St. Landry democrat., 1884-08-23

! Jack remarked contemporary, ana
turned her crooked old back upon the
whole family with evident satisfaction.
Not long afterward they heard that
she had patched up an old quarrel with
another branch of the family tree lucky
enough to possess masculine twig; and
that all parties were walking very cir
cumspectly indeed, hoping that the mel
| low fabric of Aunt Jacks tickle favor,
if not strained unnecessarily, would this
time out last her distressingly vigorous
constitution.
Samuel heard the news with groan
of despair, and renouncing all hope in
that direction-Aunt Jack being
woman of her word-took to lOating
about the corner-grocery where liquid
consolation was dispensed by the gal
lon only, while Mrs. Lockridge, at
home, managed the farmland fam
ily, within an. inch of their lives
The other Lockridge girls, Jocasta's
sisters, had all married or died-which-
ever seemed to offer the specdiest and
most convenient escape from the shrew-
ish tongue of Mrs. Lockridge No. 2 and
her elder sister, Sar' Ann, who had taken
up her abode in the already sufficiently
stricken family; and Jocasta, who was
too young to marry, being u hardy
little animal, had actually outlived one
step-mother and made good beginning
on another one at the time we find her
seated upon the doorstep peeling pota-
toes.
Notwithstanding her acidity and gen
eral unlovableness (Which he perhaps
understood better after marriage than
before), Mr. Lockridge had married his
second wife; but his third wife had mar
ried Mr.. Lockridge Sar' Ann consid-
cred that she had better right than
most people to James husband and
children; and though Mr.. Lockridge
himself, after his recent experience,
might have desired to sample some
other family, Sar' Ann conducted the
siege with so much strength and skill
that the fortress, having the besieger
within its very walls, surrendered with
out any unnecessary delay. and Jocasta
began to find herself q greater mistake
than ever and to wish that she could 60
into a decline like her sister Liza, or
marry a convenient Job Smith like
Becca Ann. 1t is possible that the new
Mrs. Lockridge wished tho same.
Mr. Lockridge had been dead almost
year now-the neighbors said Sar' Ann
iawed the life out'n him-and Jocasta
was still wearing faded black calico in
ghastly commemoration Of the event,
from motives that were decidedly of q
mixed nature. She possessed an incubus
of affection that must be lavished upon
some one, and, lacking worthier OBJ
iect, had bestowed upon her father con-
siderably more than he really deserved,
and therein was the black calico insig-
MIA of woe. But we must also remember
how slender was Jocasta's wardrobe,
and that Mrs. Lockridge regarded de-
sire or even necessity on her part for
clothes as something akin to crime; and,
regarded in this light, her shabby calico
was an emblem of tyranny. 1t is quite
useless to assume that Jocasta could not
have mourned for her father quite as sin
cerely and far more comfortably in a
becoming garment. But we can afford
to pass the more lightly over this injury
when we reflect that Jocasta was
pretty girl in spite of being stability
clad mistake. It was owing entirely to
this fact, and most feminine good for
tune is, that Jocasta was finally touched
with the fairy godmotheg's magic wand,
and rolled triumphantly out of her old
life, not in q pumpkin-coach, but q
Pullman car with reclining-chairs and
Westinghouse eirhrakn rs well as sun
dry other improvements which tradition
does not mention as being on the fairy
godmother's list of attractions. But
have in a manner eloped with Jocasta
and left my story behind.
It was both oppressive and warm the
toeless stockings out under the silver
leaf maple, where a rude bench had
been fixed against the trunk of the tree.
She took the last new baby with her,
too, bouncing two-year-old, who
really was quite presentable when the
stratum of gingerbread which usually
Obscured his countenance was cleared
away. In fact, after he had cur1ed
himself up and gone to sleep among the
clover blossoms at Jocasta's feet he
looked much more interesting than any
body had right to expect of one of Mrs.
Lockridge's descendants.
It was the afternoon of the picnic.
Sally and Jane were miles away, out in
the sweet-smelling woods, probably
lunching off damaged provisions with a
pleasing admixture of dust and investi-
eating insects Mrs. Lockridge was
making horse-covers with the sewing
machine out on the back-porch. So
when awandering srtistwho was spend
ing a few weeks at a neighboring farm
house passed that way and crayed per-
mission to make little sketch of the
low-eaved house, the maple tree, her
self and the sleeping boy, Jocasta did
not say him nay. Mrs. Lockridge
would. most likely. have SET the yellow