St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-01-02
And mother'n bring you some candy or

y
occasions, Neaving Johnny and his
father at home.
John Parsons hated to "peddle," as
he called it, and his wife always got
better prices for the butter and eggs
and chickens than did he; besides which
she knew better how to invest the pro-
ceeds economically in necessities for
the family, and there was need OF
economy now. And as neither of the
women liked either to go to town alone,
or to stay alone with johnny while the
other went with the husband or father,
it had become the -1le for both to 60
and leave Johnny TO the care OF his
father, and so they decided to do now
Accordingly such Vegetables as they
were to take were gathered and placed
in the spring wagon. A hunt was made
for eggs, which were carefully packed,
small end down, in oats, to prevent
their breaking, and the bit of butter
which they had saved was taken from
the we'll where it hung by a rope, and
rewrapped in white cloths.
When it became dark they went with
q lantern and caught two dozen chick
ems and put them in 3 crate, previously
made and kept in which to take fowls
to market; and bright and early the
next morning the horses were hitched
up and they started.
When they were gone John Parsons
washed the dishes, which the women
had not stopped to do, tidied up the
house the best he knew how, talking to
Johnny all the time, aad then went
into the garden to work, taking the
bow with him, as was his almost invari-
able custom when the weather was
fine, and placing him, in his wheeled
cot where they could talk together as
the father worked.
The fresh air and sunshine did the
child good and he amused himself in
many ways. The chickens and turkeys
learned to regard him as a friend and
would come around him, often jumping
| upon his cot for some bit of food which
he had brought. some of them beconi-
ing SO tame as to permit him to handle
| them.
When Fnoon came the man and boy
returned to the ouse, where the father
prepared and they ate dinner. Then,
when the dishes had been washed and
Johnny had dropped off to sleep, as he
always did after dinner in the long
DAYS, John. Sr, went to the bureau and
rummaged around until he found some
writing paper and finally pen and a
bottle of ink.
These he brought to the table drew
up q chair and sat down.
m"rll jest give 'Rastus hint" he was
saying to himself, IAN if he's still of
~ lo l1n IafI
be here in less'n two weeks an mother
an Lucy IL never know what fetched
| him.
"Winin's curis about some things; !
never did understand 'em very well.
| There's Marty, now; best woman livin' :,
| tender hearted as a chicken, an Lucy S
lest like her; but they re a-lettin' 'Rastus
an her break their hearts fer each
other rather than to speak up an tell
| him how the land lays; but | ain goin'
| to low it,
He dipped the pen in the ink and
then let it slip through his fingers and
make great blotch on the white table
cloth.
This was unfortunate: it would be =
tell-tale spot informing the women OF
what he had been doing in their ab-
| sence.
He arose and wet the dish rag and
tried to remove the ink spot, but only
succeeded in making it larger. Finally
he carried the pen, ink and paper to the
| bureau, took off the table cloth and
hung it in the window to dry, brought
back the writing materials and again
sat down to his task.
1t was long slime since he had writ
ten letter; he tried to think how long,
and could not remember of having
done so since TIE family came to the
coast. Erastus was tolerable pen
man, and good at composing, and had,
| at Mr.. Parsons request, written a few
business letters that there had been a
necessity for, and since he had left,
there had been no business letters to
write, and until now John Parsons had
contented himself with simply sending
his love or supplying some bit of news
for Lucy or her mother when they
wrote to either of the absent ones on
family affairs.
But now he had an object to accom-
| plish and must write, and he squared
himself to the task.
Again he dipped the pen in ink, but
discovered that he had forgotten the
day of the month and got up and con
suited the almanac which always hung
on a nail driven into the window casing
near the clock.
When he had the date safely down be
began:
DEAR RAsTUs:
az, and r hox- En- nyu vn,tfk
some chickens and things and are goin tC
| bring back some groceries.
Lucy Amt goin to marry Mr.. Annelsey
| after all; she's give him his walkin papers fel
| good.
ave are gittin bong purity we'll coDsiderin
| though this place Amt quite SO comfortable
| and nice as the old one was. There amt nc
| young folks around here much, and Lucy
/ don't like she WaptatI to hay ANYTHING tS