The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-24

yearning he felt for his presence in the
dark recesses of his heart, and likewise
shut up the grocery also, unless 1t was
once and awhile TO open il up at night Tor
the accommodation of a neighbor or two.
One night old Grandfather Grim came
hobblin2 in for ''plug of star" The old
fellow fingered for q social chat You
ort TO been down to the school house last
night. Jabez." he said. I'VE had the dern-
dest debate there yon ever see. My, but
the boys did git up an crack their heels
together and speak. But your Lysander
beat EN- all holler. Yes-sir-ee. He KEN
out flynn away on top.
THE debate was about women votein'.
somethin' or other like thet. And
Lysander he'd the side tibet they ort TO
vote. An laws a me, never could see it
that way afore. but / see il now plain. L
tell you Jabez was leaning over the
counter eagerly listening Anything
Lysander was concerned In was dear to
his heart, although he would not own to
il. "Grandpap" he said, was there, was
there q philosophical side to that ques-
ton. If there was I'll bet Lysander had
her and run her out in full blast"
Grandfather racked the dim labyrinths
OF his brain TO find il
there was not one hidden
help therein, which might tell him what
the philosophical side of the question
really was, be gave it up in despair. II
don't exatly know what thet is, Jabez
but Lysander like ez not he'd it too, long
with the rest. Why the schoolmaster
said he jet huve out history, Jacks an
science, whatever tibet Is, so last hit made
bis head swim to hear him. An as fur
me I'd give up the side l wus prijudist on
the first swoop he made. The three
jedges, every feler of 'em, voted for
Lysander's side of the question, an then
the fellers speakin' on the other side WINS
goin' to lick him after the literary wus
out. but Lysander jist pulled his old coat
an told 'em to come on a dozen at a time
an he'd lay EN- out like ne he'd their
politics few minutes atore. Then the
gals all took it up and said il anybody
laid a had on Lysander there'd be war an
hair pullin instituted right of. An then
they all kind of pulled down. But say,
Jabez, you oTt to git Lysander back. You
need him here. This business is runnin'
down." Jabez had now mastered his
feelings and was stoically looking over an
account. Yes. I'll git him back" he
answered, when two Sundays come in
the middle of the week"
One cold day in January he was plod-
ding home from somewhere on his old
sorrei mare, when he met Lysander walk
ing by a load of wood, which was slowly
drawn by a team of oxen. Lysan-
der looked thinly clad and cold
"How're ye, pap. Whoa there Berry, you
wall-eyed idiot. Why don'tyou set down
on the sled aud be done with it," Lysan-
der yelled to his father and the oxen all
in one breath.
Jabez took a keen look at his son.
"Lysander," he solemnly said. "didn',
you have two overcoats? Why haven't
you got one of 'em on this cold day"
"Yes, did have two" the boy an
swered, in q tone that sounded q little
constrained, as he adjusted Berry's side of
the yoke. "Well, where be they?' said
Jabez impatiently. Zone is my Sunday
one, keep that of course for Sunday. and
the Old one the women where l work
didn't want it hanging around. left it
in the barn and the calves chewed it
about up. and what they left the goat fin
ished. Therew
IF you'd behaved yourself an not got
drunk, or even if you'd say you wus sorry
you wanted to lather me that time, you
could come home an hev good clothes an
good things to eat. You look like you wus
about starved. Them Stphens women
where YOU work never could cook" sadly
ventured Jabez.
81 am not going to get drunk any more,
pap; that I've set my stakes to. have
seen you do too much of that kind of work
to suit me. l would not be like you there
for any money. But as for being sorry
and apologizing for wanting to whip you
when L was drunk. 1 hardly know what to
say to that. wasn't responsible for that
part of it. IL you want me to say l am
aOrry for oattinO DRINK I will -
81 don't care for that" no sir; vociver-
ated Jabez. Its not the gittin' drunk
It's the wantin' to whip me that sticks in
me yet. | never was guilty of SIGH
thing in nv life, drunk or not drunk"
III l would get drunk | would very
likely do the same thing again, pap. if you
crossed me any way. 1t must be in me |
reckon. II you will not own to such a
characteristic suppose while l take the
drinking faculty from you L must look to
my mother for the fighting faculty, if fac.
ulty it can be called in either case. You
know We have to get these"
"Git out with your character what you
NAV call ems You're as stubborn as
tibet OK. Lysanter. tell you Never let
me hear of your layin' any of your ornery-
ness on your poor dead an gone mothers
shoulders agin." And Jabez Brown an
RIltJ ccnb bn0 Oiu HhIO nOule-
ward with an unaccustomed pace. But
his brain was busy. "Confound it all, " he
said at last aloud pulling the old mare up
with jerk. "Can that boy be right? 1
never thought of it in that light before.
When ones friends is dead l reckon we
get to dwsllin' so much on their good
deeds we forget they ever done anything
we didn't like at the time. Mary Jane
come from a high strung family. The
old man Was fighter in his day / guess.
Am when we was first married Mary
Jane did have some queer ways till l
fetched her out of 'em. Didn't want to
bile greens with taters like mother always
done, an'objected in purity strong lam
guage about me keepin' hard
cider and liquor in the house,
by jingl now comet to think of it.
we did have some purity hot quarrels
then, it's been so long l most forgot that.
An / expect Mary Jane il she could hev
done it, would liked many a time to hev
trounced me, an if shed been q man /
spect she'd done it. Lysander's right l
recken. He always is when 1t comes to
the pheelosophy of it."
That night the loafsrs found scant
courtesy awaiting thern in the store and
early took themselves off to more con-
genial loafng quarters.
When the last one was gone Jabez
Brown took a candle back TO the desk, and
with Lysander's pen. now grown rusty for
the want OF use, groaningly and with