New-York tribune., 1890-04-20

walked tOwahd me, and, sez ne. Huhv .'"s.I'' @
doan YOU know NE an den | see hit was
Mast Jim
" But. oh Lord Maiah," cried the old woman. ar:
pleGSms ppnsan he Mast m I" what ' we all nowcd lie
was pore, an white, an his ha'r was nan siaas ;
an his clos nke sure nough Tramp y, . do,,n n'
he look like de wind blow him away. S'r wv , -
an fai'ly cried. Oh, Mast jim. sez |, wnai
You come from, whar you been? S migniS eI'ni i
TO see you, is. but YOU look 50 pore an SIGN 10
dc Lords sake Mast Jimmy Den ne conn come os, oioss
ev'rywhar an Use ben goin most anywhar 10 9e e
las fifteen yeahs, sez he, an so' kInu
'tahcd an cum back TO see you n ole Doisc'
agin' an I'm precious glad TO inc you ,nc 100;
kiss me. lous de fust woman We klsseu ~ :, a
long time, Aunty,' scz hc an guess you NE
10 be the last evah will kiss an den nc ,i iai ~
break down an cry an laugh an cough 'uli ne
most die o chOkn' -
Aunt Susan stopped few moments ~ anu ,i, wcp'
quietly into corner OF ner ola pt'u cn
The group Of listeners were silent. SilSpec con
cca ed two misty eyes by appearing 10 DC ouss az
something under the counter. me ,cnis ,a "cac
coursng freely down the Majors Wlineicn i'oe
BacOmb and Secly were gazing with "iiniicu
vision and il-assumed indifference al ,ne hoo'
while old Ezra Spiccr sobbns andinN. 49,,
No one seemed 70 care 10 speak niSe. si,a %nu
presently the old negrcSS continued So' ~"
supper an put him to bed. an ~ nc IN o-o frnns
pcred up little an ask bout al ms oIe iicns;;
! say. You peoples gone West Mas. '.lh' ,,.i, IL"
he say he know il. And den ne say sioWN e.
Not all they isn't. Aunty; ben to de Gem t"ry
to-day scz he Den he stop. In minute pc
say an kline o choke MP: No,hcI toic me sIas sns
KEEP her word scz he. Aiter WINE NJ 'ioH ioS
whars his cousin John Dcnison, an ! say Nl.ieu
in de wah; an he say he was vas IN Gc wSnii sc2' so7
An he ask where's Lizabcth Taylor; an | scz,
Why Mast jim SET l. she ben Missns dlS Mftccn
yeah's NJ ssus who . scz he. Why Mis- 'Thornc
Carter sez an den he say to hsseli-nkc. iilt
must a ben her chile see dis nav II Mtan GA.
he keep still minute and den ne SAY Aune I'M
Susan kin you git me something 70 70 rub my
chest wiv' | amt got no money Scz ne. m mpue
yerc's my ole slvah watch done carry 10 'hlr'N
yeah. scz he But Susan amt askn no money
10 look ont TO old Mis- BartonS chi en-. so himehy
ne laugh an say, Wal Aunty. SET hc. 'whcN gct
froo WY dis we're yon give II I" rc'c n se1 ne ne
| did seq he. And biuchy he say hc was srepE.
an tu'n on his side. an come 70, dis yeah wis'Iy
The old woman took The pail of the counter;
I to the door. saying: "Chargc dis ycrc 10 me;
Mist Slsbcc No. no. no. Sisbec. exclaimed
he Major; no. no. no: put ih9 to me, ~, IN n"i IS
all right. Susan. an You tell Jimmy ! II ne IN
TO see him in the morning.
And You tell Jimmy fer me. Mis- Tollivcr
added old Spiccr. following the ncercss to the
door, that I'll he round tomorrow. too an II
he wants anything Il-ll borrow i fer him
Ezra had ended with an anti-climaX, for the poor
old topper Soit-heartcd as woman. had credit
founded upon sand.
The Others had adjourned to the bar and were
about 10 indulge solcmnly in a round Of Mo-
nonGahela. Ezra watched them from the door;
no one noticed him apparently nor invited him
10 he party n the llhations. and his last
nickel had left his society earlier in the even
1 ing. But the old man hardly felt the oversight.
or regretted his impccunos'y His face wore
meditative look and his eyes. whose vision
usually limited by the whiskcy-bOttlc.
seemed TO be gazing far beyond that amher-col-
orcd fetch, beyond its ncdla,vc worshippcrs,
hcyond the open window, the garden. the meadow,
the river and the hills, away into the past.
Some time after when the Major and his sat-
elites had passed the tavern door TO suffer
eclipse in the darkness beyond, Silshec coming
noticed old Ezra Splccr asleep IN his custom
airy chair, tie marks Of emotion staining his
Meazencd checks 1t was growing late and
Wal, Ezry he called better wake up
fust you know ole Mis- Spicerl be long lookin'
fer ye with club. Era, reused himself.
and a yawn combined "cf haint ben drcamin'.
Dremp l was fishn at the ole iishin' hole on
Colonel Dcnnisons bank Of the river-youn'
Jimmy Barton was along, jess as We used ter be
kin you remember when youn' jim shared that
! dcrn big nuelt that wouldn't bite al no bait
An how Jim laughed"
Wal / do, replied Homer with grin
why, Of course, We do. continued Ezra. "I
was eOIn TO call II TO yer mind tonight when the
Major was sreaNln OF Jms laugh. but the ole
Majors SO dorn uppity when he gets talkin'-
wants TO 90 1t all | guess We kin reck 'lect poor
jimmy ways jess bout as well as lie kin-ci we
amt hgh-toued
".
He used TO tram with us most the time Guess
the ole Jedec didn't Ike il much. uuthcr. but
Jim want no rslocrat. Ne amt gon be We ::
Ezry ?" he added gazing with a softruinr look al
the old man who was waking SLOWLY toward the
door; "yc haven't had 10 night-cap yit - and
lie put the amber bottle upon tie counter again
and produced a miniature tumbcr
Ezra paused spcll-bound, but timid: Il amt
no cash. Homer, lie began
Who said We had? Come herein have n
drink, said the other grufiiy. The old tippler
81. ftn f.tfr.t.r 1. 81 .
shaking his head. rubbing his chest and cough
ing pcrfunctorily af,erward. Homer filled I g' IS
again and az in and Tn, LIQUOR disappeared with
similar coacomnant ph~n mena. Wnen Ezra Sc
his glass down the second time he evidently
much inVigoratcd. That fixes me- i'll he
Homer I'm yours truly wish could p y yc
Il don't want 10 pay growcd The other ;
"hut don't ye forgit 70 drop in tomorrow morn
in. an wel 20 see how Jims a-csmin' on.
When the old ncsIcss reached her cottage she
found the wandcrct awake and sitting upright
on the bed, talking with anmatio. to Lcr grand
son Peter. who pcrchcd a. the foot Of tho
couch. James Barton must NJ one time have been
handsome man, bl, nOw has form was bent aud
spare his hair was notified with gray, and his
lace thin and pinchcd, with the bright red spot
Of tie 60. .sumpi\c upon either cheek His eyes
we're blue aId tull OF Il pIeicrnaiural GlllniIcT
II was easy 10 see that his mind Vas lali-wan-
dcring as he talked rapidly with the iitilc darkcy
and the old woman attempted 10 send The boy
away. fearful OF The effect Ol too much cVci cmcnt
upon the sick man. But Barton exclaimed qucru-
lousy, and with all an invalid's pcevishncss
agains' her wish. He wanted 10 hear about the
woods, and tie river. and whether thc fishing
was good And he ratified on, asking the lad 4
hundred questions: speaking OF groves long fallen
under the axe, Of fishing holes and swimming
pools for years dsuscd and loi GOTTEN. Occasion
ally be would seem 10 be boy again himself
and call tie littc negro, Thornc, or jack. or
Homer OF other ramcs % his boyhood friends
After awhile. however, he seemed 10 grow very
weary and turned silently upon his side. The little
boy slipped from his place and stole ont OF The
room, and the old negress again entered. She
offered 10 rub his throat and chest with the
whslley bni he shook his head: and presently
thinking him asleep she sat down quietly in the
outer room: All at once she heard the sick man
call her. She came closc 10 the bed
Sit by ne. Aunty won't Won ~ he said like
YOU used 70 , when was afraid Of The dark;
:" Lord bless You, chile 'cosc I'll set by ye.
She brought an Oh easychair, the gft. many years
before. OF old Mrs Barton. e" III set here doan
you fret, honey The man laid his hot thin
palm upon the hard black hand Of his Old nurse
God bless you. Aunt Susan said he; 4" III be
asleep soon.
Some hours passed.
The candle, burned ont, was smouldering in its