The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-14
ut couldn't be!n she said to herself,

| "cuiA ~ oetuuCi odJ' AlC Ileto ~ liz III
she thought, to be very angry thi:
time, and in quite meek spirit sh'
set to work at the kitchen fire, ant
stirred the batter for hap-jacls, ant
sliced the bacon. While she wa!
doing this she watched the door fol-
her husbands entrance, and listened
for his step upon the porch; but nc
shadow fell upon the clean, white
| floor, and no sound was heard excep
the chirping of the birds or the clat.
ter OF some sociable squirrels. Break
fast was ready; still Lysander did not
come, and throwing on her bonnet
she set forth to call him. Skirtine
the house, she came to the spot where
the well was dug. Lysander's JACKIE
hung upon a branch of an old pea,
tree. but where was he?
Suddenly Esmeralda began to bt
aware of the fact that the well-hole
was not there; the earth had filled il
to overlooking; that there had, in fact
been "slide," and that in all proba.
bility Lysander was down at the bot.
tom of the well under ton or so OIL
earth.
With her heart beating and her knees
trembling, she ran all about the place,
screaming her husbands name. Then,
with ashy lips and tongue cleaving to
her mouth, she staggered to the near
est neighbours house, just managed to
say: "'The well-Lysander,' and fell
upon the floor in dead faint.
For hours after this several neigh
bors worked very hard digging away
the earth, with better knowledge of
its propensity to return whence it came
than the sailor had had.
They came to his hat at last Then
they came to water-or rather mud
and water. Vhey could do no more.
The general verdict was that the
ground was soft there below, and that
Lysander had sunk in it and stuck
there. Finally, after weeks excite
ment and much dragging and probing
of the hole, they decided to fill the
hole up and mark the place as a
grave. This they did. A slab setting
forth the virtues of the departed, COW
cred the spot, and Mrs. Whiting put
on widows weeds. Three months aft
erward a baby boy-Lysander over
again-was born into the world; and
.Esmeralda as she nursed him on her
shoulder, began to believe his depart
ed father a model of all perfection.
"She lived" she said, land would
live for her boy;' but life was worth
less without her excellent and devoted
husband. He had been so kind. 1t
was in digging a we'll for her that he
lost his life. And she told all who
cared to listen how he had drawn the
shade down and gone out softly to his
work that she might not be disturbed.
Finally she began to believe that he
had said something very kind as he
went out, and she repeated that. The
boy was taught, as he grew able to
understand, that he had had very
saint for a father, and all poor Ly-
sanders queer ways that had troubled
her so much, were forgotten. She had
his broad-face tin-Lype, taken when he
was only half sober, and grinning from
ear to ear, enlarged, and finished in
pastel, very pink and white, with a
ministerial gravity of demeanor, and
an angelically subdued smile, and
taught the boy to call it Dear Papa
and meanwhile she cared for the farm,
and prospered Now and then some
body proposed to the widow, but she
always gave gentle negative.
Her heart is down that there we'll, y
said an appreciative friend. who had
never seen Lysander, land if Mr.
Whiting was as handsome as that
there picture, l can't wonder, for he
looks like the wax figures in the Insti-
tute Fair, if not prettier"
Most of the suitors, being widowers,
took their refusals easy; but one for
lorn youth of immature years, who had
remarked to the -idow that sit was
her dignitude that fetched him." fell
into the depths of despair on receiving
a decided negative, accompanied by a
reference to his early years, and left
the town to ship for sailor and get
drownded," with view of haunting
the widow afterwards; and coming to
the city docks where vessels lay, met
d sea-faring man of jolly aspect, to
whom he put few questions.
you see," he said, II don't knsw
jest what to do. I've never followed
the sea. I've kept grocery in Toggins-
town all my life, and don't know as
I'll get took onto ship anyhow
You'll go back and keep grocery, if
you'll take my advice" said the sailor.
"Togginstown! Why, l used to live
there once. Do you happen to know
Lysander Whiting down that way?"
"Sakes alive! Him! Why, he's dead
long ago; five or six years ago!' cried
the boy. II never saw him, but I've
heard enough of him. She goes on
ABOUT him continual. It's enough to
make you sick"
Agm him?" asked the sailor.
NO. praisin' of him. said the boy;
NOW awful good he was, and how
handsome. Well, he was han some.
There's his pictur to prove it.n
You don't say so," cried the sailor.
but his oodness!"