The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-02-14
SAMMY HICKS.

hicks store was one oil the OLD lnhfts
marks of Burr Oak Ridge. For many,
years il had stood at the cross roads, o
very common, cheap frame affair at its
best, and TO which age and weather had
lent many marks of decay The build
ing was small. and its implanted sides
were time-stained and brown. Even
the little sign, Hicks Store" printed
in rude, sprawling. letters over the door,
had grown dim and almost illegible.
Only few of the gray haired inhabi
tants could remember the day when
Bart Hicks came to the new settlement
on the ridge and opened the little store
at the crossroads. AS for the younger
generations, they had always heard and
known of Bart Hicks and his store.
Hicks lire his store, showed the raw
ages of r time. IIe had grown old and
| gray and his, once proud, erect form
wqs hcn''under tmswetubt, Of years and
the troubles and Sorrows they brought
| him,,I5I ssii ~ iq@ Hon
Away back, twenty years before this
story opens, q son was born to- Bart
IIicks-a laughing, cooling, blue-eycd
boy, md they called him Sammy. The
father was proud of the boy, and loved
him after q fashion,. not .as q father
should love an only child, but, rs we'll
as his. grasping nature would permit,
- Sammy developed into d fine, bright
lad, as unlike his father as q child could
be. 4 He. possessed disposition like
that of his mothcr--plcasant placid and
generous. IN addition' ne WIS aInpl'
uous apa naa longlngs 10 Know some, ONE
ihing OF be great woria outside ofb ~,
wax haEe, ielh, sometimes nc lcio
STRONG ueshe 70 nvc uile,eh, s1re vi
me rom 'hat wmch nc haa always
knoWhsl iisy iiatf secil M,u rean enough
4 OF DeiYorlo 70 c9nvlHQe iiini tiat' now
| ever important Hicks store and Burr
yak hioge were 10. ,he Nloge pMgopie.
tMy We're IN reallty . very .s,'ail par.
OF me Wof,o. Z SAMMY iongeu LOT an
education, but ms iather refused 10 ald
MN IN obtaining ~. 80 ne. was G 1s
i peilen 20 con'eh' l,,asell MIN sle i.,ic
Knowieagc..ne eounu i'hcr from ON, s'i 10
rev straggpng 9gooks ne, was, ape, 70
pick up mere ahd mere. ana VIII .lc
lceple assistance MS mother cou'o rem
deT nm. .,,.,. ., ,. .r
n Onelday thc PATIENT ana long su!er-
4 pg, wnc and mother look down SICK,
and as INC days passed shegrew rapidly
worse, and ono evening she sent loi
HICKS at the store As inc customers
mad al gone away ana III was eiosing
ume, HICKS put up inc warped shuucrs
i and ,bolted, them in place, ana closed
and locked Inc door ana walked up 'o
the house. -. :,
\ What is It,, Lindyf he asked
a coming and bending over her .,
| "lwanted 10 talk 10 You, Bartleu,
she SAID, IN voice that startled MN py
us strangeness, ana weakness" am
goin, soon, fcr feei the cnd Is hign
and wanted you TO DC close when Il
comes
Indy Indy, HICKS SAID, and nj
voice was ehoked and husky. OF
must not taik thai way. fOu must no
thnk OF goin mink O gittin' wen
Lindy, an youH gIt over II. fo'
mustn't die now; IL s TOO sudden. :. 9,
b. rant no use, Indy replied
The end Is comm and know II
I've felt it allaiong, and IT'S most her'
now. But l have. something TO ask o
you, BARLEY, before 60. 1 want yol
TO be good TO sammy. Ihats all ask
be good tony boy
II VIII, HICKS sad, Dowing MS mead
ana, TOT iime, no eoupl, Ieehng th
force OF MS neglect OF ms son., &c.
httle later MELINDA HICKS died, ant
the iather ana son were lettto mourl
her absence. me onG nourneed l,9c
dcalh because he,vaiaed hef ana inissc'
her alu anu iassis'nheeess'Hi We Sfosse
uuues Oh me-" s.s,.N2i S.sJ