Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1889-09-20

subject from national politics to local
gossip.
Withal he was a good citizen and neigh
bor-honorable, honest, kindly, proven
bially slow in the payment of his own
debts, but always ready to become Sc
curity on the note of friend. Children
and dogs gravitated to him naturally, and
his horses and cattle, never any of them
lean from overwork, rubbed around him
unafraid He was supposed to hold some
nebulous theories as to paternal govern
ment, fragmentary memories of the stern
rule of a grim old father He had even
| been known to eXhort a neighbor with
cause of complaint against his numerous
youngsters to ''Get good CAD and sock
it right to em, but under no circum-
stances was he himself everk known to prac-
| tice Solomon's advice. And having lived
a lifetime in one locality the people, most
OF whom had known him as boy and
man, were so accustomed to his easy going
ways, hismany oddities and eccentric
tiles that they regarded him hardly more
of criticism than a natural feature of the
landscape. With years the sturdy boys
and girls grew into sturdy men and
women and from sheer force of necessity
swarmed out from the old home-hiv
But Uncle Jed, little more stopped and
grizzled and slower of step than of old,
and with garments that seemed never to
wax older, yet gave no sign of renewal,
still took his leisurely way between his
farms and held still more extended con-
versations across the fences, as one who
was relaxing the cares and anxieties of
life.
Returning to the neighborhood after
an absence of some years I CHANGED one
June afternoon upon my old friend halted
under 4 roadside beech in the cool
shadow of the little stretch of wood,
one of his favorite resting places, and
with his old-time companions, dog and
a child, beside him. Stopping for lit
tie chat l casually inquired if it were one
of his grandchildren. ono" he an
swered, in his slow, soft drawl. sDavid
an Luke an Sary an Lie an Mary Jane
an Carline all hev children more or less,
but this is none O. theirs. You see ours
are all grown up now and gone but just
Reuben an Elias an Nathaniel an jim,
an they're only off an on as it happens.
An mother an me we'd had little shavers
around the house so long that it seemed
real lonesome without any, it just did,
and little jamie here, her mas dead, an
her pa-well, he's sort O. onstiddy like, "
with an expressive wink to me, $50 she's
come to live with us, she just hes, an
we like her, an, well, l guess she likes
us" And with smile that softened and
illumined his grizzled old face he looked
down to meet an answering smile of con
fiding affection in the blue child eyes
raised to his.
When at last | had started on | heard
Uncle Jed say: "Come, jamie, the sun is
almost down; you and / must be going
on for the cows" At little distance |
paused and looked back through the
green wood vista at the two figures The
old man with the child's little hand
clasped in his, his frayed hat brim bent
toward her, and her diminutive pink !
calico sunbonnet turned and lifted aslant
as to him. So with the shaggy dog close
beside them and the sound of their voices |
floating back in a gentle murmur they
went their way along the quiet country
road between the ripening meadows toward |
the sunset
''That child never should have been
allowed to there was the comment of |
Mrs Elnathan Sharp, before whom l
CHANGED to refer to the little circum-
stance few days later. They amt fit |
to bring up child"
"They certainly have had experience
in that line" / observed.
Experience, / should think SOL" in a
tone of the severest scorn; ''their own
came up absolutely hap-hazard and with
out any kind of discipline, and this child |
will come up in the same way and never
be taught the first principle of order or
neatness or regular habits Of industry.
did think of taking her myself, but be-
fore l had fully decided they had her and |
I suppose are letting her run wild as they
did their own"
| glanced around Mrs. Sharps faultless
room and could but contrast her i'm
housekeeping with that which |
had held sway in Uncle Jed's domicile
and mentally confess the prospect of