Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1892-03-04
THE GOURD BANK.

"Nor me cithcr" returned Mr.. Mich
olas NiclScrson, also breaking off in the
mist of Il whistled tune. az feel like
I'd just broke out of n cage"
They were gh-beardcd, ,arclcssly-
dressed men, with sun-browncd faces
and toil-hnrdencd hands, but they were
us happy MS kings in purple and fine
linen. They were going home.
For almost onc-half their lives they
had called wherever they happened TO
be in the West "homc," but now they
wcro on their way back to the place
where they were born.
"Queer," said Conway, slowly, "that
the longer man stays away from tho
old home ncighborhood, the better he
likes it. When left it was so tired
of them simple old scenes that l thought
/ hated 'em. But, now"
He paused, half.ashamcd to tell his
comradc more.
"Ycp," agreed Nickcrson, "Aftor a
while every old tree an rock an slope
an meddcr that he ort to have forgotten
long along, kinder-kindcr seems like n
brother"
"a hlan gifts kinder hungry to see 'cm
ugain," saio Conway.
"Yep, kinder hungry"
Presently Conway said, slowly, "I
seen Il woman once who'd been driven
crazy by that hunger. Youngish wo-
man-movcd out to tho, Panhandle
country from Ohio, useTto the hills an
woods an rivers all her life. don't
know all of her story, but anyhow, she
couldn't take kindly to the prairie.
Finally, the baby died. After that
she'd stand in the open door most of
the time, an look off across the
prairie toward the cast-townrd home.
Her husband-wal, he was kept
busy tryin' to dig out u Twin, an
thought it all foolishncss, anyhow, |
reckon. She didn't complain much, but
jest kept look.n' OFF across the prairie
tow ard the east, an CROWN thinner an
paler. Wal, when it was too late,
saw 'cm at the depot; he was takin' her
to the asylum. She stood in the depot
door and looked out, and said, so far I!
So far! in the most hopeless voice
ever heard Prob'ly she didn't live an
suffer very long after that, for she was so
weak an worn that she could scarcely
stan without holdin' onto the door.
posts. Her husband growlcd little
10 somebody he knew, that the trip
was costin' him n heap of money, an
takn' him away from his crops JEST
when they needed him most"
al reckon you didn't get chance [,
kick him9'
mo. 1t ID only made it worse TO
the poor woman But"
They said no more for some time aftc
that, but did not resume their whistling
Each realized in his heart something O
what the poor, home-hungry woman Ia,
suffered.
"Wonder if anybody'll know us til
we tell 'cm who we area" said Nicholson
after while.
'Doubtful; mcbby not then. Most c
the oldtimcrs are gone, an the younpt
ones won't know us. But the old hill
an streams an crooks in the road won
be strangers"
"No. Kinder queer, but I've though
more about them than about the people
none of mine arc left now, you know"
'tNor mine" said Conway. "Fathel
mother and brother dead, and two sister
married an gone"
"Rcmembcr old Granpap Watrous
who used to go dodderin up an dow
the street, scllin' early garden truck frol
n basket with a blue stripe around it,
asked Nickerson, musingly
Eyes. Remember how you could q
him started to tellin' story, an max
HIM forgit i'll five minutes what he ha
come forl"
II should say so! Like to see oil
gran'pap again. Wonder if he"
That was twenty live years ago,
interrupted the other, gravcly.
"That's SOL"
The sun was dropping behind ban,
OF heavy clouds, slowly rising from abov
the western edge of the prairie, whe
they reached homestead claim, an
rode along its fence of barbed wiz
toward n weather beaten little house pca
the further corner-a house out Of sight
tunl's' the day was very clear, of otht
human habitations.
The fence was ovcrgrown in place
with last summers weeds, and here apl
there post Topped over, rotted off q
the bottom, but partially upheld by til
tension Of the wire.
The field within showed that it ha,
received but scanty cultivation durin.
the previous season, and had probabl
borne out meagre crop.
Yet in that weather. beaten little hous
dwelt a capitalist-the sole proprietor o
a bank and the treasure therein.
The bank, which sat beside a Graz,
old clock on shelf made of the side O
a soap-box, was small pudgy eourc
that stood up on its larger end, and hat
n slit beside its stem for the introduc
ton of deposits.
In 1t was capital of eleven cents.
The capitalist was Jackson Bascom
over whose towey.head almost four wear;