The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-08-21

we need the money bad enough" and
the coarse man laughed, brutal,
characteristic laugh.
But, Sam, it seems so horrible to
carry around our own flesh an blood
fur a show" feebly protested the
woman.
$50 much the wuss, Lerindy, cf he
war some other feller's young one
now, but seeiu's he's our'n why we've
got ter make the best ont an get what
we kin outen him." Clearly the man
was troubled with no delicacy of feel
ing, and his stupid brain was incapable
of comprehending the wife's scruples.
'How soon be we goin' ter start,
Sam?n The woman's tone had re-
sumed it's usual submissive quality,
and the question was evidently set
tied.
ii reckin kin get ready next week
theirs the tent fxin's ter make, an
advertisements an SIGH truck ter see
to, an eff you hev the boy ready we
kin start week after next"
1--WE kin, kin we? Well see about
that, we will, darn ye," and a great
pair of misshapen fists were clinchet
and shaken at the speaker.
A rickety lean-to joined the MAR
part OF the house, and there the sub
ject of the conversation crouched neal
the partially open door.
He was terribly misshaper
creature, with head many sizes too
large for his shrunken body, and great
burning, black eyes looked out from
under Il crown of shaggy, uncombe(
hair, giving him an air of strange
ferocity. Some disease of the joints
had enlarged these useful portions o
his anatomy, until they were not only
comparatively useless, but hideously
distorted, and he was far from being g
pleasant object to look upon.
Nature, with one of her strange
freaks Of compensation, had given him
soul superior to the uncouth temple
in which it was placed. and If poor
Mic Vedder could have had the ghos
OF a chance in life, he might have
been, at least creditable specimen o
his race. The great black eyes wer,
the index of what might have been in
tellect with proper encouragement
and the uncultivated heart burned
with real affection toward those WHIT
treated him kindly, though unhappily
these had been so few in his hard ant
soul-crushing life, that he would have
been puzzled to define his feeling:
upon the rare occasions.
The coarse father had hated and de
epised him from his birth, and kick
and cruel blows had been his portion
from him from infancy. Even tn,
scanty food which was as grudgingl!
thrown out to him as the bones to al
unwelcome dog, was accompanied
with railing for the expense of hi
keeping.
The mother, left to herself, Nigh
have been kind in a weak and unsatis
factory way, but she stood in morta
fear of her husband and was too indolen
to make any decided stand for right
Still, she lacked the coarse brutality o
the father, and when he had broachet
his project of making travelling show
of the boy, with double-headed cal
and another animal making up pitt
able trio of misery, she had made 6
feeblestruggleo OF remonstrance, sincere
as well as unavailing.
Mic had submitted to curious looks
and impertinent questions in his child
hood with Indifference, but of late h,
had shrunk away from observation
and when questioned had answered, il
at all, with sullen look which be-
tokened rebellion against the petty
curiosity of the world, and when hi
understood from his fathers words
that he was to be made public show,
with no defense against the curious
eyes he SO dreaded, his very soul rose
up in fierce rebellion against the
unnatural scheme, and if he had pos.
sessed the strength, it is to be feared
a tragedy would have taken the place
OF the making trip.
The wagon with its white cover was