St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-11-07

AGhLGy duS hC 1AHu4lNu 1853
frequent after their health and more
and more often if they had any news
from the mines, until even they began
to wonder if there might not be some
thing in the rumors which had reached
their ears, and one day when he had
seemed particularly dowucast, neigh
Dor in reply to his usual inquiries for
news from Gravel Hill, said:
''See here, Parsons, [ know it isn't
any of my business, but if were you
I believe would 60 up to the mines
and see Mr. Annelsey. Young men are
sometimes little wild without being
really bad at heart, and may be if you
see him yourself and talk to him with
out showing temper he'll do the square
thing.
The square thing that John Par
sons wanted done was to leave him and
his in undisturbed possession of their
home, with its vineyards and orchards,
its plot of ground where the turkeys
and chickens and ducks wandered and
nested and raised their young; the rose
bush over the cottage porch; the Vege-
table garden at the side; the fields for
passurage and grain stretching away
on every side.
He thought of Mr.. Annelsey only in
connection with the mine whose wash
ings might flood his ranch and destroy
ali that Martha and he had labored SO
hard to accumulate and leave them in
their old age to begin all over again.
And what use to begin again if this
place. too, should be wrested from
them? He would have no heart, no
faith TO go farther or do more. He
should feel that God was out of the uni
verse; that the sun had set in eternal
night, if forced again to take his loved
ones and flee into the wilderness.
Not the faintest intimation of the
meaning of the neighbours words
reached his mind. Had it done so, had
he known that the kindly words of his
friend implied stain upon the charac-
ter of his daughter, he would have re-
sented it in a manner to prevent its
repetition, at least in his presence; but
he saw only a suggestion that he should
go personally to the mines, see with his
own eyes how great the cause for alarm
really was, take advantage of his ac-
quaintance with Mr.. Annelsey in the
work. of securing information, and in
case he found the danger imminent, to
induce the young man to use his infiu-
ence to avert it.
The neighbours allusion to Annelsey
as 'twild'' he did not notice; or, if he
did, supposed that the speaker intended
to convey the thought that the COM
pany might not be inclined to give
much weight, in matters of business, to
the advice of so young man; regard
ing him as inexperienced, and conse-
quentIy wild in his Judgment. But the
suggestion of visiting the mines and
seeing for himself the whole situation
struck him as good one, and he re-
solved at once to go.
The next morning at breakfast he an
nounced his intention of going to Gravel
Hill. He made no mention of his pur-
pose in going, and neither his wife mol
Erastus had any need to ask; they
understood without asking, and raised
no objections Possibly they hoped he
might learn something which would re-
lieVe his anxiety and bring back his ole
time cheerfulness. Martha Parsons
| felt that the house was terribly gloomy
of late. The girls absent, her husband
silent and moody, even Erastrls seemed
depressed and downcast; the whole at
mosphere of the household wa
changed, and but for Johnny, who was
too young to feel anxiety about any
thing pertaining to the future, the circle
which gathered about their daily boart
would have been silent one indeed
johnny was, as was but natural, thu
net of the family. Being the baby, ant
with a goodly number of years between
himself and the next older, he he'd beer
allowed his own way until there hat
grown up doubt in his mind as to Wht
was head of the family, and entitled tx
have their orders obeyed.
OF sunny temperament, he was sci
dom actually bad, but was full of life
active but sensitive, and easily hurt b.
a hard word or refusal on the part o
any one to accept any favor which n
might fancy himself to be comforting
/ When not asleep or attending to hi
/ ducks and chickens he was CONSTANT.
with his father; playing in the dirt
while John, Sen, tied up the crap
vines, helping to carry away the limb
when the orchard was trimmed, aiding
in bringing in the fruit and vegetable
when they were gathered, sitting astrid
his fathers shoulders as he went to AM
from the barn, or by his side in tn
spring wagon as he drove about tn
place or to town.
| Sometimes he would hitch Bose to
little wagon his father had made TO
him, and climbing into it, would driv
about the place; but, to his sorrow, b
had found that the dog was entirely to-
active for his own comfort; in fact, tn
last time he had tried to play horse il
j 4l,;a rrarr e came so near ending in