St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-03-12
dulged, vet he was even more considerate

OF lts wants. 1T was only few minutes
walk to the Tillers', and he went there
almost every day. The deviation showr
by him to that baby was not without it:
return, as it was not long before the lat
ter showed himself to be as we'll pleased
with his cousins society rs ever he haC
been with that of his father Even jim
began to take an interest which he haC
not shown in his brother lifetime
During the summer days of the follow
ing year, when Maggy's work took hen
out OF the house she put the baby in his
cradle, which she had removed t. q nice
spot in the shade Of large Mogul plum
tree that stood not far from the dairy
Occasionally she went by to see if any
wood-insect had invaded his couch, or, if
he was awake, to have little chat by
way of reassuring him against any sense
OF abandonment or too profound solitude.
For he was not one Of those exact
ing babies who are everlastingly
wanting to be waited on, and
shaken up, and sung to, claiming all the
attention they can get, and more be-
sides, not only in the day, but in the
| very night. What that baby wanted,
| after his many meals and his as many
sleeps, was the consciousness that con-
genial society was in convenient call.
His health was as perfect as the very
morning, and whenever he cried you
might feel sure either that q pin was
sticking somewhere, or that something
else was the matter which no grown-up
person could be expected to endure with
out complaint At such time, when Lit
tie Joe was there, he lowered around that
cradle as if the most precious of his
treasures lay therein.
Such devotion, in all the circumstances
must have touched any heart, unless it
were of stone. Yet when, towards the
beginning Of the fall, Little Joe began to
plead as once before he had done so all
in vain, Maggy cried and begged him to
stop it. He did as he was hidden, but
with an inward resolve not to stop for
good as long as things stood as they
were. For she showed as plainly as day,
even to the humble Little Joe, that she
didn't want him to quit coming to the
house, particularly now that Mrs Jim
Hobby had died, and SO another gloom
had been thrown over the family.
Little Joe would have been ashamed
to be called hero if he had known what
that meant. Yet in the action which |
am now going to tell, my father used to
say that there was as heroic behavior as
much of that one reads of in the careers
of those who
subdue
Nations and bring home spoils with in
finite
Manslaughter
Among venomous reptiles in the South |
ern States, next to the rattle-snake the |
one most dreaded is the moccasin. Its |
bite, except upon very young persons, is |
seldom fatal; but very often it's victim !
has to lose some portion of the limb
which has been struck. The most prompt /
treatment is necessary TO prevent much !
suffering and other serious consequences. !
shall let Little Joe speak for himself /
about an encounter which he had with
one OF those reptiles.
One morning, having come over to our !
house on some little matter about the
lne-fence, as he was ascending the steps
IT the piazza my father said: /
"Good-morning, Joe. Why, hello!
what's the matter with your thumb, that
'ou've got it wrapped in that cloth?"
"Mornin', squire. Then you hadn't
heard about my snake-fght?"
"No, indeed. Eve been away from
home for couple of weeks, getting back
'nly last night. 1t seems you got the
worst of it."
81 did for a while; but I come up
With him before it was all over
My goodness, man! But I'm very
lad it was no worse
$50 am Thankful to boot. What
inc it lasted, it was right serious bust
ess, countin' in my skear, and AIaggys
90"
"Ay, was Maggy in it o'so?'' i
"Not in the fight, she ,~asn't, but in
he skear she were, worse IF than me; :
act is, she couldn't help it, bein' of her :
wn baby"
my! my! Tell me about it,
Smoothing tenderly the cloth around :
is thumb, he began: a.,
I" 1t was on Thursday three weeks ago.
walked over to Missis Tiler's, | reckon ,
ne sun were about hour Or q hour and !
half high Maggy were a-sweepin the :
ront yard about the gate Her ma were :
one over to Missis keenum's and the :
ably were Iayin' in the cradle asleep =
nder the big plum-tree, you know, !;
1uire, there by the dairy E
Very well. Finest Mogul plum-tree .
4 the neighborhood
"Jes' SO. Well, soon as got in the IL
ard, and shook hands with Maecv, ~
cut on silent to see the baby, who him 9
nd me are first-rate friends, we are E
" SO heard. Go ahead ~
" When | got there, 10 and behold ~
lere were great big full-grown hige- h
nd moccasin pulled up on the baby's a. a.
reast, all exception of his head and his 81
eek, which stood high up. and his eyes 4;
viewin' Of the child, like he were "
udyin' where he'd begin on him. "
'lloed out, l did ,and Maggy she come a.
nnin' up: but | pushed her back and
Id her to stay back and keep silent.
le done it. She put one hand
her breast and lifted the other i,
wards the sky. At that minute Jim II II
me in the gate, and he run up to see h,
lat were the matter. Then he told me ~
stay there and watch the snake till he IL
uld run in the garden and cut forked ~ d,
ck and prong him with it. SO Jim he ",
It, and the fight begun. Soon as the T.
ing saw me, he whirIed his head away ";
om the baby for strike at me. And, W. W.
uire, it were the ieriest, beautifullest 20
ing you ever laid your eyes on. He to
re certain, we'll as [ were, that it were III;
life-and-d ath case; because there la
sn't any chance for him to get away of
o the woods, and | no doubt he saw ~,
ut was in me. But didn't have one ha
,ssed thing except nv hands, and if I'd ~