Signal-Copiahan. (Hazlehurst, Copiah County, Miss.) 1885-1888, 1886-09-30

customcd TO calling her my darling; |
had even begun TO calculate how much
II would take TO start Us in farming
way. when one day the old squire
came TO me rs | was plowing big
piece of corn land. had felt uneasy
all day, my poor oxen had failed to
track rs even rs thought they usually
did. My plow kept catching into old
roots and jerking me about l was
tired and nervous, when along in the
middle of the afternoon after l had
turned IN my furrow ana started back
for the other side q. the big lot, | SAW
the squire leaning against my rail.
fence, examining my work rather crit
icaily. thought. But | did not have
much fear, Tor could turn the straight
est, handSOmcst furrOw OF any man in
the country.
81 was wondering what he could
want of mo, for he seldom came Ovcrto
our place except on business. when /,
occurred to me that bu, the week before
my father had placed mortgage on
his place to pay city doctor for
saving my mothers life. The squire
held the mortgage and was undoubtcd-
ly over TO see how things were run
ming on our place, so when | came up
to him, stopped my weary oxen and
said pleasantly to him something abou,
the weather as wiped the sweat oil
my face. But saw Immediately
something was wrong; was Il little
frightened then. for ii dawncd upon
me like \ flash that my little Mary was
the cause OF the 'squirc'S visit. ! said
nothing but waited for him to open
the matter, when | saw him look at
me SO intcn,ly and sort of critically. as
il he were mentally measuring up the
amount of man in my frame. grew
about an inch taller; | brushed my
hair back oil my ,un-burncd brow with
one hand and | am certain a defiant
glance came into my eyes.
"'John.' said h., Il want to say n
few words to YOU, am sorry that !
must. but my duty aS n father COM
mardS it. can look back about fifty
years and see myself pIowing and hoe
ing. working hali-clcarcd fields
from morning till night Then he
hcsitatcd rs though he had said some
thing he wished he hadn't, but contin-
ued. To come TO the point. | have
discovered Your unfortunate attach
men, for Mary. and | came Oycr this
morning to tell you il must end, but
your mother said YOU were plowing the
"back lot"-and I've come this after
noon to tell you that your intimacy
must end
"Thcrc isn't much To tell now. Tho
story i soon ended. After the squire
left me. did not make the least reply.
but went on plowing. l guess the poor
oxen thought | was going TO work all
night for had plowcd on until almost
dark before noticed what time il was.
Then went home, in sort of dazcd
condition, | put up my beasts and went
in and sat down and ate supper.
Mother noticed there was something
wrong. so she was more than usually
careful of me. She said nothing.
When the other men had come in and
81, down. | called father aside and told
him was going away that night lie
wanted Ia know why, aud | told him
AL Then he said he understood why
the squire was going to take his daugh-
ter away.
That night left, and after wander
ING around for several months, hap
pcncd upon the coast and joined the
saving crew. thought, perhaps, |
could meet tho fate prayed for so
long.
"Onc wild. windy night, after we
had been lying idle for several days,
and had Dccn with them nearly two
years, we received signals OF sinking
ship. We immediately put oil for it.
Struggling against the wind and
waves, | thought that night Of the long
ago-as it seemed to me. After long
pull we came up to the ship, but she
was past helping. The whole crew
had left and only one or two passengers
were remaining undrowned. With
some oi my companions, | went aboard
to help them enter our boat, when |
saw the form of woman crouchins
behind an old hair trunk. | clasped
her. but found she was fast, so l drew
them both TO the side and my comrades
took her and the trunk in. The other
men we saved too, but Twas so blinded
with salt water and lee. | could see
nothing. When we pulled in, ] helped
the Young woman to alight, when a
flash crossed and l recognized my
Mary. You youngsters can imagine
the rest, rs | see grandma is getting
uneasy. The squire did not object that
all. ALBANY ArguS.
a Careful Station-Master.