The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-01-10

the Wretch-his
hame was Reginald Croswaite, but we
called him Wretch for short-left college
somewhere in the dusky cast, his fam
lily decided that hard study had wrought
havoc with the poor fellows health,
and forthwith sent him to try sun-cure
rs only Texas furnishes it. AS mat
ter of fact, he had studied nothing more
serious than beautiful assortment of
Bohn's cribs. His i'll health was due to
causes not connected with the intended
routine of college life.
So the peaceful little community of
Jimville, Tex, awokc one day to the
consciousness of the fact that it har-
bored Reginald Croswaitc, ESQ, gor-
geous in store clothes and an English
accent Old man Bowman, who in
some remote and ineSplicable way was
related to the Wretch, and at whose
house the latter stayed, expressed him
self about the newcomer in the general
store one day.
Hes queer critter," he said, "an'
amt SO pesky fond of him as l should
be, he bein kim O. mine. doan' right
Qy oncrstand his ways, mcbbe. bein'
brung up different like, but amt CT
hankerin' after seein' or chile er mine
that away"
And that was perhaps the feeling of
all of us there in Jimville. We were
plain folk, and Texas seemed very fair
TO us AS for the things the Wretch
Dragged to us of sometimes in his con-
descending MAXWELL the cast was
welcome to them. Dante and Delsarte
might be necessary adiuncts in that
sheltered life down cast''-in Texas
81
tragedy enough in our daily lives, and
any cowboy will tell you that riding
the range will give you more grace
than all the aesthetic professors in the
world.
northern weather-when the Wretch
came to us AS the spring came on we
thought surely the glamour of it would
seize him also, for there is nothing
more glorious than Texas spring
When the juicy grasses begin to cover
the pastures, growing almost visibly,
with wild flowers of strange beauty
and variety springing up, mushroom
like, on the face of the earth; when
the mesquite trees shoot out their slen-
der, knife-lille leaves and the cedars
take on new fragrance, new color;
when the soft gentle balm of the south
breeze induces IL feeling of absolute
rest-tbe person who can be in Texas
then and not feel something of the JOY
of living where spring is so glori-
Gus is not n person fit for decent
society. But the Wretch never opened
his mouth in praise of anything Texan.
/ think the Wretch had but few
friends in Jimville. His cigars and his
whisky may have made him some
friends among the sort of men who
fawn on anyone SO he but stand
treat"
His only amusement seemed to be
riding. lie generally rode to Mars
town, the nearest post office, and his
face wore an almost happy look when
The came back from there. We supposed
he was getting letters from home His
way of riding the trot was n thing that
Jimville laughed at. lie said he was
riding English" We said the ponys
name was "Rube," and incidentally
vcntured.that if he were to ride that way
for days ut q time his hide would be in
shreds small enough to make saddle
strips of.
Spring drifted away before the fierce
summer sun, and he was still with us.
And then the new schoolma' am came.
The old one had been offered n school