St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-11-14
tCopwt0ht Secured. Au Rights Reserucd.l
Driven From Sea to Sea:
Or, JUST A CAMPIN'.
PUBLISHED BY PERMISSION OF ]. E. DoWNEY
& Co., PUBLISHERS, CHICAGO.
CHAPTER xIn.-coSrrSuED.
By G. q. POST.

CHAPTER xIII.-CoNr1HuED.
'sTalk about faith movin mountains, "
said the man who handled the pipe, as
he watched the dirt crumble and dis
solve, while great trees and rocks slow
ly sank into the abyss. talk about
faith moVin' mountains, and I'm a
I-e-e-t-l-e bit skeptical, ! am; but say,
faith and stream of water from one
Of these here pipes, an I'll gamble on
it every time.
John Parsons turned from the sight,
faint and sick at heart He had seen
enough They would wash the earth
of those hills from their rocky fouu-
dations as the dust is washed from the
paved streets of city by a July shower,
and the valley must become its rest
ing place Farms, and orchards, and
vineyards would be covered, at the
first great flood, with the worthless
earth of the mountain tops which was
now pouring through the sluice into the
gulch below. Fertile fields would be
made barren, their owners impover-
ished, their homes made desolate; all,
all that assfew men already rich might
grow richer by possessing themselves
of the few penny's worth of gold that
lay hidden in each cubic foot of the
mountains top.
Cow do you do, sir; 'ope I see
you wellF57
John Parsons turned squarely around
and stood face to face with Mr.. Job
bers, who extended his hand with
rather pompous though cordial air.
low is Mrs. Parsons and the young
ladies; well, 'ope? Mr.. HannelseY
was telling me before e left as 'ow e
'ad hoften called on you during is fish
ing and uniting excursions. Come hup
to my quarters and ave glass of
wine >
1t is not to be supposed that Mr..
Jobbers' invitation was caused by his
having noticed the look. of exhaustion
and hopelessness which had settled
upon the face of John Parsons. He was
not in the habit of noticing the look of
peoples faces, unless he suspected them
of having designs upon his purse. He
was not bad man at heart; he was
even capable of being generous at
times and in Way-or at least he be-
lieved he was.
If a beggar appealed to him in a par
ticularly touching manner he gave him
ashilling, and had even been known to
give half-crown when feeling espe-
cially amiable; but it never 90
.curred to him that beggar
had any feelings except of cold or
hunger, and these he supposed only in
a modified degree, and not keen
~ as people in af1uent circum-
stances would do if by accident they
were to miss meal, or be caught out
in storm without sufficient clothing.
Besides, it was intended that some
should be rich and some poor; of this
he had no doubt whatever; and it was
the duty of every one to be contented
in the condition in which God had
placed him. He was contented with
his lot, and he felt that he thereby per-
formed pretty nearly his whole duty TO
society, and he had no sympathy with
those who made complaint against their
condition in life; but occasionally
would give the price of a meal of Wit
uals Just to prove to himself and the
world that he could be generous as well
as strictly just.
Such freaks were not common with
him; at least not enough SO to excite
any fears Of his bankrupting himself on
the part Of his friends; and when it did
occur it was invariably after having
eaten hearty dinner.
Then, too. he recognized the claims
of hospitality; and having eaten and
slept beneath the roof of the man now
standing before him, he wished to
prove that he could be hospitable in his
turn.
John Parsons was not q lover of
wine, and seldom drank it, although
wine of his own making was always in
his house, and often on his table; but.
now he felt that a glass Of it would
stifen him up and may be clear his
ideas, which some way seemed terribly
naked Then. too, he suddenly re-