Arkansas weekly mansion., 1884-04-19
envoy
BETTY, THE HANGWOMAN.

What travellers tell of the King of
rahomey's Ama1onian body guards.
.aunt. grim virag"cs every one of
prodigiOuS strength. courage and
fe:ncity-impreSscs one with African
Larisirity more fnrcibly than, perhaps,
any other institution on the - ark
Continent Even among savages one
lOOhs Tor some leaning toward men on
the women : part 1t is natural to cx-
pcct Il rocahontaS even on the coast of
Guinea ; bu: the idea o: female exc
cut 'oncr. strange and DIR, al ul when
narrated in the annals of an African
II b.. bccon eS horrible, groteSqur, in
edible when transported to Il SPOT
within Il few hours Journey of London,
and to davs not remote from our own.
and Vet fourish,d in X, scommon,
floyg"d, brand Il, hanged and pocketed
ices for -Uch Scrv cc, one whose InrTil-
= cry stu fingers round the old gaoI and
= in the hi Ii = If the pcasantry
famous Lady" Petty.
How : t, came To lie hanrwoman NAV
lie brl liz told. She was of peasant
,rigin: cary lc "a widow with one
child. Il how in the latter half of the
eighteenth century. Her disposition
wi~ silent and Erooding-w what the IRISH
* cal dark Having no friends, all
her dull affections concentrated in her
n. She WAS superior to her class in
many ways: shc could read and WRITE
unused accomplishments in those DAYS.
and in these arts she instructed the lad,
She WAS crushed hv bitter, hopeless
poverty, liv, d with difficulty by the Ia
boz of her hands, and privation seemed
10 act like frost on her soul, chilling and
freezing the fount of kindness that
sp ingS in every woman's heart. In
truth: an unlOya!le creature even when
allow ancr> are made for circumstances
The boy was lively and warm hearted.
tu OF merry, atiectlonate ways, wind
ing hims If ronnd his mothers heart,
and returning her love with interest,
the one b ig: t spot in her obscure.
mOnutonous life. Then, aS now, tho
tide of emigration flowed Westward,
bit America seemed vastly further oil.
Ke nre the boy irnag nation it Luttered
a shlmmcrIng phantom: an FL Dorado.
where fortunes We e to he had for the
taking; n land of sunshine. of marvelS.
Gradually he won Betty to his way of
thinking Though it wrung her heart
to let him 90, she agreed there was no
opening for him at home. nor hope of
fortune, and SO it came to pass he stood
one morning at the crossroads, pockets
empty, courage high, with a group of
intending cmigrants, while his mother,
his neck as if she could no, let him 20,
strained him in Il last pass onate EN-
bra. then turning without once look
ing back, ran blindly to her lonely
cabin, locked the door, and flung her
self down in an agony of sorrow.
Whether he even reached his destina-
ton, or fell a victim To the climate, or
whether he wrote her letters which
never reached her, is not known. She
never heard from him alter he sailed.
Years passed; her dark hair tuned
gravish the lines hardened round her
mouth.
Hap, Ter far if she had died then, poor
and alone, than lived to earn the price
OF blood One winter evening she sat
by her fire of dry sticks, and crouched
over the ,ehle blaze. Outside the dark
rack trailed across the sky, the trees
swavcd their heavy branches with n dis
NAL C -cak. custv showers had fallen all
dav, soddcning tie roads and grass;
now the wind WAS rising, portending
ominously storm, and driving the
smoke back into the biackcned kitchen,
which, with 1.-THE room, As Irish peas
ants call it, composed her desolate
dwelling.
I he storm grew louder, the rain came
swi>hing aga nSt the windows with
pattcr was heard in the lull of the tlast.
II found its way through weak places
in the thatch and dripped slowly on the
earthe Hoor, filling the uneven places
with little pools of water \ half
starved black-cat rubbed against its
mistress knees 1t was $50 when q
loud knock was hearl ut the door. The
woman started violently and listened;
it was repeated. Lighting the one
candle the house afforded she advanced
and asked who was there.
"A traveller seeking SHELTER" replied
a strange voice. and Betty opening the
do SAW a tail man with Il long. black
beard, ho.dil the bride of powerful
horse. He t ode into the cottage. the
wet gleamin" on his clothes. and the
coat of the animal. "A terrible night
he said, in hearty. genial tones. They
told me Id reach EoScommon before
night but my ho. 81 cast Il shoe, and it
took ME 80 :onr to get II repaired that
this confounded storm overlook me. l
am wet to the skin. and if you can give
me Il bed and some supper shall stay
herc-if you have no objections. of
course
lis not a night for n dog to be out,
let alone Christian, sir; but this is
poor place for the likes of Yer Honor"
fine cloth of the 9cntleman's cloth $,
his splendid fur cloak, and other signs
of wealth.
" oh, I'm contented.' he said. his
smile disclosing the whItest and most
regular teeth. I've put up with worse
i'll nv time and ne proceeded to fas-
ten up the horse, while Betty barred the
door arainst the intrusive blast She
fastened TO throw more sticks on the
fire, drew a seat to the blaze, took the
gentleman damp, heavy overcoat from
him and made him sit down. He
placed the rush-light in its queer arm
and-socket candlestick, just what the
Anglo O-SaxonS used, to one side, saying
1t panied his ewes, and stretching out
his feet to the fire asked could she give
him nything to eat.
mo. There is nothing in the house.
and no money, neither" she added,
with kind of defiance
The stranger looked sadly and ear
nestly at her perhaps the idea of any
one wanting money seemed strange TO
a rich man. His lips moved as If he
were about TO speak, but, changing his
mind, he drew out heavy purse and
laid gold piece on the table. 'Buv
something with this, then." he said, II
shall pay you well tomorrow for your
trouble"
She took it in silence. wrapped her
dark coax about her, and passed out
into the wild night. In less than half
an hour she raped for readmi,tance.
and entered laden with bread, meat,
eggs, and spirits, not forgetting q bun
die of hay on her shoulders for the
l. 4