Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-27
Written for THE EvFSING STAR
WORTHLESS NICK.
AN ARKANSAS STORY.
By OPIE p. READ.
IGun,rri1ltfftf. 1856.

gaunt fellow, with sIouchlng gait ana an ar
of unconcern. His voice was drawing, his eyes
were large and were lighted with that peculiar
luster the origin of which can be traced back to
the introduction of the tallow candle. Nick's
mother was a widow, and she ana her son lived
on a small farm more productive of sassafras
sprouts and persimmon bushes than of any
kind of marketable vegetation. Mrs. Pages
crops were so uncertain that when any one in
the neighborhood said, Eyer KANT put no mo-
confidence in it then yer ken in ole MiZ Pages
con-" IL was at once understood to be a COM
parison greatly damaging to the thing of which
the person had spoken. The uncertainty of
crops on the Page farm was not caused by ne
glect on the part of Providence, but by neglect
on the part of Nick. In the spring of the year,
when the neighboTs were blowing and planting,
happy in the work which brings reward in
autumn, Nick, following halfdoZen half
starved dogs, would prowl through the woods.
"Cone here ter me- his mother would say
when he returned home. "Oh, yer good fur
nothin' whelp. I'm er greet min not ter let yer
have er mOuful NV nothin' ter eat. Here yer
air, strappin boy 81 years ole, an with not as
much sense as 1O-year ole chile. / do think
in my soul that yer air ther no 'countest, good
fur nothinist whelp ever seed sense wuZ put
on ther top side NV God'ul mighty's yeath.
When air yer goin' ter break up that groun',
saye'
'-Bergin on it in Their mornin', / reckon"
y
Yer may take yerself erway frum here an never
put yer foot this here place mo- while
breath's in my body. Amt got long ter live,
an ter think that Their son that have raised
an keered fur-fur-'
THAR now mann, don't cry. I'll go ter work
ter mOr'-blame il, eff yer keep cryin' I'll
jump ther fence an never come back no mo-
Among those whose dislike CT Nick amounted
TO contempt, was lobe Crabtree. an industrious
old fellow who condemned laziness with as
much vehemence Cherokee chief would eX-
hibit in condemnation of timidity. Old lobe
would never have agreed that man was made
10 mourn, but that man was made to work. Mr..
Crabtree, although confessediy religious, con-
sidered Sunday in summer as day OF punish
Inent rather than day OF rest. After suffering
through n sermon more notable on account OF
bodily than OF mental strength, the Old man
sist the temptation of laying hold of sprouts
which I'm spite of all his former efforts grew
among the corn, would linger there until sum-
mOned TO ask blessing over corn bread, hogs
1Owl and turnip-greenS. Mrs. Crabtree was
weak woman who seemed to have worn herself
out with pair OF cotton cards. She had been
taught to believe that the sooner she wore her.
self out the sooner the saints would smile upon
her with the gracious light of approval John
Crabtree, a young man OF much industry,
the only son OF the old couple. He had but little
TO say, but was the most popular young man in
The community. People said that he would be
the next sheriff of the county. There one
favorite with every one-Sis, The daughter.
Nothing could have been blacker than her
hair; nothing could have excelled the bright
ness of her eyes; nothing could have rivaled
the fairness of her face. Worthless Nick loved
Sis and this was one of the reasons why old
lobe regarded him with such deep hatred.
isis said old lobe one sunday evening
while the family sat under a hickory tree in the
yard, didn't tell yer not ter talk to that no
count Nick Page:''
.'Yas, sir, b'Iieve yer did"
Didn't see yer talkin' ter him at meetin'
Il reckon yer must've"
''Then whut Their devil-may Their Lawd fur
give me fur uSiu' SIGH spressiOn on er Sun
day-whut did yer do it ftIr?''
"l-1-didn't go ter.
''oh. shet up. now. ken talk ter err sensible
oman, but when er oman talks like er fool,
I've got no mo ter say; that is, / amt got
further argymint ter carry on with her"
Tobias, don't scold the child" Mrs. Crab
tree meekly suggested.
II amt ascoldin' NV her, Puss." the old man
replied. II only want her ter un' erstan' that she
mustn't fool roun' with that trifiin' feller. Wy,
PuSs, it is er disgrace ter Their family ter have
her er talkin', and er gigling with that off
don't she marry Wilson, the sheriff? He's putty
nigh dead airter her; but no, she must fling him
Ter one side, Ike er ole coat, an turn ter fool
not fittin' ter be tuck up out NV the mud ter
keep wagin frum runnin over him. Err sheriff,
mind her; er snerih nv er county that's putty
thing as that. Lemme tell yer somethin': there
mout be some good pints in er drunken loafer,
but Their sober loafer amt no count whutever.
When whisky makes er man loaf, hit gen reilly
lets him go back ter work ag'in when hit gifts
done er pizenin' NV him, but when natur tells
er man ter loaf, thar amt no use u fOOlin' with
him, sis!'
'.Yas, pap"
.-Did yer hear whut saide"
'Ias. SIR
wall. then, mark whut I've told yer an
In purtIculer. an that's this: L don't want that
feller ter come on Their place no mo-. Ell he
does hit won't be good fur him, fur I wish
may die dead eff don't frail him with the fust
thing ken lay my hans on"
Il heard him tell Sis that he'd be roun' here
ter night" said John Crabtree. He was sit
ting on the ground eutting up tufts of grass
with his knife.
.'Yer don't say sor' the old man exclaimed
81 reckon / said so.' John replied.
do yer hear that, Puss?" the old man asked,
turning To his wife.
'.Yas. hear it,
avail, I'm goin' ter do whut said I'd do eft
he comes inter this yard I'll frail him. I'll frai
wore bodatiously out. L won't put up with
him no longer"
lobe, wouldn't frail him." said Mrs. Crab.
.Whutr' vociferated the old man, "wouIdn't
fr1i him? PUss. wush may die dead eff
don't believe that yer air takin' up fur him.
ION, no, lobe; OH, no, L amt reckon yer'd
better not frail him, Tobe."
i II do hit jest as shore as he comes in this
here yard. Sis whut made him say he wuz
comm here to-night?'
twilight, was merging into deeper dusk, but
the old man could see the troubled expression
which the girl face had assumed.
ANSWER me-"
"Pap, how could keep him from comin-en
Vow here. Sis, don't talk ter yer ole father
Ike he didn't have good sense"
dp, itl tell Yer. When wuZ at
meetIn Nick ne come up ter me an. says saws
he, Sis, IN comm Oyur ter yer house ter
night knovd yer didn't want him ter come
but 1 couldn't tell him when thar wuz so
many folks er standin' er round gaz in an er
gapin.'
Could er done it eff yer'd been er mind teri
said the CID man. II know in reason
Pap, exclaimed the girl, springing TO her
feet, i hear Nick er comm down ther lane er
sinsin- 1er say that yer ii trail him If he comes
In the yard; SO please, sir, let go an tell him
not ter come in.
LET her 60, Tobe, said Mrs Crabtree.
I'D POUNDS exclaimed the old man turning
sharply upon his wife. II do berieye that Yer
air eneOuragin NV Their trifiin' rascal Let John
go an tell him.
II amt got no truck with him. John replied.
~ was now TOO dark to study faces, otherwise
the old man would have seen the grateful look
which the girl cast upon her brother.
wall. them, said old lobe, '.go on an tell
him, but come right on back. FL yer stay over
time III come an larrup the whelp anyhow
SIS hurried down the lane.
w y, CT here Amt Their little oman come ter
lne gloom, the graceful figure Of the girl.
"HellO, httle-''
Hush, Nick. Stop right war yer air an
don say er word tell / git through Pap is
s~iui mao at yer an swars that eft ever yer
come IN the yard FIN he will take er pole an
fr2il YER
w nuts ne mad at me er bout?"
u don know
"fis yer do, said Nick, as he placed one
hand ON the rail fence
"N all, he ain.r No .coupt