The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-03
EVIDENCE OF CULTIVATION
lOriginRl.l

To meet with an evidence of cultivation
away of somewhere in the woods. is almost
as charming as the sudden discovery of q
flower, lifting its perfumed petals in waste
place where only weeds were expected tc
grow.
The day was dreary. Rain was falling
The leafieSs trees, rafting their stiff fingers
together, shivered; while occasionally 9
rheumatic old oak, suffering his joints tS
shrek, would cry out in acute pain. A
house-lonely and humble, with a stark
chimney and clapboard roof, but house.
"Coms in" said the whining, though no
unpleasant, voice of a woman ''Git outer
the way, win YOU" she added, thrusting th'
toe of q coarse shoe against the ribs of a dog
1T do peer Ike the dogs viii take the place
Set down, sir"
sat down The woman. while closely
cycling me, proceeded to twist up her tangleS
black hair, which, in the semi gloom of tn,
ill-ighted house, looked like the network O
an uncongenial night.
81 reckon you air stranger in this her,
community
"Yesn
''Out huntin' hogs, reckon"
mo, am not hunting hogs"
at KANT be that you air the new circui
rider, ken it.'
mo, madam, am merely travelling through
this part of the country with a view of writ
ing it up for newspaper"
"Wall, WALL" she said in establishment. 81
man some time ergo put something in tt.
paper about our place. The paper is up herr
now, / reckon"
She took down the county paper anC
pointed to a paragraph setting forth the fac
that her husbands land was aDout to b,
'sould for taxes
where is your husbandr' i asked
''Gone TO whip the man that put thai
readin' in thar. Jim, he is powerful smart
man an ken read anything at first sight
amt much NV a scholard myself / ustel
could fgger a little, but when the war come
on it so pestered me in my mind that
forgot how"
Dipping a cob pipe into the fire, and skill
fully securing coal, she settled hersel.
down to solid enjoyment
The war was awful" she continued
They tuck every chicken ON the place, an
aigs, why, l couldn't keep one, no way
could fix it. Pap he got awful mad, but ht
had to lay low. One tine they tuck hin
outen bed, tied him acrost log an whuppec
him till you mout Nv hearn him holler mil,
an er hat. l was powerful sorry for him
but it couldn't be helped. That want all
While they was stirrin' round with him they
laid my eyes on. Oh, it was shameful tn,
way they did carry on"
What time viii your husband return
MADAME
Wall, it's jest OWN to low long it vii
take him to git through with the business il
hand. He is usually putty peart Laws
massy, how be ken slash round when he is a
himself Don't know Lit Kelly, do your
confessed that l was not acquainted will
Lit
wall, l seed pap whup Lit with one han
an pay his respecks to the Parker boys Will
the luther one. Pap, he was edycated whal
they turn out scholards"
vi q AlltAC edOlCs uNdl WHICH S1J, no
ticed leather-bound book. Taking it up
saw that it was an old copy of Byron.
That's pap's," she said. lie wouldn't
take nothin' fur it,"
The book was well worn. Pap" was evi
IDENTIFY a man of some cultivation. 1t was {
surprise to see that book away out there il
the woods, and to know that humble. 90
scure man felt the fire of its burning pages
That's the ARMY book he's got she con
tinued, IAN it's the ARMY one he kerr
about"
Il suppose he spends great deal of hi.
time reading it!'
Law bless you, no. It's his razor strap
he lows that there ANTI none O these her,
new tangled strops that1l sharpen razor lik,
that book. Don't be snatched,n she added a.
/ arose.
Yes, must go. The rain is about over.
stop IN when you happen to come along
Wall, er, good day" OPIE P. READ.
LITTLE Rock, Ark, April %.