The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1889-06-06
UGLY JACKS"
How Homely HERDS Hopes Were
More Than Realized.

"An'-an', you're so ugly, JacksH
the girl added, with something like a
little shudder II know it, Hannie,
but" Half frightened at the look Of
anguish that her words had brought to
the mans face. the girl turned and
sped along the timber-path that led
from the big spring.
The man covered his face with his
hard hands and groaned. No one knew
better than he just how unhandsome
he was. As a boy, jackson Hamlin
had grown alphabetically used to the
Sobriguet OF ugly Jacks and had so
often sought some placid little back
set" in the creek, and gazed at his re-
Election in it with pitiful hope that he
might be growing less deserving of the
title, that every line and lineament of
his ugly face was as familiar to his
mental vision as if it were ever before
his eyes. He had grown from an ugly
child to an equally ugly man. grave
and kindly, and differing greatly from
the shiftless and "trihingh beings
about him.
He wore the same iashionless garb
as they, but he spoke little of the
quaint dialect which they drawled.
While they passed as much as posi-
BILE OF their time at any thing but
work, he cultivated his timber-farm.
Or when, at night, the young men fol-
lowed yelping ours on 'possum or coon
hunts, or with their sisters and sweet
hearts disported themselves at the
''hoe-down" dances, Jacks Hsmlir
bowed over the home made table in his
bachelor cabin, and, by the light of a
spluttering tallow dip. conned books
that looked so bloatedly full of wisdom
that the casual and illiterate visitor
regarded them almost reverently.
No one knew their contents, not
even old Jerry Politics. daughter, one
OF the few persons in the neighborhood
the Egypt of Southwestern Missouri
who could read. They looked too
dry and ponderous to arouse her inter-
est. But she liked TO hear him tell OF
the great world--the world beyond the
forest-beyond the limits of the State.
even-the outside world OF which she
had seen nothing and he very little,
but OF which he knew much from read
ing.
And she liked, too, 10 hear him re-
cite poetry poetry that she, with her
scanty education, could scarcely I'M
derstand. And, at such times, she
would, for little while, forget his
ugly face, the surroundings, the
rickety, shook-covered house where
her father, old Jerry Pottle, calmly
smoked and dozed in his back tilted
chair on the porch; forget the apa-
thetic, shiftless, out-of-the-way world
in which she existed, and live for the
moment in the bright far-off world of
which the poem told
This bright-faced. ragged maiden
had hopes-dreams that promised no
shadow OF fulfilment till Sharpley
came. You and / would have con-
eidered this Sharpley a very Indifferent
personage--owdyish as to appearance.
deficient as to grammar, and inclined
to slovenliness OF attire. But to Han
he was very interesting indeed. He had
been almost everywhere-at least, he
taid so. He, too, could quote poetry
of certain class. As converse
tionalist he seemed almost wonder to
Han, for Sharpley's tongue was ready
and his mind an inventive one and the
restrictions of truth bothered him
little.
Jacks had made no complains, but
had kept closer TO his farm during the
days, and studied his dry books more
fiercely at night And Han scarcely
missed him at all. for Sharpley was so
often lowering about, and his CONVEX
sation seemed always OF things in
which she was interested. And-well.
II was so easy for Sharpley's agile
tongue to promise any thing, and list
euing, the girl almost forgot Jacks.
Few had known or cared when he
disappeared for a few days, and then
came back with one OF the two great
hopes Of his life poisoning into real
ization.
IN tell it to her. he told himself
"Tell it 10 Hannie, and may be"
He met her in the shady path as she
was returning with bucket OF water
from the big spring, and started to tell
her the story in n hurried, laundering
way, beginning at the wrong end OF the
narrative and hurting out a little OF
the other great hope that he had so
long cherished. But the girl would
scarcely listen TO him.
Il must hurry on, she said. MIR
somebody will be waitin' Ter me
Somebody Sharpley" Jacks Ham
lin said, bitterly. That sneaking
hound, that"
He's lestas smart ia you arei' the
girl retorted, angrily. Jest Us smart
an heap nicer'' lie jest knows ever
SO much an is jest a. nice-lookiu' as
he kin be, sn'-sn' you're 80 uglyr'
II know IT, Hsuuie but"
But she was speeding away down
the path, spilliug the water from the
bucket al every step
"Uglyg' The man groaned Don't
know just as well as any body ia the
world how ugly amp but It's
that hound Sharpley that has changed
herl She used 10 seem 80 like TO have
me around, and almost seemed 70 tor
GET ay Bgly fags ANA I--Wsll its