The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-02-28

he left the work of running the ferry
10 his daughter, who had become large
enough TO run the ferry as we'll as Mr..
Jones himself. and enjoying the work,
1t was not hard to persuade her to re-
lieve her father of the ''slarg," as she
called it, by people from distant towns,
who called him John" instead of Mr..
Jones. as he thought they really should.
At the time of my introducing her TO
the reader. she was nearly twelve years
old. tall, slim and graceful in motion as
one OF those willows which seemed to
bend it's dropping head to welcome her
across.
See her now standing upon the stern
Of the ferry exerting her strength TO
push it we'll up 10 shore with the fiat
boat pole Her feet are bare and feet
and ankles are tanned as brown as the
falling autumn leaves. Her arms are
bare and brown half way to her Shout
ders and mass of soft. brown hair,
fine enough for "a queen. floats over her
shoulders. See her now as she bends her
supple body to the work of forcing the
boat ashore. how like to the willow she
is. Yes. that is she. That is Nellie
Jones, or Mel" as she is familiarly
called
But, dear reader there is one thing I
want to remind YOU Of before ] have
forgotten it, l said the FERRY was run
by Mr. Jones's daughter. She was not
always alone. The most of the time
there was a small dirty, thread-bare
boy. whose name was Henry Williams,
helped to run the ferry. He stood by
her. side when she made her first trip
across the Wabash and has aided her
many times since when he was not busy
hoeing corn or hunting the hogs that
had strayed off down the valley in
search Of nuts.
7 would not be a bit surprised now if
YOU. dear reader. would deny that YOU
were ever I'm love with a freckled. sun
burned girl with bare feet and a calico
fToc6, but everybody knows you have
been some time in your life. Why. I'll
wager a pound of the best candy manu-
featured that can go with YOU to
your old neighborhOOd and get proof
enough to convict you in a Justices
court Of being in love with a dozen such
i'm your bOyhoOd days. And You, dear
madame, to my positive knowledge, were
i'm love with a dozen such boys. or
thought YOU were. Some of your sweet
hearts were tanned by the golden rays
Of sun; some were freckled, with curly
hair. while others were white as linen
and wore fine clothes and won the hearts
of many; while others with the raving
wolf bowling around the door and near
ly threadbare. was the fairest of all.
Oh. how can you deceive me! 1 have the
wisdom which comes from years Of eX-
perience.
Now. if you want TO recall old menu
cries just have patience and watch the
course Of Mel and Henry.
Don't you see he has left his other
playmates to stand by the side Of her on
the ferry 1 am half inclined to think
that they have fallen in love. Don't
you?
He has heard a hello which he knows
comes from some one on the other side
of the river wanting to cross, and is off
like a shot to help Nellie with the boat.
No, no. don't stop him. Let him go.
there is nothing in nature more innO-
cent than the loves of children-Of boys
for girls and girls for boys. For PHYS
sake do not do anything to make them
ashamed OF their love. y knowledge
of what sin is and its possibilities comes
soon enough; let them be innocent while
they may. To be continued.
HAPPY JOE"
Pendleton Feb. %