The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-10-15
MOSQUITO bar, but quite large enough to keep


knew swamper, born and bred, who would
not stick il out that his native place was per,
fecty healthy, and be angry II you differed
with him-sometimes saying this while ms
teeth were chattering SO he could hardly taik'
NV house stood behind the green evee,
which from the river made the trees look rs II
they had no trunks.
st night the iog fell and fell upon the low
muddy banks, like some one carrying couoh'
and could see the headlight OF some steam
boat now and then looming up through tne
dusk like a great red eye, and hear the wilu
cries, half musical, half uncouth, OF the ronst
abouts. Then came the whistle. low ana
hoarse at first, and deep AS the bass notes OF
tremendous organ, and rising and shrilling IN.
to a wall of agony. How unutterably melan'
choly it used to sound, dying hopelessly on
the dead, unchangng flats beyond! Plenty
of sport too, up there, for hunting man
herds of deer, foxes, wild hogs, and humber
game, such as cOOns and 'possums.
But If YOU want to know what desoiation IS,
lust look at bit of irreclaimable swamp lana
Nowhere else does the gray moss grow IN such
hoary abundance upon the cypress trees, anu
the bayous that stretch their arms landward
are full of odd.looking marsh grasses. Maybe
the sun is SHINING through the clouds with a
yellow glare, making a sickly, feverish light
among the slckly, feverlsh smells ana Vapors
that hang about the stagnant water, some,
times you see a snake sliding sluggishly thro
the underbrush, scarcely leaving trail IN Inc
oozy SOIL or often you come across an amiga
tor summing himself on log, and tumbling
into the pool with slump If he hears noise
close by.
tell you, even if you haven't much poetry
in YOUR nature, there is something awful In
the silence of such spot; It speaks so plainly
of death and disease and decay,
Well | went to work with will, determined
to be model planter. Among other transac-
lions, snapped my rifle with jules Bastlen,
and aged and drIed.up creole, for stoutbullt
Texas cob.
"Vait a meenlt," said Jules, hobbllng to the
back of his cabin. II geeve you lagniappe
trow helm cen"
Lagniappe, let me explain, Is what the vul.
gar American calls "boot" He returned,
bringing with him a brown paper bag that
might have contained chincaplns or pinoars.
Then, as it squirmed slightly, / was struck by
the fear that this present might prove 10 DC
crawfsh and that Jules would force inc repui'
sive nelcarp upon me. was comforting my
SELF with the thought that | could toss them
into the nearest mud.hole on my way home,
when out of the aperture popped brindieu
head, all eyes and ears.
"Eet ees fine leetle puppy dogue,' remark
ed Jules. Take heem he keep OH dc tlei py
night"
i thanked the old fellow, and was really
grateful; for had no dog, and fancied that
Lapnlappe-so chrlstened him-would prove
good company.
AS time developed him, he became charac'
ter-study. He was part bulldog and part
hound, with more than strong dash OF cur,
suspected The bulldog strain made him
hold on like grim death to anything in when
he had fastened his teeth, and from his hound
ancestors he derived the habit of bowling sys'
tematlcally for an hour at stretch II you
wounded his feelings.
II he had been child instead Of puppy /
should have been sure he was gong to prove
a naturalist, he had such mania Tor "speci'
mems" | used to find small museum on the
front gallery every morning-several bones, a
TIN can, n discarded sun.bonnet and gigantic
shoe of Jacinthy's, beside a dead bird. This
bird IN particular was always turning up UNI
lexpectedly in the most malodorous condition
Forclble arguments could never persuade
| Lagniappc that 1t was offensive. lie had
fashion of presenting it to me, after his more
fragrant misdeeds, as an act of Precipitation
until it resolved itself into one wing and few
feathers.
If may be forgiven for the remark, 1t must
be confessed that l often gave Lagniappe
"boot" for these presents of his.
With all his faults, Lagniappe was affection
aatc and loved to sit beside me, smuggling his
black muzzle into my hand After all, there's
no friend like a faithful dog. 1t never makes
any difference to him whether you grow old
and ugly or lose all your money. lie bears
your kicks and curses patiently, and presently
when you are in good temper again, he Ii
ready to wag his tail and frisk about you.
| Poor Lagnlappel he brought me one of the
best things IN my life. | wish | had beer
more grateful, bu, at that time my violent
temper often carried me away. The worst Of
| il was that he did not confine his depredations
to my own domain, but sometimes made RAIDS
upon our ncighbors, so that l was severa
times under the necessity Of restoring stoler
articles.
All this time | had been very busy getting
things into running gear when one tine day
saw Lagnlappe trot into the yard with some
thing in his mouth, which he secreted under
the front steps. | followed HIM, and discover
ed the object to be q thin blue and gold vol
umc of poems The puppy having been dis
missed with cuff on the ears, looked at TIT
| llyeaf and saw written there: ANNE Page
The Oaks"
Under this masculine hand had appended
the words, Sweet Anne Pdge'-a compliment
snubbed by the severe marginal note "Stui
and nonsense"
Then remembered that my father had Civ
en- me q letter of introduction to Colone
Pagc-no doubt this young lady's papa.
pictured her tall and slim and fair, with fac
like white rose, and an air of gentle and gra
cious dignity.
intended returning the book Immediately
but each day something prevented me iron
doing So until in the meantime | became quit
familiar with its contents. Here and there
found a word or line underscOred, and thes
| read with redoubled interest.
At last found leisure afternoon. Lagn
appe showed disposition to follow me, but
s,ernly ordered him to stay at home. Seen
ingly he bowed to fate, for he fingered besid
the hedge, smiling at the leaves, and givin
| 4, lao t,,rly 70