St. Landry democrat., 1885-12-12
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7iii, 81 vol tsi Y

G0Audiu lOHS Jul VI 1AO 40obA' Civ 1S
night went to sleep holding to his
fathers hand only to awaken when al
was still with screams of fright at the
! things which he saw in his dreams.
/, Then John Parsons would, arise and
sit BY bis side and talk to him, and tell
him stories, and soothe. him until his
sobs ceased and gradually he dropped
otto sleep again, only to see once more
| the horrid shapes that peopled his sleep
| ing fancy, and awake in an agony Of
fear and trembling.
And now he begged and cried until
his parents feared he would go into
commissions at his fathers leaving, but
there seemed no other way, for they
knew that the neighbors were either
busy trying to save something from the
general wreck, or absent looking for
some place to move to. People who
| are so foolish as to build their houses
where wealthy corporations may wish
to empty the garbage from their back
wards can not humor the fancies OF their
crippled children. They are like the
4 birds that build their nests upon the
ground where the farmer desires to sow
| his grain-whose nests are turned under
bv the plowshare with never a thought
Of the 1ossito the little bunch OF brown
feathers that cries so piteously and Hut
tiers about the spot where its little ones
1 lie buried beneath the sod.
1t was early in the morning when
| John Parsons started with the letter.
| He knew that he would be forced to
follow q somewhat devious route in
order to avoid the overlooked district,
l but he was on horseback and expected
/ to make the canter of ten miles and
back by noon at farthest, and SO told
his wife and Johnny.
But noon came and no father. Then
one O'Clock, and still he had not come.
I Mrs Parsons kept the dinner warm
and waited. She had spent the morn
ing in packing. as best she could, their
household goods in shape for moving,
at the same time amusing Johnny with
talks Of the new place to which they
would go.
She did not know where it would be,
| vet tried for the lads sake, to picture
it as pleasant as possible, and SO half
made herself believe that they might
not fail in getting another home and be-
| ing happy once more, and now while
she waited she continued the prepara-
tons for moving; but as the hours
passed and her husband was still abb
sent, she became uneasy and fancied
all kindssof evils that might have be-
fallen him.
Had he attempted to cross some place
in the road that was covered by the
overflow, and miring down been unable
1 81 nxFrioo 70 himself 2
n The thought was horrible, and her
4 brain reeled beneathsit 8s& H
Then she told herself that it could not
be; that instead he had been forced to
&c further around than he had antici-
pated, and SO more time was con-
sumed.
Then again, she feared that his horse
had taken fright and thrown him, and
she pictured him lying by the roadside
dead, or with broken limbs, calling in
vain for help, or carried, to friendly
| shanty as he had carried Johnny when
the accident which made him cripple
occurred. T
They sayiit never rains but it pours,' "
she said to herself 'Can it be possible
that to all our other troubles is to be
Stu0SA GA 4AIu4y w OOAAs
She could not bear To think OF it, and
put the thought from her, and tried to
keep from dwelling on it by talking to
Johnny as he lay in his cot watching
her pack the boxes and trunks with
clothing and the various knick-knacks
about the house.
Then more hopeful thought came.
inlay be father had heard of place
that he can get and has gone to look at
it, s she said to Johnny, and the thought
gave her fresh courage But as the day
| passed and night settled down upon the
scene and still he did not come, hope
turned to fear, and she grew sick at
heart.
She. attended to the outdoor chores
when she saw it getting late; fed the
pigs and the chickens and MIXED the
cows, and then went in the gathering
darkness and noted the rise in the slow
creeping flood, and estimated that in
two days more it would enter the cot
tage.
| Then she returned TO the house, lighted
lamp and sat down by the cot of her
crippled child, too utterly exhausted
and broken insspirit to talk.
|, The boy seemed to understand, for
he said nothing; did not cry nor, moan,
but lay with his large eyes fixed upon
his mothers face with q look 81 won
dering, helpless resignation, Us if he
saw fhe approach Of the horrid monster
of his dreams, but felt that now 10 cries
for help could avail anything, until, un,
able longer; to control herself Martha
| Parsons sank upon her knees and
buried her face in her hand erehief and
sobbed aloud