Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-06-10
JOE LANKFORTS JINTSEY,

1
| 1t was somewhere in the Forties that
took charge of the youngsters who came to
school in the old log school house that stood
near Sycamore creek, in western Indiana.
In those days school was kept" rather than
taught, and the teacher was the master by
might as well as by title, Like many other
schoolmasters of that day. l "boarded round
with the scholars"
The school house was one of the backwoods
kinda log cabin, with open fireplace and
| two windows, each dozen or more panes in
horizontal length, and but single pane in
height. The seats were primitive, and the
two long plank desks rivaled the windows in
length. Pegs in the wall served for hats,
caps and bonnets, and shelves in the corners
held dinner baskets and the like
| Across the creek from the school house, at
the top Of hill overlooking the little valley
through which Sycamore creek ran, stood
the Lankfort cabin, hewed log structure,
two rooms and a loft in size. A foot log,
chained at one end to tree, spanned the
stream just below the ford, and served as q
bridge for foot passengers.
The Lankforts were looked upon as a set of
ne'er-do-wells. The children were almost
always tardy at school, though they lived so
near the school house. There were five Of
them in attendance. Jim, the Oldest, was in
his fifteenth year; but he was considered
somewhat feeble minded, the result, it was
said, of an injury received In early child
hood. Next came Bob, a boy of Ii, and then
Sally-and really, / have forgotten the
names Of the other two
"An' theirs two more of us to home" said
Bob to me one day. "Jintsey an the baby"
"How old is JlntseyF' inquired.
colder than me. She's next to Jim," was
the reply.
II should think she would like to come to
school with the rest of you," remarked.
"Course she would, but she's got to help
nanny. Nanny, she's mighty poorly some
times"
"And is 'Jintsey' your sisters real name"
"Well, we call her that-all but nanny.
| Nanny, she allus calls her Janie.p
1t was queer looking little figure which
| stood at the threshold of the school house one
forenoon not long after this conversational
| l3-year-old girl, under sized, almost dwarf
ish, but 1.-THE in body and well proportioned,
except that one shoulder was slightly higher
than the other Her face had prematurely
old and somewhat sickly look, but it was
lighted up by eyes of peculiarly penetrating
gaze.
1t was Joe Lankfort's Jintsey. She had
brought lunch for her brothers and sisters, as
she explained to me in low and timid voice.
| She placed the dinner basket on one of the
shelves in the corner, on the girls side of the
house.
Mothers ailin' this mornin', and every
things late" she added, as she turned to the
door to leave. Then, after quick courtesy,
she passed out and went home.
I'm the course Of time l began boarding
with the Lankforts. i found Joe Lankfort
to be one of the people who seem to enjoy
| life best when more or less miserable. His
main source of sorrow was an "everlastin'
mortgage as he called it, with which his
| farm was burdeped. This incumbrance stood
in the way of all sorts of praiseworthy
schemes, for Joe Lanbfort was q man of
good intentions
He would build a new house when he had
! paid Off 'that everlastin' mortgage" Jintsey
should so to school fright straight along
when the mortgage was lifted. The ailing
wife should have the "best doctors in the
| staten but for the mortgage.
The ailing wife and mother went about the
house slowly, as if in constant pain from
some hidden malady, but doing domestic
service as though her ailment were a mere
trife.
But Jintsey was, it seemed to me, the rul-
| ing 81 irit of the household. On her face the
mothers eye rested in reliance and conf
| dence; the fathers countenance grew less
| anxious when Jintsey spoke to him; the
children seemed to regard Jintsey as member
| in-chief of all childish woes and mishaps, and
they came to her continually with their petty
| trials
And Jim, the simple minded fellow, watch
| ed his sister much as an over obedient dog
watches his master. Like a dog, too, he
growled, snapped and snarled at the rest
sometimes, but at the feet of Jintsey he wor-
| SHIPPED. To him her word was law.
"Jintsey can do more with Jim, when he
| gifts into one Of his mad spells, than me or the
ole woman" Joe said.
Joe Lankfort had taken his wife ITO see
the doctorn-it was more economical than
asking the doctor to come and see the patient
/ and the physicians decision, after care
| full examination, was Srief. In few words,
with perfect kindness, he told them. the truth.
| Mrs. Lankfort was doomed, and when they
went home they carried a burden beside
which the mortgage seemed as light as air.
Unless a change for the better takes place
soon,. Mrs. Lankfort, the case will become in
curable. In fact, nothing can cure you now;
but travel might benefit you considerably"
| That evening, just before bedtime, Mrs.
4 Lankfort called Jintsey into the kitchen.
| The daughter leaned, as II tired, against the
| jamb OF the fireplace, as her mother sat down
/ IN the only chair in the room.
"Janie," said the mother, after a brief
silence, "Janie, I've got somethin' to say to
you. I'm sckly, you know, an the doctor
says I've got to take q journey-a long jour
nsy."
The 4 looked quickly into her mothers
/ face in 4 wondering way. -
"An' you'll have to look after things while
/ I'm gone, jamie, the mother went on to say,
/ Tin my place, jamie, fr the house work. II have
/ 10 90 ON Jest the same"
/ jamie shifted her position untl her fore
head rested on her forearm, and she looked
straight in the half empty fireplace. For
I some indshnable cause she dreaded TO look
longer in her mothers face.
You know how the housework Is done,
janis. You won't have much trouble 20 git
through with that What I'm bothered
about is your pap an the mortgage. Mebbe,
thOugh, hell git through somehow. An
JIM Poor Jim, hes got scch temper when
hlss reused upi I'm % afeard that itn kit
htm mao troubla You know be haint--