The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1888-12-01
enough. He's jest as anxious to fiud

enough. He's jest as anxious to tiud
out as we be- na-rsr. g.. l.
Here Mrs. Doudney paused for breath
she had walked so fast and had
| rested 80 little that her tnterminahle
flow OF sses I's' and sses hes, ceased ne.
cessarity. She had reached, moreover,
the point of most vital interest," the
money.
sAn, you'll find out jeet about as suon
as he doea,' was the dry response from
| the figure lowering over the stove, aud
with all her manoeuvering that was sl,
she got. f'7-ar fa-
All day Ripley went about his work
exceedingly thoughtful for him. 1t
was cold, clustering weather. The wind
rustied among the cornstoiks with a
| wild and mournful sound, the geese
and ducks went sprawling down the
wind, aud horses coat. were ruffisd
and backs raised. cass.a
The old man Was husking corn
ged out in two or three ragged coats,
minus nearly all the fnser-, his
thumbs done up in ssialls, and his feet
thrust into huge coarse boots. During
the middle of the day the frozen
ground thawed, and the mud stuck to
his boots, aud the sdown ears wet aud
chapped his hands, already worn to
the quck. Toward night 1t grew cold
er and threatened snow. 10 spite of
all these attacks he kept his cheerful
ness, and though he was very tired, he
was softened in temper. ss s..-7s1
Having plenty of time 10 think
matters over, he had come TO the coR-
ctusion sthat the old woman needed .
play-spell. I amt likely to be no
richer next year than am this one;
il wait till I'm able to send her she
won't never go. I calc'late L c'n git
enough out O. them shoats to send her.
I'd kind q dotted on earn' them pigs
done up into sassengers, but II the Oh
woman goes East, Tukey an me'il
kind haff to pull through without
;em. Well have = turkey f'r Thanks-
givin,> an a chicken once n q while.
Lord! but we'll miss the gravy on the
fap.jacks. A-men!' Gle smacked
his lips over the thought of the lost
dainty.) But let 'sr rip! We can
stand 1t. Then there is my buffalo
overcoat. I'd kind . calc'iated on
havin' u buffalo-but that's gone up
the spout along with them sassengers.'
These heroic sacrifices having been
determined upon, he put them into
effect at once. ''a- ss
This he was able to do, for his corn
rows ran alongside the road leading to
Cedarville, and his neigbbors were
passing almost all hours Of the day.
1t would have softened Jane Ripley's
heart could she have seen his bent and
stiffened form amid tho corn-rows, the
cold wind piercing to the bone through
his threadbare and Insufficient cloth
ing. The rising wind sent the snow
rattIipg among the moaning stalks at
Intervals. The cold made his poor
dim eyes water, aud he had TO stop
now and then to swing his arms about
his chest to warm th0m. His voice was
hoarse with shouting at the shiverinK
team.
That night as Mrs. Ripley was clear
ing the dishes away she got to think
ing about the departure Of the next
day, and she began to soften. She
gave way to a few tears when little
Tewksbury Gilchrist, her grandson,
came up and stood beside her.
"Gran'ma, you amt gofn' TO stay
away always, are yeh?'
"Why, course not, Tukey. What
made " think that?'
"Well, y 'ain't told US nawthin' tall
about it. An yeh kind Q look 'sif yeh
was mad"
"WeIl, I amt mad; I'm jest A.
thinkin', Tukey. Y see come away
from them hills when / was little
girl Almost; before married vi gran
dad. Aud I 'ain't never been back.
Most all my folks is there, sonny, an
we've been 8 poor all these years I
couldn't seem T. never get started.
Now, when pm most ready T. 60,
feel kind a queer-'sif I'd cry"
And cry she did, while little Tcwks.
bury stood patting her trembling
hands. Hearing Ripley's step ou the
porch, she rose hastily, and drying her
eyes, plunged at tho work again.
Ripley came in with big armiul Of
wood, which he rolled into the wood
box with laundering crash. Then
he pulled Oft his mitteus, slapped them
together to knock of the ice and snow,
and laid them side by side under the
stove. He then removed cap, coat,
blouse, and boots, which last he laid
upon the wood box, the soles toward
the stove pipe.
AS he sat down without speaking he
opened the front doors OF the stove and
held the palms of his s,fHsned hands
10 the blaze. The light brought out q