The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-03-24
A Florida Cracker Family.

ing there stands a Lighthouse. 1t is not
a picturesque Lighthouse in the least; it
is suualid and has that air which imme-
diately suggests that it is swarming with
vermin. There are great many large
chinks between the logs, and these show
that the inhabitants can hardly avoid
having fresh air, and it is probably the
only thoroughly wholesome thing they
end, outside the house, and it appears
to be made of logs, with an attempt at
covering with plaster. l should think
that at any time these logs might ig-
mite and set the house on fire. The
roof has never been shingled, and is
made of unmatched, rough boards
placed as near together as may be.
Where the interstices are very large
palmetto leaves have been laid on, and
on the top of these sand has been
heaped to keep the leaves in place.
The roof is not very steep one, still
the general tendency of the leaves and
sand is naturally to slide.
As / looked at that roof, though / am
a woman and ought not to know how to
drive a nail, 1 felt a strong desire to
take hammer, few boards and
nails, mount there and make things
tride less shiftless." How could a
man live there day after day and never
repair that house so that existence
might be more bearable?
When l saw the man this question of
mine was answered. There was slow,
shutting sound in the sand short dis
lance away, and we saw figure COM
ing from a shed at the right. This shed
was mostly of lath, and through hole
made by broken laths pale, depressed
looking mule had stuck his head and
was gazing solemnly at us. The man,
tall and lank, without hat, wearing a
dilapidated red shirt and dingy, short
trousers, at length reached the carriage.
His yellow face showed no interest; his
sunken mouth did not essay to smile.
He leaned heavily on the wheel and
surveyed us out of bleared and faded
eyes. After moment he rolled some
thing about between his jaws, and then
said" Howdy?"
d" Is your wife at homer" asked our
friend, briskly.
" Donno." He turned toward the
house, never letting 90 his hold on the
wheel. go Cindy! o Cindy!" he
called.
The sound caused a noise within, but
nothing appeared at either open door
or the hole where window should
have been. While we waited one of
our number, who appeared to think
some one onght to break the silence,
asked:
I" How are your crops getting on?"
The man slowly shook his dirt-colored
head. " Amt got none," he said.
A glance around told us that nothing
was planted; there were not even
orange-trees within sight. The only
sign that the man had ever done any
thing was the skin of some kind of an
animal nailed against the wall of that
shed. How did he feed that mule?
How did he ever come into possession
of that mule? Did he buy it?
" Pm sorry your wife isn't at home,
Mr.. Marks" said our friend, gazing
searchingly into the house.
Mr.. Marks again said o Cindy" in
voice more hollow and uninterested
than that of his first call.
In response to this baby on all tours
emerged into sight at the door and di-
rectly began to set up feeble wall, as
IL ~ hCCuCu OuU Jul dillNdl w lldhC
its life wholly uncomfortable. In the
next instant it had crept foot further
and had tumbled off into the sand.
There had been no steps to impede its
fall. The father saw its mishap with
out moving, but one Immediately left
the carriage, lifted the indescribably
dirty child and set it down again on the
threshold. AS she did so another per-
son appeared on the scene. A woman
came to the door. She was startlingly
pale and at the same time yellow. She
showed the baby with her foot, pushing
it further into the house, then sat down
in the doorway and leaned her chin in
her hands. Her eyes were as lacking
in the luster of eyes as is a fish-scale.
She did not speak-only looked at us.
Even the man possessed little more
life, for he said:
:" Cindy's got the shakes"
I" This does not look like fever and
ague place" said one of us, looking at
the dry hill slope.
{" Alus had 'um," said the man.
Had 'um in Alabama"
1t was evident that he thought the
shakes were necessary to the existence
of him and his family, dispensation of
Providence against which no one should
contend.
l wanted to 60 into the house, but we
were not invited. The woman did not
speak while we were there; indeed, she
looked too wretchedly i'll to care tC
speak. But she did take out of the
bosom of her ragged dress short sticl
which had plainly been of much service
heretofore. She withdrew from some
mysterious pocket small brown paper
bag and soon had an end of the sticl
well covered with yellow snuff; thi
end she put in her mouth, and as sh'
perceived the familiar flavor a yer,
faint expression of satisfaction came t
her cadaverous face. All the time tn,
child kept up its monotonous low cry.
"Where are the other children?'
asked our friend.
"Donno."
81 wish they would bring me il
some ouails," the lady went on.
could take dozen every week. w
have to pay ten cents apiece"
The man expectorated, but made n
attempt at replying, and the questio
was repeated, with the addition: "Thel
are plenty of quails now, aren't there?
He nodded.
C Will the bows bring me sOme?" sl