Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1883-03-31
far-off wonderland, "Out West"


believe three scanty letters furnished
these romances their foundation of
fact; but asked no questions, and be-
lieved with as honest faith in the
gold-paved streets of San Francisco as
in those of the New Jerusalem.
"He was good boy, Jim was" the
old man would say. "Inever thought
hard of him for goin' off. If he only
comes back to bury me, that's all ask.
He'll be coming back one of these
days, rich and harnsome, hain't a
doubt. l shouldn't wonder if he'd be
looking round for wife. Let's see
how old are you? l shouldn't wonder
if you was just about right for him by
that time. You'd make putty little
pair"
Though Time had stood as still with
Jim as his father seemed to think, the
idea of my marrying him would have
lost none of its uncomfortable gro
tesqueness.
Don't, Mr.. Rogers" said.
Bashful, are you," he answered,
trying to look roguish. "Don't you be
for not getting merried, though, like
the Miss Bucklands, and the Jewbury
girls, and the Bassett girls, and all the
rest. There's too many on 'em; too
many on 'em. used to tell my wife
that l was better'n nothin' anyway.
It's kind of shabby in the men to go
off and leave the women die off here
up-country all alone. l amt afraid
but Jim'll find somebody easy enough"
"Oh, yes p said; %or 1 was afraid
/ had hurt the old mans feelings.
"Pm sure he must be very nice"
One accomplishment Of Mr.. Rogers
I shall never forget. He not only told
me stories as he worked, but he pro-
fessed to be able to read them from
his hands, which he held before him
like the open pages of book.
"Seel You can look at EN-" he
would say. There's nothing hid in
'em. No cheating about it. Hard
and tough. Don't look much like
book, do they? But just hear me
read to you out of EN-"
l was completely mystified, especial
ly when the reader Stopped to spell
out word, and when he held his
hard hands up to the light, and COM
planned that it was rather fine print
for such old eyes; but still the story
went on without break, and, in spite
of myself, l was brought to the belief
that Mr.. Rogers possessed some super
natural reading powers. perhaps akin
to the mystery of my parsing lesson,
which told Of "sermons in stones and
books in the running brooks"
The summer and fall went by, and
the winter came, with frolics without
number; but alasl to the poor and old
it brought only chill that crept into
their bones and took up its abode
there. Poor old John Rogers! | lifted
his latch one day but the awl lay idle
on the bench. 1t was only the rheu-
matism that had taken mean advan-
tage of the infirm knee; but week after
week he lay on his bed and the dust
gathered thicker in the little shop.
The neighbors were kind; but the best
people find a sameness in the constant
repetition of good deeds, and by de-
grees it grew plain that the old mans
friends would feel sense of relief if
he got well. 1t was about this time
that my grandmother declared with a
sigh that she had great respect for Mr..
Rogers.
Hes borne up under affliction like
man; but rather shiftless-rather
shiftless. / don't know how to recon-
cile his virtues with the dirt and dis
order he lives in. don't wonder his
wife took to her BID"
"They say she was perfect shrew,"
said my mother, placidly threading her
needle. "Half crazy-so I've heard.
Mr.. Appleton thinks there's no use in
Mr.. Rogers trying to stay by himself
this winter. He'd much better go to
the poorhouse and be taken'good care
of. Mrs. Simons, the woman over his
shop, says he's hardly cent left, and
she can't be expected to provide for
him. l suppose the thought of it will
be rather hard for him, at first, but
he'll be much better off. Lucy, dear,
won't you hand me my scissorsY
gave my mother her scissors, but
felt that by the act l became con-
spirator in this plot for the final
degradation of my poor old friend. 1
sat by his bed next day, when who
should appear at the door but my
father. l felt that the plot was thick
ening. -
"Well, how are you, Mr.. Rogers p
said my father in his hearty voice.
Are you feeling pretty smart to-
day?"
"Yes. I'm pretty smart. thank We. ]