The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1888-11-24
DRIV FROM HOME.
BY n. QUAD.

was resting on log at a turn in
4he road which ran along Ypdki1
river, with half mile of the stream in
fun sight, when l caught sight-ef
canoe coming down. 1t appeared to
have been broken adrift, and as the
current set it directly towards the
mArsh1 spot in front of me l waited
and Watched with some interest. The
/crsff finally drove into the reeds and
came to standstill, and a minute later
Hman's head slowly appeared to view
1T was the head of real, live native
long haired, sallow- faced, high cheek
bones, unkempt whiskers and yellow
teeth. The head regarded me with
surprise for time, and then body
came into view. Its long arms, dun
colered garments talon-like finger
nails, stoop shoulder and long neck
proved the presence of native "crack-
err" He gazed and gazed, and as he
didfn seem inclined to be the first
to break the silence, finally said:
sHellol What are you doing there?"
"Strsnger, Pve bin driv from hum !"
he replied in voice so full of sorrow
that / could almost see burying
ground behind.
"Come ashore and let's talk"
He used piece of board to paddle
the craft ashore. A closer inspection
revealed that he was the essence of
sorrow and dirt boiled down and caked
hard. He was six feet tall, loose
jointed, lanky, and evidently as lazy
as he was long. Had l been sure that
he was 1000 years old l would have
bet 81 to shilling that he had not
combed his hair or washed his face for
800 years He held out paw like a
wash board and greeted me with:
stranger, Ell? Well, old Bill Smith
bids We welcome. Las mite he had a
hum to take We to, and cheer to sot
out fur ye, and some pone and bacon
to offer We, but this mornin' he kin
only shake We by the hand. All is
gone-all is gone"
"Has some calamity happened2" i
asked.
"Some calamity has. rve been driv
from home, stranger. | haint got no
place to lay my head no more, 'cept
in that thar leaky canoe"
"That's bad. Who did it?"
"Selutha, sah-and nobody else
driv me right away from the hum in
which was born"
"And who's Selutha?"
"My wife-the woman who vowed
to love and cherish and support me.
Married her more'n seventeen years
ago, and we've got five children, and
last mite she driv me from hunt"
"You had fuss, / suppose2"
"Furse? Furse2 No, we had no furse.
She jist lit down on me and pulled
hair and clawed, and said she'd stood
it long enough. She driv me out in
the cold wor ID and / went to bed in
the canoe, cast her adrift, and yere l
am, stranger, Pm wuss nor an orfun.
Won't you 60 back hum with me and
argyfy to the ole woman?"
allow far is it?"
"Six miles, and Pll take you mp in
the canoe. Do it for me, stranger.
Don't stand by and see husband and
father driv from his home"
We got into the canoe and he used
the paddle in vigorous manner. l
sized him up as lazy, good natured
native, and it. wasn't long before he
gave himself away.
CAR We lawyer" he asked as we
drove along up the river.
Something of one"
"Good! / was In hopes you was.
You can argify the ole woman in ten
minutes"
"What made the fuss?"
"Jist notion o. hern. haint we'll
and can't work, and she's got notion
orter. Jist tell her that look like
a man who won't live year. Tell
her that hard work would break me
down in q week. Tell her you never
felt sorry fer any one in yer hull life. "
We voyaged along for awhile in
silence, and then / noticed that the
man was weeping. He wiped the
tears away and asked:
stranger, was ye ever driv from
hum?"
"Never.n
"Then ye don't know how 1t breaks .
TELLER down. In argifying with Sc
iuths jist menshun that wept, won't
ye2 She's heavy on tears." q
We landed at the bank below Smiths
cabin about noon. he decided 70 re-
main in the canoe until should 90
up and seargify." cut across field
to the road and approached the house
from the front. At the door was .
broken gun and three or four steel