The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1883-11-30
MISSISSIPPI FRIDAY NOVEMBER 30 1888.

OFT our taxes on the rOid. 1t
wasn't much, but | helped the men
build a stone wall down by the
river; and Deacon Ball let's me do
a great deal OF work for him, and
when get chance 10 take any.
body from the hotel to ride, he let's
me have this team tor almost moth.
ing, aud | pay to him whatever |
make. Aud | work ON the tsrm
With tue meu ia Summer; aud |
have COW of my own and sell the
milk at the tavern /; aud We have
some hens, too, and sell the eggs.
Aud in the fa'l | cut and pile the
winters wood in the sheds tor the
people who haven't any boys-and
there's good many people about
here who haven't any boys,' he
added, brushing a tiy from the old
horse with the tip of his whip.
After this We fell into silence
aud rode through tue sweet New
England roads, with Mouadnock
rising before ~ ever nearer aud
more majestic. 1t impressed me
with a sense of his rugged strength
-oue of the hills, rock ribbed
and ancient as the SUM- but |
glanced from the mountain to the
little redheaded morsel OF humani.
ty at my side with a sort OF recog-
milton of their kinship. Somehow
they seemed to belong together. l
lelt as it the same sturdy stuff were
IN them both. Ii was only a fancy I;
but II was confirmed the next day,
for when came back to town after
seeing my invalid friend, called
on Deacon Ball. | found him white.
haired aud klndly-faced. He kep,
tue village store aud owned u pret
ty house, and was evidehtly very
well to do. Naturally we talked ol
John, aud the deacon said to me
with tears in his old watery blue
eyes:
Why, bless your heart, sir, you
don't thlnk Pn going to take bis
money, do youi The only son OF
his mother aud she a widow, and
all tied up into double bow.knots
with the rheumatics besides! True
enough, let his father have the
money, and my wife, she says, says
she to me. well, deacon, my dear
we've not got a child and shall b,
just as well off a hundred yearl
from now ii the widow never pays
ceut; but 'corliug to my calcula
tion its better to let the hoy thinl
he's payin'. She says | might al
we'll try to keep n barrel of vinegar
from w0rkin' as to keep that DO,
from workin'. It's the mother il
him and rs got to work. w,
think u good deal OF the widow
Mandy aud me. | did before | evel
saw Mandy; but for all that we bold
the mortgage, and Johnny wants t.
work it out. Mandy and me, w
are going to le, him work.
| | turned away, for | was going te
sup at Johuny's house; but betor,
went i asked the deacon how
much johnny had already paid.~
swell, | don't know; Mandy
knows-I pass it TO her-she keep,
the book. Drop In before you z,
to tho train and I'll show it t,
you.'
| l dropped in and the deacon
showed me the account. It wa.
the book of a savings bank in 1
neighboring town, and on its pages
were credits of all the little sum.
tue boy bad earned or paid ; aud
saw they were standing to Widow
Beebe's name. grasped the dea
con's hand. He was looking ava,
over the house tops to where Mon
adnock was smiling uuder th
goodnight kiss of the sun.
"Good.by, sir, good by" he SAID
returning my squeeze with interest
"Mucb obliged, rm sure, Maud,
aud me, too; but don't you be VOL
ried about Johnny. When We Sc
it we know the real stuff it takes t
makca real nan-and johnny ha
got it; johnny is like that noun
tain over there-chock full of gri
aud lots of backbone"