The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-01-24
Written irr The sunday Morning Bsr.,".
THE DEATH OF "OLD HUMP.
BY LAyRoN ROLEAS.

Well. madame. | have waited
/ three DAYS over the month and ! now
come To demand the payment Of tht
rent.
Har-hlr were the words uttered
ami doep-roorei the anguish thcy
stirred in the breast of poor Mrs. Bon.
tile. Bur what cared he. John
/ Humphrey He had home and
there a cheerful fire all. however.
that was cheerful I'm the gloomy, old
rlace-hiaz-i ON the hearth for him.
TO him il made no difference whether
or not others had a mor.el to eat or
we're banGueiing; he always had
plenty. What Use WAS there. then. of
hi- hytheriHg hi mind about hi,
u-;-hhprS. Ii they cou.d not afford
the dciicdci.> and delicious ,it,bits. let
them substitute the cuar>fs vianhS-
let them ike on bread and water. II
that were beyond their slender means,
why. they could io without the bread,
and when wafer ceased tu sustain life.
lel them die. The world. he said
would he better off without them.
Oh Humphrey wasn't the pride NJ
his native village People didn't
worship him. AT least they never
kissed his footprints, or sailed steam
ships I'm their tears when some slight
misfortune betell "Oli Hump AS the
town boys had cleverIy dubbed him
All. Mr.. Humphrey" spoke the
woman, every feature of that delicate
careworn face betraying the road that
The wheels of misery AMI want had 80
lately traversed; Il have not vet
heard from my absent boy, end. OH
] do 80 feel that something has hap
pened Ia NV darling, or he would
never have allowed his mother to sui
fer as she suffers now"
Tears won't accomplish anything
with me. madam; and that blessed
bay of yours, | suppose, has not sent
his poverty stricken old parent any
money. Yes; your darling, all =
Well, by to morrow, leave this
house"
But, sir, ! have no place to GO; no
where that -"
Go 10 the poor house where You
belong. and with these words old
Humphrey turned and left the
house.
Had John Humphrey witnessed the
scene that TRANSFERRED within the cot
tage Immediately after he had direct
ed his footsteps homeward, his tlinty
old heart might have softened ii lit
tie; even a tear might have venturei
down hi coarse red cheek and brought
back Ia his memory The fact that he
did have 3 humans heart once before
the accursed love of gold had fastened
It's miserable clutches upon him and
had shaken from him each honorable
impulse and every inclination ia man
" DECIDE.
ooh, God" cried she. that I
should suffer thus. Am |. SLOWLY.
but surely, doomed TO starve and
freeze in this horrible hut? Oh.
would that death could spare me, but
To see once more nav precious bps.
Has ne forgotten mo: No; il cannot
be, and murmuring sad, plaintive
prayer for her absent BOY she fell to
the floor and Law for time uncon-
scious Of her misery.
Night draped the village in dark
ness. Old Boreas, from the frigid
north, seemed TO be wrcaking ven
gence upon the town for some past
wrong. How he whisiled through
the streets, staining doors. banging
shutters against the house sides, RAFT
ling the window sash, crashing the
panes Of glass and every moment still
ing new terror into the veins Of the
The tall church spires
in his iron grasp would creak and
gran as they swayed to and fro,
while the sturdy Old oaks bowed low
in acknowledgements of the north
winds power, for it was king that
night.
Oh John Humphrey drew his chair
closer to the fire, shrugged his shout
ders, and bemoaned the fact that it
would take more coal if such weather
continued. Boreas, with q stronger
blast than before, tore the shutters
from the belfry on the little white
church and still stronger blast shook |
with such force the stout oak beams
which supported the old bell that il
began. pendulum like. to swing back !
ward and forward and suddenly from
its metal jaws, issued one loud solumn
peal that was heard for miles around. |