Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1886-09-08
From the Saturday Traveler.]
A BIT OF DRIFT.
BY HESTER STUART.

"Brutus Cassius Danksl Are you
going after that water, or do you ex-
pect the spring to come to your"
The man thus pointedly addressed
slid slowly down from the fence where
he was sitting, whiting, closed his
huge jackknife by pressing its point
against the rail, and shambled toward
the house.
The woman in thedoorway watched
his leisurely approach with an express
sion curiously mingled of indifference
and irritation.
A small, STOPPING figure, with weak
faccid face with fringe of hay colored
beard, and surmounted by sun
burnt hat; the loose, unshapely
clothes which seemed to have adapted
themselves to the wearer's habit of
mind-was this the pink checked, trim
young fellow who courted her fifteen
years ago?
81 was a thinkin', Malviny, he said,
taking the pail from her outstretched
hand, ''that a ketch of fish would
taste kinder good. We've had mush
pretty stiddy lately"
sit amt my fault" said the woman,
shortly.
"Nol I s'pose it ain't," he rejoined
slowly, as though the fact occurred to
him for the first time.
Just then little tow headed girl ran
round the corner Of the house.
tWhere are you goin', daddy?" she
called.
Down to the spring. Want to 90,
Capitola ?" he answered.
She looked lovingly at him with her
china-blue eyes, slipped her grimy lit
tie hand into his, and trudged off be-
side him.
The woman stood on the doorstone
looking after them. "They are we'll
mated" she thought, bitterly. "One
has about as much idea of getting a
living as the other"
She had not lacked warnings years
ago; for Malvina Frost, with her slim,
straight figure and swapping black
eyes, was the ikeliest girl in town;
and mothers Of manageable sons had
not hesitated to enlarge in her hearing
upon the "Danks shiftlessness, rein
forcing their own opinions by sundry
the bone will come out in the flesh"
and "Ilike father, like son." But NAL
VIVA only tossed her black curls, and
went her own way.
So one June they were married, and
went to housekeeping in little house
on the bank of the Ohio; and Melvina,
in the strength OF her youth and love,
felt able to move mountains, but she
found the gravitation Of inherited
shiftlessness too much for her.
He had done well for a time. The
little cottage was neatly fixed up, and
when a year after the first baby came,
the young father, with his own hands,
fashioned for it 9, cradle that was the
wonder and envy of the neighborhood.
But heredity was too strong for him,
and though the cradle had six sue
cessive occupants, it's first coat of
paint was never renewed. Mrs. banks
had never heard of Sisyphus. If she
had she would have found her task
very much like his, with the exception
that hers was infinitely harder and
more hopeless.
What was it? Mental or moral or
physical weakness, Or all three? Or
an evil fate, that whatever he turned
his hand to Immediately failed? Even
his name seemed an unkind fling of
fortune. His mother having attended,
shortly before his birth, the perform
ance of some strolling actors, was so
much impressed that the name of
Brutus Cassius was waiting for him
when he arrived upon the stage where
he was to play SO insignificant a part.
It was seldom, however, that he had
the benefit of his full name, for the
community in which he grew up de-
lighted IL authorizations. But even
their rough familiarity hesitated to
call q man "Brute' to his face, SO he
was dubbed "Cash, g. perpetual satire
upon him who rarely he d any cash in
pocket. Against all these odds Mrs
banks had fought a good fight; but liz
the struggle her straight back had
been bent, and the snap hadgone from
her eyes to her voice.
Somehow the load pressed heavier
than ever this morning. It might
have been because it was early spring
and the air was fall of that indefnable
sense of expectancy, that vague hint
of reiuvenation that would touch
everything except the banks fortunes
And perhaps it wss because the -four
barrel was empty, but whatever tht
cause, Mrs. banks turned from the
doorway thoroughly wretched.
Half an hour later Mr.. banks saun
tered in with the water, the child fol
lowing with string of two or thre'
fish.
Setting the pail down, he said in &
deprecating way: 81 hev about en-
Guided to take with Badgers offer, anl
60 up to Cooperyille."