Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1885-10-15
JOHN ROACH.
CHAPTER l.

tell has no plot. A plotless story may
not be so interesting as n daring fc-
ton of unexpected development, but
nine times out OF ten it is purified by a
more life-like atmosphere. lived in
an old neighborhood which men said
was fifty years behind the times. No
railroads.&c. public conveyance of
any kind except the swinging old
stage coach which, in my infancy, /
associated with the raccoon. My
parents died when l was very young.
and |, almost incapable of realizing the
awful meaning of death, was taken by
my uncle. One of the first thoughts /
cherished with regard 10 him was that
when l grew TO be a man, L would
"clinch" with him in revengeful COM
bat must have been six years old
when, one day he called me and said:
John Roach, you are getting old
enough to 90 To work. Don't think,
sir, that will allow you to spend your
life in idleness.
Before could reply. my aunt said:
Jasper, the child is not old enough
to work"
"Yes he is, plenty old. l worked
Here John. take that hoe and work
that piece of corn.
OF course, obeyed him, although
the sun shonc with merciless fervor.
After a while. when thought no one
was looking sat down in the shade of
an apple tree. Being very tired. |
dropped OFF to sleep. had begun to
dream pleasantly, OF cool places and
kind hearted people, when | was
awakened by violent jerk. 1t took
me but moment to realize that my
uncle had seized me by the collar
This was not all. He had broken off
an apple tree sprout and was laying it
on TO me. thought then, and have
never since had occasion to change me
mind, tina, an apple tree sprout can be
made to produce more solid. unallUy-
ed pain than any other instrument of
torture. My loud cries attracted my
aunt. Running quickly to the spot,
she said:
"Oh, Jasper, do not kill the child. "
He turned upon her and struck her
with The switch. This was more than
/ could stand. Wheeling around,
seized his leg and buried my teeth in
his flesh. | heard him roar, but that
was all heard, Tor he almost stamped
the life out of me. When l came to,
/ was lying under the tree. My head
was swollen and my lips were bruised,
Darkness had come and l knew not
how long | had been lying there. j
was ARA d TO stay alone, so softly
crcpt into the house. | found my
aunt sitting on the stairs leading To
my room.
"My poor little boy" she said, tax.
ing me into her arms, 'my poor little
abused boy. There, don't cry. You
might awake Jasper, and if he finds
us here he will punish us both"
"Aunt Emily | whispered, "why
! did you marry such manp"
''Oh, | don't know, John; had to,
Isuppose. Slip up TO bed, now and
when he calls you in the morning, get
up at once. !"
stole up stairs aud lay down. How
/ wished that was big, strong man
how earnestly | prayed that some one
might meet him in the road and knocl
him down. Just about the time tn,
birds began to twitter among the
vines that grew about my little win
dow, | heard Uncle Jasper calling me
Before was sufficiently awake to an
swer, he shouted:
eli have To come up there to you,
sir, I'll make you think you enjoyed
yourself yesterday. Come pile down
from there now. I'm tired o.
lazy lout like you, lying roun'
here"
lost no time in ''piling down. '
After breakfast, resumed work, bu
did not sit down under the appl
tree.
CHAPTER III.
Uncle Jasper would not allow me Il
attend school, but my aunt. who ha'
been Il teacher stole many an oppor
tunity to instruct me. Consequently
by the time was eight years of age,
could read understandiDgly. We ha'
conducted our little school so slyl
that Urole Jasper was totally In tn
dark with regard to it. Had he know
that was able to read. am sure n
would have punished me, for althoug
he was man of some leaI ung, he dc
spiscd education. Strange to say, M
uncle attended church W Ia the strict
est regularity. He was 10 ''profes
sor," rs the neighbours would hav
termed it, but in every revival ne TOO
a deep interest. 1 don't think. how
ever, that the church people had YER