West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-03-22

Warnln 10 ye. Sary Lily that's my
darter-was bout as sweet, purity gal
as We often see. She was jist th' apple
o. my eye since her ma died, an we KEEP
haouse together all hunkadory, with
John Sampson a-comin' in, every evenin
putty nigh to talk over the news. John
II don't mind tellin' ye-wss Sary
Lizy's beau ever scnce they was boy and
gal, an ID sort o. growed up with tn
understandin' that they'd be man n wife
arter while. But bout this time there
como to taown a dashin kind o. fello,-
nobody knowed who he was-but he
he'd things { sell raound e the stores,
and Sary Lily, she happened TO meet
him Z her Cousin Hiram 's-who's a
storekeeper in Maple aown--an' he TUX
arter her like houn' arte- hare,
an she list let him. / declare, the
crctur acted jest as eff she was bewitched
an hadn't no sense nur reason. Ii made
me mad. The fust sharp words I ever
spoke Z Sary Lily | spoke then. Bat
want no arthly use. The fellcr hung
raound, on' hung raound, an went way,
an come back agin, an she managed 4
see him N spite o me. AS fer John. she'd
treated him so shameful he didn't come
nigh her more. At last reely thought
the rascal ID gone way fur good n all.
but fust knew one mornin' Sary Lily
had Hoped of with him. Declare fort I
most broke my heart. dunno but in
my unsettled state o mind might n TUX
up with tn Widder Jones who came in
look artor the haouse but l couldn't
forget Mcllissy-Mellisy' my dear dead
wife, ye know
The speaker paused to blow his nose.
$50 | got along a good spell th'out
hearin' from Sary Lily. But finely there
come letter from Cousin Mirandy, in
Jersey, sayin' as how't she'd got line
from Sary I.izy in New York, "A askin'
her to send Jest money nuff Go get Sary
Lily TO her haousc, where she'd work her
fingers Z the bones to pay IT. Said she
was all lone N great city, m didn't
know what T. do, but she'd ruther die
than write to pm, an wouldn't Cousin
AIirandy jest help her t git away from the
city! an she'd try TO git good enough Z
so back & MapletaOwn some day
But Cousin Mirandy said there want
no street nor number in Sary Ii VS.
letter, an she didn't know bout sendil'
money loose to great city like New
York, so she thought she'd Jest let me
know bout it. Gracious goodness To
think the child should ha' been fraid to
write to her pal didn't know nothin'
bout streets an numbers nuther, but |
knew 1 could find Sary Lily, in her
gre q trouble, anywhere in New York
So | Jest went an asked John 10 look
arter the cattle for while, an' the very
next mornin' put on my Sunday suit--
wouldn't know it naow-an' packed the
greenb ks I'd jest TUX for my Durham
steers into my wallet. that t-n
Here the narrator broke down with
emotion, recalling the loss he had suf-
fercd on his landing in the "wlcked
city
''But didn't know York was sich u
pesky big city, full % lunatcs rushin'
agin one anuther, ar ev'ryth ng a.thun-
dcrin like hundred thousan' thrashin'-
machines with the bands flyin' oil.
couldn't find ennybody 60 direct me
where to look for Sary Lizy. Nobody
knowed an nobody cared nothin' bout
her. Then, rs told ye, a dumb sneak
stole my pockctbook, an instead O him
gettn' s.iot up, why, got shot up, an
so l h'ain't found Sary Lily yet / keep
lookin' out for her all tn time, but /
swun fer it, i dunno s I'd know tn gal
cf / should meet her in tn road, things
look so dumb queer in tn city. so differ
ent from they do in Maplctaown. Dret.
ful place fur the poor child TO be in. D."
The woman, who had sat listening in
stolid silence to this simple, sincere
story, rose suddenly % her feet, pushed
bnck the head wrap which had conc ealed
her face, anl made step toward the old
man.
"Pa" she CALCULATED, in choking
voice putting out her hands
stG.v,y tzvf nh INV ord ~ Lro.fbo,T
the astonshed vagrant. staring open
mouthed at the face before him as
though il had risen suddenly from the
dead
But at that moment an officer, laying
firm hand on the excited old mans
shoulder, ordered him quietly to his
place
John Sampson, coming out of Deacon
MasOn's barn, where he had seen the
waiting herds bountifully fed and stalled
for the night was hailed by rural
horseman riding up to the door.
''Hcre's letter for ye, John. Bein'
at the postOfiice, / just tux a notion 20
i'm uire for ye Thought mebbe We was
too busy 20 20 yersclf. It's from New
York. , explained the self-electcd post
man. as John with cold thanks, put the
olliciously delivered mail in his pocket
Thought mebbe it was from the dca-
con-" pursued the bearer, with bafiio1
curiosity.
John. carefully adjusting the paddock
and turning the key on the deacon's pos
sessions, made no remark but as the
horsoman wheeled away with an irate
''Get up, he drew out the letter, tore il
hurriedly open, and read with u stern
compression OF his auburn bearded
mouth. the following communication:
"OKE STREAT PoLLI8E sTAsHUN.
Jan 2G, 1888
"DEER JoHy-Tve fownd her but Ims i'm
Trouble. I've been robbed I've lost an my
mummy ] can't git home no mOrcu she cOud.
The poor child Is ai broke up. She don't
want onuything but ~ be got by evrv-
body. She wouldn't let me rite 10 you no
mOreu n0thin If she kuu but lime in Trouble
Johnn an you're my best man. Pleso % send
me - d0llars an Ile settle with yew when
sit home Send 70 30 this place can ask "a
favor Ot Yew kwicker than Of most any body
ois. Perticklars when ] see yew
Your loving friend, EsEy @. mason"
John crushed the letter into his pocket
with q steruer setting Of the Jaws
That's what III do" he said, with
comment on tho impulse that had seized
him, and ho strobe of TO his own quar-
tcrs on the adjoining farm.
NChqflir 81 he called "a Io cfo,,.,ol