The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-02-14
HOBS TOMMY.
A True Episode In a Fishers Life.

True Episode In a Fishers Life.
The moor was blazing in the sun. Bright
gorse famed above the pale green grass
lite pools flashed up white rays to the sky.
Hobs Tommy stepped out of doors and took
long look around. He was not impressed
by the riot of color that spread around him;
he looked over the pulsing color of the sea
and thought, at will be fine night for the
trouting."
Tommy was large man who seemed to
shake the ground as he trod. His face was
devoid of speculation, and his dull blue
eyes looked from under heavy and unsmi-
able brows. His hair was matted and hi
mode of crossing his big limbs showed that
he was careless of opinion. He was called
Hobs Tommy because the VILLAGERS had a
fancy for regarding sons as the personal
property of the father and thus 8 man
called Thomas who happened to be the son
of 3 man called John, never received his
surname during his whole life excepting on
the occasion of his baptism and marriage.
He WAS known as Jacks Tom. If he, in
his turn, happened to have q son whom he
chose to name Henry, the youth was known
as Jacks Toms Marry. Our friend Tommy's
father had been called Hob, and hence the
name Of the ill-tempered lout who was
gazing with sodden eyes on the unsullied
sea. Tommy watched the green wster
breaking over the brown sand, and far out
at sea he saw the thick haze still brooding
low. He knew the evening would be fine
and he knew that he would have good
basket for next days market. He put his
hands in his pockets and strolled away
from the unsavory neighborhood of Fishers
Row on to the glistening moor. His eyes
were fixed on the ground, and into his dull
mind entered no thought saving calculs-
tons about money and drink. Any stranger
who had met him walking over the delicate
thyme, with his fierce face bent downward,
would have gained very bad notion of the
local population.
A sudden iangle of bells filed the air. and
the ringers went to work gaily. Quaint
farmers went along dressed in creased suits
of clothing; quiet country women nodded
as they passed, but Tommy needed none of
his neighbors. He was simply brutal man
whore presence seemed an insult to the holy
morning. He walked mechanically on over
the moor, and let the sound of the Church
bells die away on his ear. Presently he came
to beautiful slope, which was starred with
pink geraniums. The sun shone warmly
upon it. and lark flashed from among the
bright flowers with sound of Joy, and car.
ried his rejoicing high up into the sky
Tommy thought, "This is nice warm
place to lie down on. I'll light my pipe
And he stretched himself among the tender
flowers. The glow and the color of life
around him and the joyous sparkle of the
sea seemed at first to make some dim sug
gestion to his mind He said half aloud
"Wonder what Pm here for. The preachin
man would say somethin' about God. don't
know. only wish it was seven o'clock and
the sun droppin'-he was q lazy man that
invented Sandsy-snother day I'll away to
the fshin' j. the mornin', and the folks car
say Just what they like. I'm not goin' Il
waste my time and my bsccy lynn on sand
hills" So no smoked on until the sun hac
reached its greatest height and the after
noon shadows lay like dark pansies in thu
h flows.
Now it Happened that in the neighborine
village it was usual to hold an afternoon ser
vice and an evening servicein the Wesleyan
chapel. The services followed close on eacl
other; and there was great competiti I
among the villagers as to who should Civ
presently found himself looking sleepily a
man who was bent over the moor to at
tend the chapel. If you had met the new
conner you would have been compelled &
Jock back st him. He was tall and spare
His shoulders were very broad, and b
walked with kind Of military tread. Hi
face was good to see; the calm and JOY O
the bright day seemed to have entered hi
soul, and bis eyes looked as though he wer
thinking of things too deep for words. Hi
mouth was firmly closed, and yet despite ii
tension the delicate lines at the corner
seemed to speak Of humor and tenderness
His hat was thrown back little, an
showed a large forehead marked by Sigh
lines, which spoke not so mucn Of tempe
as of placid thought. He was murmuring I
himself IS he walked, and he seemed to }
In communion with q multitude of exquisi'
thoughts. When he reached the bank whel
the geraniums grew his placidity qaickene
into alertnesss - he saw the figure OF Tol