The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-01-29
THE TATTOOED COMMUNITY.

81 saw" said man who was something
of a student of human nature, "a vision
in a dream, a few nights ago whi ch
strangely impressed me. In my dream /
was travelling along through a thickly
settled country, until 1 came to small
town. The streets on either side were
lined with houses in various stages of
repair and decay. A somewhat dilapi-
dated-looking mansion, with windows
broken, and chimneys crumbling, bore the
word "scoundrel" in glaring letters above
the door. Across the street was q fine
stone front, and on the step was the word
'thief," in large letters, while the house
itself was covered with mud. A little
further on, appeared what had evidently
been neat cottage, but the pickets were
broken, the shrubbery torn down, and the
whole place in apparent process of ruin.
Upon the gables were "libertine," 'rob-
Der" and other loving words. Still fur
ther again was large frame house, with
the gables broken in, and across the en-
tire front of the house was the word
"plunderer.'' in enormous letters. I be-
SobiO oAA OO, oICh vi ouCll
and hurried on. Out beyond the daubed
and battered community, discovered an
old colored man at work in little patch
near small cottage. Everything about
this place seemed neat and clean. The
fences were in good repair, the chickens
and pigs made home-like music about the
place, and the old colored man himself
was singing about his work apparently
as happy as king. I accosted him with
the question:
"Uncle, how comes it that you are hap
pv. and thrifty, and everything about you
seems homelike and good, while just back
yonder every man wears the brand of a
scoundrel or murderer, and his habita-
tion is wreck ?"
"Whv, bless ye. honey. doesn't ye know?
OATS de heritagew
"The heritage? What in the world do
you call heritage? Did these men in
herit those names and those torn habita-
tions, from former scoundrels, thieves
and murderers ?"
'Not at deir birth, sahl Dey 'quired de
heritage after dey rived at mans estatew
"But don't understand you. Uncle.
How came you to be so happy, while your
near neighbors are so miserable?"
"Bekase neper 7at71 fur offsw
"But how do you account for it on that
acconnt?"
"Why, bless yer innocent soul every one
O dem men back yonder has bin candi-
date fur offs, an cum out O. de campaign
in de shape ye see 'em in now. OATS
de 'heritance dey brought out O. de cam
paigns!'
But, Uncle, suppose a man were per-
fectly pure when he entered the political
it in that condition ?"
Indeed he would, sahl Each o. dem
men back dar is as fine gentlemen as
yerself, an would do ye good turn as
quick as anybody in de world. But hu-
manity dat could slander, abuse, an MUIR
der de Savior of de world, wouldn't hesi-
tate to pile it onto political candidates.
So find good deal O. consolation an
happiness in tendin' my little place, max
in a livin' by hard work, an leavin' de
offis-seekin' to dem as can stand de tat
tooinw
And when I awoke pondered long and
earnestly upon the old colored mans phil
osophy, and upon the distressing aspect
of the tattooed community had visited
in my dream. Homely as the picture was
presented, there was horrible truth in
it which fastened itself indellibly upon
my memory.