Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-01-27


you'll REPORT ON ME, WILL YEP"
You'll report on me, will YEP This
is for reportin' on me-" Crack, crack,
crack, came the whip, tearing up the
spare flesh and clothing.
docs anybody else want to reportP"
he said, looking around.
The old man had fallen upon the
ground, and lay there begging the
brute to spare his life. Having satisfied
himself, the brutal keeper desisted.
The poor-house stood off the main
road, and was completely isolated from
any other farm. There were never any
visitors, and consequently no danger Of
a witness to Bills brutality.
Supper was announced ut last, by the
ringing of an old cow-bell, and little
Amos saw the wretched creatures,
whom he had held in such fear, rum
ming out of the house into long, low
shed where there was long table. The
table was made of rough oak boards on
which were rude dishes, bowls and
plates of wood, pewter, tin, and earth
cnware, all of the cheapest and cOars-
est kind. Around this rude table,
which was greasy and devoid of cover
ing of any kind, were hard, backlcss
benches for the paupcrs to sit upon.
''Ain't you goin to SUPERB said
woman, with an idiotic giggle, as she
peered in at the door, putting her dis
torted face almost against the terrified
child. One side of her face was drawn,
and one eye almost closed from the
effect of epileptic fits, which produced
partial paralysis and idiocy.
Where is support" asked Amos.
cover there; an if you don't 90 soon
they'll not be any left. They eat a
race" said the simple woman, gig
Cling.
"Who are your" Amos asked.
They calls me foolish Nancy; [
Hin't so foolish as they think. It's
because larf but larf when l can't
help it. There's nothin' here to make
any one larf, an l guess is got to do
larfin' for all the others"
She paused, because she was giggling
in most historical manner. After o
| few moments. she said:
"Ye'd better come now an get
suthin' to eat, cos they don't wait here
on any body" and again she fell to
giggling. until her distorted face was
almost dark.
! Amos looked at that low, open shed,
which answered for dining-room, and
saw those wretchcd creatures there
struggling, fighting and snatching at
the food, more like hungry dogs than
human beings, and felt that he did not
care to be among them. But ut this
moment Bill Jones, passing the door,
said
why don't you go to support"
Feeling sure he would displeasc the
cruel man to refuse, the child said:
I'm go, sir, I'll 60"
He began to climb down from the
hard chair, and with much difficulty
found his crutches.
Yen not git nothin' to eat, eff yc're
goin' to be that Slow" chuckled Bill,
whose grammar was as bad as his
morals.
The woman who had called herself
simple Nancy was waiting for him, her
face distorted with gigglc.
Come" she said, "comc with me.
Ye shall be my boy. he'd little boy
like you once"
Disgusting as this poor creature was,
Amos found that she was beam OF
sunshine in that place of horror. His
infantile mind could distinguish in her
less selfshness than was in many
others. Her mind, dwarfed and clouded
rs it was, had yet some faint CLEANS OF
humanity, and he accepted her proffered
friendship. AS he hobbled along on
his crutches, at her side, he asked:
ais sister here?'
woman answered, with giggle. I'm
your sister and mother both"
"But my sister Helen, is she here?''
The woman seemed puzzled. She
reflected in her Supplied way, and then,
with a giggle which seemed to decide
the matter. said:
"Oh, yes-yes. yes, 1 am your sistel
Helen"
When the table was reached there
was nothing on it he could eat. He
had watched his fathers pigs eat swil
far more wholesome and palatable thar
the mess before him. There were
few broken loaves of dark corn-bread
cooked hard, some boiled pork and
leaves of weeds which they called
greens"
The helpless creatures grabbed with
their hands, ignoring the few rusty
lives, forks and spoons they had. A
zee of corn-bread which had fallen To