The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1891-08-11
AROUND N ABOUT.

HOW THEY LEFT OLD DADDY BEHIND.
From N. Y. world"
A cart drawn by a single OK drove
up to the depot platform and a middle.
aged Colored man and his Wife aud five
children got out. They had an old
trunk, a feather bed and two or three
bundles, and were going up to some
point in Georgia. The cart was driven
away 10y Il negro boy, and twenty min
utes later reoft the queerestOld darkies
you ever saw came dcwn the street II
had taken. He was bow legged, hump
backed, grey.headed and lame, and he
looked to be a hundred years old.
"Thar' comes daddy ~ exclaimed the
woman as she caught sight ofbim, and
each one Of the children echoed the
cry.
The old man hoped and hobbled in
a queer way, and he looked scared aud
anxious as he finally arrived at the
the platform. Just then the husband
came up and demanded:
Now, what yo's dom yere, ole
daddy?"
~ dun can't stay-'deed l can'tw
replied the old man.
but yo's got to Didn't we talk it
all ober Didn't we dun say we couldn't
take yo'?p
"Chillen I" said daddy, as he
reached out his hands, "doan' leave
de ole man yere =! He's dun gwine to
starve to death if yo' do Moses-
Mary-take de ole man long up to
Gswgia wild yop
We began to make inquiries, aud we
found the family TO be squatters on a
piece of land four or five miles from
town. Moses was his own son, and
for four or five years the old man had
been almost helpless, and consequently
g burden. To get rid of him they
were going to journey TO a new loca-
ton, leaving him entirely alone on the
squat" to live as best hecould. They
mad talked it ever two or three times
with him, but he was so old and child
ish that he had not fairly understood.
They had secretly laid their plans and
had slipped quietly away in the early
morning, leaving him fast asleep.
When he awoke and missed them he
had set out for the depot, and here he
was to appeal to his own flesh aud
blood not to be left behind.
The daughter-in-law seemed to be
bitter against nim and to exercise u
strong %iu1uence over the son. While
he stood there begging for his life, as
it were, she rose up and gave him %
slap and said:
TITS no use, ole daddy We haip't
dun gwine to take yO', ami if you doan'
go back I'll hurt yo' powerful bad!'
Several of US interfersd to prevent
further assault. The old man took it
meeBly, and turned to the son with:
" Moses, yO' was de only chile | got!
Was yo' gwine to leave yo' ole daddy
to die in de bresh?n
Wedun can't take yo', cause yo' Is
too old an it costs too much"
"IIl work, Moses-Tn work bard if
yO'ltake mew
81 say we hain't gwiue to take yo'v'
bluntly exclaimed the woman.
" Grandchildren! " ne pleaded, as he
turned to the little ones, "is yo' all
gwine to leave yo' ole gran'fadder to
starye an die2n
They were silent.
"Yes, yo' clair right out, now, yO'
useless trash ~ shouted the woman,
looking around in a defiant way; and
after looking from one to another in
hopes to rou pity the old man half
fell, half rolled off the platform and
walked down the track. 1t was
straight away for two or three miles
and he had shambled of to a distance
of about forty rods when we saw the
express coming. He was facing it.
He hobbled on q few yards further,
and then halted, faced about and
dropped on his knees right in tie
center of the track. 1t was half a min
ute before we understood. Then it
was too late. The engineer whistled
and we saw the fire fly as the air
brakes Rugged the wheels, but the
heavy train could not be stopped.
When it drew up at the depot there
were splashes Of blood on the bars of
the pilot, and the limp and broken
body of old daddy was lying in the
hazel-bushes up the track. M. QUAD.