New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-25
DOWN SOUTH.
RIs1'Us AND OLE PINK'S BABY.

paying attention TO thing. His appearance was
that of entirely blank calm His hand resting
placdly by hs side and his lscc being turned TO-
ward the grand outline of Noun. Pisgah. Did he see
~ Did he know he was nv.ag In the midst of un-
kpeakable magnfcence2 II this youth had had a
solid ugly face like that belonging to Aick at the
Junction, should have thought of questioning
II he cared for the beauty at which he was gazing.
But because Ristus had lovely face we unressonaoiy
felt that he must appreciate loneliness. 1t was not
logical to arrive at such conclusion, but IL was
natural
The boy sitting there in his grostesque Ole
coat which held together by white twine was a
picture to be remembered. Light hair rolled down In
rich waves from the centre of the head to far below
the throat his face fair as that of blonde
woman ID fair thanks either TO some natural power
had to resist the action Of wind and sum- or to the
protection Of the sun-b bonnet Thick yellow-orown
eyebrows made a straight line over long eyes That
were Of that yellowsh duh color one sees sometimes
at tho bottom Of STILL clear pools when the sun shines
on the water. Strange eyes, whose only expression
how OF childish calm. For the rest, the boy
had a straight nose, weaklooking, very scarlet
mouth, and delicate retreaung chin, with pretty
cleft down the middle Of IL His face seemed 10 be
clean but his hands had the look of hands which have
never been thoroughly washed
After the first brief glance at us, he had kept his
eyes fixed on Mount Pisgah and appeared to have
forgotten that present AS his aspect was
not forbidding, ventured to address him.
~Have you always lived here Rstus''
Ever since I come" was the reply Ristus
turned hts head toward with a neutral gaze In his
eyes
And when did you comel'
sThen you don't remember being anywhere eisef'
sNaw'ms
SIS that woman your mothers referring to the
woman who had fed us when we had been lost
Ct reckon she must be, fur she gives me my
40
Teller his eatin's, 'thout she war HIS mother' But
amt heard moan say eff she my mother, or Of
she WANT
After this answer kept silence for few
moments. and all looked at the mountains The
dogs noticed very little. They were constantly
jumping up beseech Rlstus to give them attention
He was the first to speak again, very Unexpectedly
TO
"Mabben he said rehectfvely, " she mought be my
sister; do yer reckon she mought be that, now?'
Hardly We said
lie clasped his hands together and held them out
body.
"Pve dreampt about er sister. have" he said
But she want no WAYS like ole Pink WAYS
Thur sister as drear;pt bout WIZ kind or shinin'
an lurvely. an white. an'-what do yer think?-she
bent down out white cloud an kissed me. I've
dreampt hathaway power er times, an when shc
kisses me. alters wake SO. yer see. I'd ruther
erway. an / cit awake. over now ne pointed
TO q brilliant opening between two mountains, where
a diaphanous white cloud was floating van DC wnar
reckon she lives, in that thur cloud. Yer gee 1t
We nodded He continued:
SO don't really reckon ole Pink kin be my
sister, though mabbe she be my mother Ole Pink
some ways, don't pear like as would ever be er
ridin' on a pooty cloud, now, d. she?' NO, no. We
exclaimed, perhaps too forcibly.
He seemed relieved that emphatic In
his mind It evident, there strong desire that
old Pink should not be his sister De did not seem
disposed to talk any more just then. We asked him
Il no were working for Mr. Penand today and he
said @Naw mn He picked UP his sunbonnet. but he
held It in hts hand Buster succeeded In getting
on the chopring block with Ristus, and IN balancing
himself In a sitting position there Ristus put his
arm about the dog, and Buster looked down at the
eher three CANNES with great DIAL of good -nafured
triumph in his face, while Til and Little Bun mace
Intellectual attempts to disodge him and get his place
al urv dogss said Rstus. as If addressing the nearest
mountain But he turned to us as he remarked
GThey be nearer humans humans be themselves,
reckon Dogs sorer gifts inter yer, somehow inter
yer feen's, humans don't. I've recKoneo power
or times as want er human myself Tain't no great
Ter be er human
Ristus carefully lifted Buster to the ground put
on his bonnet and walked down the path. He had
not gone far before the twins burst out Of the house
They were in clean, dry gowns. They ran screaming
toward the boy 1ney Cdilcu u Hlh ~ 'H4S N"0'
and 20 to the spring with hem again lie obeyed ana
ve saw the three children and the four dogs up the
path.
al don't know anything about Ristus,' said Mrs
Aver, that is, more than you Know. his origlh
Is shrouded in mystery, as they say in novels. He
may turn ont 10 be the of prince There Is some
thing strange about him. he gets his meals mostly
at Ole Pnk's. Oh dear, of course, she isn't his
mother. / don't know where he sleeps NOBODY
knows. Twice. however, he has slept in our rough
ness up there BY the barn That was In the
summer Has he not poets head? If could paint
would put his vgnete In the midst CO some wafer
lilies Odd isn't It. but always paint him, mentally
with water Hes about his head. He is not AKe the
others here he isn't vile. What he IS leave
you to find out. I have the twins TO study ana
find them quite sufficient 10 occupy my mind"
Since the twins have arrived, there seems TO be less
room than ever in the cabin and when they are In
we try to be out of IL much can. The weather
is continued, glo-ied kind Of an Indian summer
Why should one stay the house and hear the hubbuo
of the twins when, by strolling quarter OF mile
down the mountain one comes to NOOK whence one
may gaze on the silently rolling French Broadf Win
giants clustering their tall, wooded heads everywhere
No we have stopped between four walls very little OF
our time thus far When walked out this morning
the twins were scrapng frying pans banging pots ana
kettles together, and crashing plates and cups and
saucers against each other In brief they were wash
ing dishes, chatterIng shry. and breathing In QUICK
pants. Mrs. Aver said that 1t would be but little
time longer that they would be obliged to wash Dishes
for all her crockery would shortly be broken. Upon
this the twins cried out to know what she meant
"Pm sure Aunt Mary" cried Ella. and Ellen after
her In the same words amt broke moan only
ifs what kinder slipped yer know and kinder smashed
yer know An, Aunt Mary, most Of hit Wal Busters
fault or TINS fault, gittn' tween our legs. an or
urpsettln' US, Aunt Mary
We left them explaining whose fault It was. We
had not gone far before Ellen and Ella called AFTER US
from the wood pile:
Aunt Mary wants ter know do yer want them