The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-02-27
ONLY A COUNTRY GAWK,
BY J. W. WATSON.

Jabez Brown Tiffany was n country
boy IA real country boy-not half and
half, brought up in village, or visi-
tant TO New York every few months,
where he could acquire some Of the vices
Oi the city TO supplement the sometimes
equally great ones Of the country. mol
he was Is, though still boy all over,
and had never been to New York, or
even to n circus, or any Of the strOlling
shows that happened into Fitchley, tho
little town five miles away from where
he lived.
Ho lived in little, dilapidated house
on the bank Of n little creek, little bit
Of ground about il, with II little old man,
his grandfather, who brought him there
when he was six years old and had kept
him there ever since, utterly ignorant Of
his past life, and with onlysnch education
al tho old man could give himself, which
was very little. The shanty, for it was
hardly more, his grandfather hired from
tho Hon. Martin Drawback, who repre-.
scented that district in Congress, and re-
sided in the fine house on the hill in
summer, and at Washington in winter,
attending TO affairs of state and estate.
The rent for this shanty was paid by
the old man, whose name was Christie
pher Gray, in copying done for tho Hon.
Martin, besides which ho did great
deal OF writing and copying for lawyers
in Fitchley, which must have brought
him in, altogether, great deal of
money. Add to this, Jabez was always
mt work, in one way or another, around
among the neighbors, aud whatever no
earned no brought TO the old man, 80
that they ought--as Jabez had often
heard people say--tO havo lived better
than they did. As for Jabez he cared
little for the poor food and the miserably
shabby house; but no confessed that he
would have liked to have seen little
money spent on his education, and he
did covet something n littlo better in
clothes-a straw hat summer and winter,
> cut-down garment perhaps bestowed
IN charity, or cast off one of his grand
fathers, being the extent of his ward
robe.
There was mighty little money spent
on their larder. The bit of ground gave
them all the vegetables they could ont
and some to put away in tho cellar for
winter, M well as enough corn to send
70 mill for winter use. The creek gave
them nsh, n pig pork, and few chickens
poultry. Add to this, the old man had
way OF acquiring small items of food
without asking or paying for it, so that
they really did not suffer for anything.
Altogether, Jnbez had little cause to
complain and if he had not been ambitious
no would have had mono. Ilo had his
Pleasures and especially in summer
timc, for then the Hon. Martins family
were down at the big house from May |
away into October. Now Jabez didn't |
care much for the Hon. Martin or hi
family, taking it collectively, but there
was one member of it he did, aud that
was little orphan niece named Mohit
able Green, better known to everybody
rs Mchy, short for Mehitable. Hei
mother, the Hon. Martins sister, Ind
died when Mehy was four years old, and
Mt her urgent request her father had
given her over TO Mrs. Martins charge,
and had gone to South America and
died there, leaving Mehy n nice little
property, enough to make her desirable
object for anybody to take care of.
II seemed as though from tho time
that little Mehy appeared on the scene
at the Hon. Martins place Jabez, who
was always about helping somebody as
soon as he could feed chicken or carry
n milk pail, took her under his peculiar
care. He had constructed little wagon,
which, ms he was onl y eight years old,
was thought to be n marvel of skill, in
which he would drag Mehy around from
,arly dawn till bedtime, and never admit
hat he was tired. He taught her to fish,
ntil she beat her teacher in landing
no specified beauties. Together they {
'ould tramp the woods and bring home ]
irds-Jabez's grandfather had Thought I
profitable to buy Jabez gun-by the b
core, large part of which she had shot &
erself. He would play cats cradle. Ii
ominoes and checkers with her M long
she could stand it, and in fact, Jabe2 n
'ecame Mchy's second life, her oracle. Il
mo rs they grew this oracle became n 81
natter oil serious consideration to Mehy's a
incle and aunt. "
II was clear that tho friendship could q
not go on in this way, but yet, nothing h
was done toward curbing it, except oc. \
w nints, which had the effect upon a
Mehy OF making her zee the inconcruons Q
nature OF the friendship, and when abe G
'ecame OF the age OF twelve 1t was ap. "
arentto herself without any telling Tint Q
lch nm intimacy must be curbed, thai O
70 was no longer baby, and could not
kissed and coddled and carried about I
it was pony chaise now-as she had Q
ways been, until it seemed part and 8
reel OF her summer life. The first
'akening to this, on his part, was that u
their meeting, the year she had "
'ched the age OF twelve, she did not W
II at him and kiss him, but simply put IL
her hand, and said GLOW dye do, W