Middletown transcript., 1893-09-02

%kSsdsTuGSl2AR poor, Work as n'
SSA@Eg> did and steady a
|VefFSSSsSRENT he was? Worth
whold grist of such bait as his brothe
Ephe Dodge. and yet they never called
Ephe poor-whatever worse name theI
might call him. When Ephe was of
at a show in the village, Abe was fol
lowing the plow, driving straight
furrow, though they wouldn't have
thought it to see the way his most
pointed. In winter when Ephe was
taking the girls to singing school OF
spelling bee or some other fooIishness-
out till after 9 o'clo' k like as not-A be
was hanging over the fire holding a
book 50 the light would shine first on
one page and then on The other and he
turning his head as he turned the book
and reading first with one eye and then
with the other.
There murders ont. Abe
couldn't read with both eyes at once.
If Abe looked strait ahead he couldn't
see the furrow-nor any thing else for
that matter. His best friend couldn't
say but Abe Dodge was the cross-eyed-
est cuss that ever was. Why, if you
wanted to see Abe you'd stand in front
of him; but If you wanted Abe to see
you, you've got to stand behind him
or pretty near it. Homelyp Well if
you mean downright ''homely," that 's
what he was. When one eye was in
use the other was out of sight, all ex-
cept the white of it. Humbly amt no
name for it. The girls used TO say he
had to wake up in the night to rest his
face, it was SO humly. In school you'd
ought to have seen him look down at
his copy book. He had to cant bis
head clear over and cock up bis chin
till it pointed out ef the wiuder and
down the road. You'd really ought
to have seen him, you'd have died.
Head of the class, too, right along; just
90 near to the head as Ephe was TO the
foot; and that's sayin' good deal.
But to see him at his desk! He looked
for all the world Ikea week old chicken
peekin' at tumble-bugl And him
grown man, too, for he stayed to
school winters so long DIS there was any
thing more the teacher could teach
him. You see there wasn't anything
to draw him away; no girl wouldn't
look at him-lucky, too, SEEM the way
he looked.
Well, one term there was a new
teacher come-regular high-up girl,
down from Chicago. As bad luck
would have it, Abe wasn't at school
The FIRST week-hadn't got through bis
fall work. So she got to know all the
and they was awful tickled
with her-everybody always was that
knowed her. The first day she come
In and saw Abe at his desk, she
thought he was squintin' for fun and
,he upped and laughed right out.
Some of the scholars laughed, too, at |
irst; but most of 'em, to do 'em JUS
ice, was leetle took back; young as
hey was, and cruel by nature. ( lYouDg
'olks is most usually always cruel
don't seem to know no better.)
Well, right in the middle Of the
lush, Abe gathered up his books and
lpped and walked out doors, lookin'
light ahead of him and consequently
eeing the handsome young teacher
to her. =.
She was the worst cut up you ever
lid see; but what could she do or say?
10 and tell him she thought he was
maxim up a face, for funP The girls
10 say that come noon spell when she
ound out about it, she cried-just
airly cried. Then she tried to be
wful nice to Abe's ornery brother
Sphe; and Ephe he was tickled most
o death, but that didn't do Abe any
.ood-Ephe was jest ornery enough to
AXE. care that Abe shouldn't get any
omfort out of it. do say she
ant messa~e- .phe never
elivered them, or else twisted ''em so
IS to make things worse and worse.
Nebbe, SO, mebbe not-Ephe wrs ornery
no1gh for it.
'Course the school-ma'rm she was
,oardin' round, and pretty soon 1t
ONE time to go to OIL man Dodge's,
nd she went; but no Abe could she
yer see. He kept away, and as to
meals. be never set by, but took.a bite
If by himself when he could get
;hance. ('Course, his mother favored
lin, being be was SO cussed unlucky.l
Then when the folks was all to bed
le'd come in and poke up the f1re ana
eek into his book; but first one side
nd then the other, same as ever.
Now what does school-ma'rm do but
;ome down one night when she thought
le was abed and asleep, and catch him
Abe knowed it was her,
Iuick as he heard the rustic of her
lress, but there wasn't no help for 1t,
o he just turned his bead away and
covered his cross eyes with his hands;
md she pitched in. Whatnshe said
Ion't know, but A. . saio . u
vord; only TOLD be