he replied, calml.
hopping his forehead with q ding!
bandana: II knowed I'd put it some
'ers, only I aforementioned prezackl!
whar. Mighty lucky / foun' dat ere,
he added. "Tell you what, I dom lik'
to git little Missy in my wool. Oh
mistis she'll do pooty good, ETY. let he
be; but Missy Anne she's mighty per
nickety. An headstrong. Dom l pit,
de gentleman what marr,es her! She
little, but, oh, lawdy!"
"Abram," said l, with all the dignit:
| 1 could summon, /" be kind enough t
keep your opinion to yourself"
"Yes, sah-yes, sah--yes, sah-sar
tainly, sah," responded Abram, oblig
ingly; but he did not seem to be crushe
to earth.
The note was merely an ivitation t
ga little dance" at The Oaks; but t
me it proved a momentous occasion
for before left the house, sweet Ann
Page was my promised wife.
! From that time I worked with
greater will than ever, inspired by haE
piness.
Meanwhile Lagniappe grew apac'
not losing jot Of his impudence an
thickness with his increased growth.
] Spring was drawing near, and rs
had been hard winter, trouble was 9,
pected from the breaking-up allow
Colonel Pages house was situated on
slope, so felt tolerably sure OF Anne
safety; but she, on the contrary, WI
certain that she should awake some da
to find me swept away by food. A
though l laughed at her fears, I kept
sharp eye on the levee.
One afternoon / was making q tour
. inspection, and I felt generally out
sorts. In the first place, l had not bee
able to find my mud boots, and natura
, " their disappearance was laid at Lagn
appe's door, although his innocent an
cheerful countenance as he frisked abo'
Max's heels should have disarmed 81
, picion. q must remark here that j
cinthy blamed Lagniappe for every los
from the frying-pan to her Sunday DO
net.) In the second place, the who
| day had been filled with singing raj
and q chill, damp air that went to one
bones, until just before sunset, when Il
: west broke up into ragged clouds, fro
!. which streamed garish yellow glo'
, A clump Of willows beside the turb
t bayou was half obscured in cloud
fog. Max's hoofs made a sucking soul
. in the heavy soil, and left spongy mar
: behind them.
, Lagniappe was ranging a few fe
ahead of me, when, just as l had cross
: the ssbranch," he startled up covey
: cartridges right under Max's nose.
: Well, that was the only shabby tri
: Max ever served me. "But 'tw
0 enough, it sufficed, - as the fellow in t
t play says, for he pitched me off again
{ a tree, and then made tracks for hon
l was conscious of a grinding pain in
Q left leg, and when tried to get on I
n feet, I found that useful member was
broken.
I "This is the deuce Of an idea, ~ sal
:. Lagniappe was walking round q
Q round nue. curiously, and as I looked
1 him an inspiration seized me. VI
some trouble, l took pencil and a SCI
d of paper from my pocket, and scrawl