St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-06-16
SYMPATHY.
What He Wanted, and Why He
Went to the Mayor.

"Well, what do you want?" aske,
the mayor. as the old man finall7
looked in the door. He had been pass
ing and repassing in front of the offic,
all noon, oscillating in INDIGESTION. HI
was from the country-a thin old fel
low. with small blinking eyes ant
wrinkled face. His limp red hair hat
attained a sort of uncertain gray. Ii
and out the burrows of his shallow CHR
a sparse beard bristled, leaving quite
bare spots here and there where he ha6
rubbed off the hair, rubbing with such
a hard, horny hand year after year. In
moments of indecision--evid the
majority of the moments of his lie.
His mouth had been shaped by pipe.
which, drawing down the corner of it,
drew all the wrinkles of his face into ii
as into a drain.
s'You the mayor of this town."
The words slid without infection or
emphasis on to thin, drawing, nasal
voice.
Yes What do you want?"
"Nothin', sir; nothin' in particu-
There was a pause, as if cogent
reasons in his mind were giving him
another warning. He fastened his
eyes on the mayor face as if he were
examining Seeding potatoes.
Il only want sympathy, sir-sym-
pathy."
He closed his mouth suddenly, all to
the pipe hole, and began rubbing his
chin again. The solution of his doubts
this time resulted in his conveying his
communication in monotonous un-
-dertone to himself, waving all claims
to hearing, which rested entirely in
the volition of the mayor. The small
eyes impartially looked unmeaningly
into space.
1T 8 only that boy o. mine I've
had powerful lot O trouble with that
boy O mine. I've nussed him, I've
tended him. I've labored with him,
and live prayed over him; 1--we
prayed over that boy o mine.'' He
looked at the mayor for some EXPIRE s.
sion over this last item.
'Oh, your boy in trouble?"
He was tuck up to-day, and lodged.
He's locked up over there He
stopped rubbing his chin to point in
the direction of the town jail.
Locked up, eh9 What was the mat
ter?''
Resisted the perlice they call it.
A Teller tried to rest him. He knocked
him down, my boy did"
Resisting the police; ehp resisting
the authority of the law? Well, I'm
very glad he's locked up. You conn.,
try people think you can come into
this town and run it just as you please.
No. sir; if you all don't like this town,
you can stay away: but if you do come
here, you come on our terms, and |
you've got TO behave yourselves. = The
mayor very generously reissued this
fragment Of the peroration of his
decision.
You're right, sir; you're perfectly
right I amt sayin' nothin'; I amt
complainin'; ! only come for SYM
patty. They told me you was gentle
man, sir. / amt got nothin' to saw.
sir; I only come for sympathy. Tn
here myself; | amt been
here before in twenty year-not sence
before the boy wuz born. I've nussed
that boy, I've tended him, and I've
prayed over him"-relapsing into
audible meditation. He as goods
had no mother. / helt him with one
hand while I 'stritched' her with
!, other-my old woman. She died the
lust thing after he wuz born, my old
did. He wuz that puny and
Tiny and red. there wuz no tellin'
which eend from t'other 'cept by the
,quallin'. "
.Well. reckon he'll never learn his
luty to the lawyounger. II
1.-The old woman warn't much of a !,
,elp or comfort either" without noric- .
ng the interruption. II don't know /,
) old women ginerally is. Always a. !
uarrelin' and a-complainin' and a. !,
ettin' by the fire. But she lef the J
,oy to me, the old woman did, eff she :
Id die herself -I-I--rve prayed over /
hat boy; yes, sir, I've prayed over him. j
We was a-goin' back home this even
l."
Zone night in the lookup won't hust
i'm. " q
mo, sir; that's true. 1t Won't hurt i
i'm; it won't hurt him a mite-oAe 0
light in the lookup. He fout, an '
used, an kicked, an scritched, like f
painter. my boy did. He didn' want )