Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-12-27
JOB HENKINSS CLAIM


Lost I lost everythin -eyerythin -
along d the wah
He was our driver He drove US in an
old tattered carry all about the sandy roads
nf Norfolk. Virginia He was quite as tat
tered A. the carry ali. aud quite as toriorn
,o forlorn that the old nag he drove and the
carrv- all and he seemed 10 be all Of one
piece. ~.
He was taciturn man, with a sandy
heard They told us he was specimen Oh
genuine white trash. He never kne"
where any one lived or when the trains
went He never KIN anything about Us
tances He never knew where any puoic
building was to he found. or. being found
what au, large public building "dS lie
Vas in drns. ignorance about anything and
everything ~ Norfolk, and his ihlnu Was d
blank about all matters outside lie was
always at the station waiting. 9ometliheS
he made his way about with trunk OF
visitor. and seemed 20 lose himself IN the
few rambling streets, aud hnd himself again
at the station with mortified surprise
slouchy, poverty worn. thin laced MOI
low chested specimen OF white trash ieV
from the first pltled and employed nun
He rarely opened his cavernous mouth ne
never looked at you when he spoke. DuI
ocrasionally. AS If his mlsfortunes had welled
nm in his bosom and demanded expression
m suite Of himself, he would look OIL IN the
distance dreamily pull hard on the relns,
and exclaim. loud enough for the rear seat
IN the old carry all to hear ..,,
Lost / lost everythin every thin /
hed-along o. the wah
| pitied him and sympathiLed with NM
and GRADUALLY. as he repeated tins singular
.xuression from time 10 time, became e1
,e.dingly curious to learn what and how
u,uch he had lost for /, too, had lost
great deal ON account of the war. Here
was A poor sufferer. thought. who had lost
,,U in that war which had deprived me Ot
brother aud a part Of my fortune. by
every device | could think ot tried 10 lis
.uver what and huw he mad lost his ALL nut
upon this sad topic. beyond the expression
already quoted, he was mute. only recall
pne other instance of his speaking "hlle
my children and | drove about with MN
that summer One Of the children 'rled,
oh lear I've forgotten my handkerchief
.Hain't We got Sic ewes p he asked, as II
/ IF the old horse IN front Of HIM. Imagine
lur laughter
Beyond this he never spoke while driving
nor would he tell me about his losses. lie
,yas dumb He had lost everything NAT
! had suffered was bagateile. Houses
lands. children parents, relations, money
yrs,lthiug' 1 glanced at his long hatchet
face from my back seat with the children
He was still rather young man. thoughu
10 have hat much 10 lose IN war times
twenty five Years ago Really ne did not ap
pear TO be over forty ON close examination
Dirt had srimed into the wrinkles nt hn
] bsarh - "A II
lude.d TO his parents and their lOsses-s- per
hans he had reference TO the lost cause II
General. or to some one elses LOSSES
friend near and dear TO him AT the tlm
WAS never enlightened. His doleful AS
pect his silence his poverty the fact
which | knew. that even the old horse AM
carry all we're not his that he did seen
] -arv forlorn and friendless-l pitied hlm
n gag ssv. / was full Of curiosity I
learn II iTf--,r,n,% 70 1s,I meet 'tb with sue
Misfortune ana. 4 " r,v,,, b
Une day happened to see hiliF ,,.
.,r ~, 1ouei On foot. hurried out into Nh.
street without bonnet or shawl 'D'' 'i'
lila rie.k,nS; ir,'. | gasped, tell me how you
''i c"hle u lose everything &"
lie leaned for moment a.,sirs, ,L,.r
ana closed his eyes ,avy bis 80 -..e er'e
FroId' modest, diftident Henkin. ''''''e''''
erhapS 1t was rude. nv ask,r,,, q,
>al" but / am 50 anxiou, In Ln,',e
and you e''aPs' too can
Bid you un lose along % the ssb ., b.
'Ne'i' H'T! da~edIy, rs If dreaming
,,..I,! lie diln t 90 an lose everythin' did ya
.'ar'h Every blessed thing ~ had o.r - -
'umpen left 2" had |
ba, sauce was 50 appealing that fol,
= H"'leho" here was one Of those ,,,ra,,-s
y humanity EAST up by no common s,5 ,5'As
mary wave of fate coniurad ma -, VI
una the nature Of the awfnI ,aI =" u'Y
ni'n mad destroyed his family his S,,'S Sonac
- ai' at one fell blow. could onI,, ,LiIL
"a Fi'lm IN the worlds history VII
au net with similar catastropbe r. an ~o
lrTed TO me to ask him. Can vonr ,a,,' wv d
'Ies'm y
put Your real name :" t
Lost lost along o. the vyab h
iienAIhs turned and wlnked in the d;ra, r.
~ ne t%ne % motel saw him, and ssid 70 Z
,, rerhaps his wits, too. are LOST ~, st
count OF and along of the wsb -, ''' vi pl
= 20 10" more questions | saw that it "
-, ~ 10 use 70 lnterrogate him further
= .iiar.s nIS great calamity, job Henkins III
.va Iii '"e grave, and sllenter, for a 90
I'VE VIII have its head stone ana IN ~ a
'urlous survivors a few dates Tl ba
eu seemed to know nothing of T1I' ~ plt
ahd ms sad misfortunes Fa,, baI tai
uearu MS name. One old darkv ,,b,'l
u "a runner IN drug stora -saiI = stll
scratching his head yainly ~ rscLa, The
vas jon Henkius who died afo' a. VT
uaAlh too much arsenic ipstid ~ clle
D, marm '''''er 'oo IN his
lug 20 The post office, inquired of g
!, OF any job Henkins = ~ 10" witt
W F. she answered. chewing nm
,il ,Tl you ever hear Of him and his drasd stat
Alamity 2" Ms ''read- Car,
.o'p." ued
,3 no would know-do you know - ness
'esousht my husband to find out and Tour
ported aiterward that he had ,naJa lars
= 20" injuries There amt no sicb lut'
H. he Sald, quoting and am oni,a otatt
3,I '"n henklns is as mythical a patrl
lage as Mrs Harris '" ton
Mt You claim to he Is,,,r.. their
everything 3" | exclaimed anu 10 good
'nly laughed 'eNediy prouo
We're in Norfolk partIv foe ,j.- proud
lefiy on business Nv bnsbap.I' PigIsSure' yo' he
D with the attornev-;s 'i'''ii con dollar
ngton led him to he sent ta "il''e at on tn,
matters of government b,,.;.'n - 'u'o one ss
1 Virginia seaport ~, usinesS al his he
ibout TO take our d.rsr,1,-as Ut we orator
nan "f large, portly habit - po!
nIting old fashioned ''swallou,'t 81, po' IN
p" "hlte choker, aud carrvino II, H.; persev
sunny Well-worn beaver hat - winch
~ 'he piazza of our hotel bo,yin,, known
NY ana IRON his expression of I'M les
o. evidently upon a nissio,, - III mounts
VI great silver,
3loodgood not only ratsiu.i splend'
a ." 'iio" TAU and the white chokar S'pIA'
, .' oi other days, but his man "',iaIs
GU OI ante bellum times Ha 'iy
- P"Ilte 70 me, bOWing. Rrst ,'u'
- -" '"eh on the other at least ~
L., P"s 'hat madam was we'll - a"
na' madam would pardon his IttIa world.
), ,u"Pihg THAT madam did NOT mini nohan,
. .,;. Gu' VI 'i"ors, hoping that madam ue @ VI
y "is'urD herself while he and bar ''othe
4, 'lS'ussed matter Of business ,a nad hv'
- ueaIu oi the doughty colonel a. tie ooi'
l'''i"ii 10 the Norfolk bar. Ha a"e 70
rum small interior VI "tie
lge, where pettifogpin% e'Ior SoJ @ ' If, lady, by
liitahle, TO the see3ort '''.' ''L ceased siety-a
loquence his flights of nrat"r's e his noted pu
T., his ore yofn.,Io nanry, ms he lived,
the delight and butt NJ ,Ls uad agricultu
zen told of several practical ;ota. IVes dow
;" upon him hy his briefess ssso 'oo Ten q
mock trial in which he wss One u
'eu ami found guilty of a brsach tue Paren
of candidacy for oreaoh The n
over which the town bnd aSt'ee OF see, being
laughing. and we ,yara '',i ''y iaruiy the loss o
the colonel in n spirit of pt el'aIed hemiah /
'''enuiy Philippine
and had come to exnso, H.. Unity at
'rn gentleman whom 'nat ev- they supp,
~ "s meets Nuff'lk tn