The Opelousas courier., 1896-05-16
Stacking Tn "Ii,e Cost,

boys? @ Wot1ld then have 4 home
with the old folks, but you wouldn't
have a foot of land, nor q horse. nor
a COW, nor a pig-nothin which you
could call your own in your full and
proper name. You could play a little
around the edges, as it were, but you
would have to work a whole tremen-
dins big lot. Ion would have to take
holt and turn off all the various and
stlndry odds and ends and jobs that
mought naturally fall to a reart and
handy boy. And that wouldn't be so
very internal nice and pleasant, would
it? Blamed if the very thoughts don't
make me tired and hungry and sleepy.
But that amt all, by a whole lot. II
we was to take and Spite out for a new
deal you wouldn't have mother and thu
babies. How in the round created world
could you put tip with that, you blasted
old idiot? You mought maybe come
over the old trail and fall in love with
the same girl and git married to the
same. But there amt no tellin. Men
amt quite altogether as skeerce around
Rocky Creek as they use to be. Some
other youngster mought pull in ahead
and turn up Jack and block your game
next time. Then you mought have to
wiggle and worry through without
mother and the babies. Nobody II
smooth down the wrinkles, and pull out
the silver threads, and let in the sum
shine, and brush away the tears, and
sew on the buttons, and darn the socks,
and patch your Sunday breeches. No
body to pout and cry for dolls, and pie
ture books, and new shoes, and bear
stories, and swings and playhouses and
rocky horses, and the good Lord knows
what not.
No more of that, Rufe, says 1 to my
self. The Spite out don't so. 1t would
cost too outrageous much.
You are a bloomin, beautiful old
rooster to be raisiil a ruinpus with fate
anyhow, 7 went on with myself. This
world has been monstrous kind and
good with you, Rufus Sanders. Yon
have been young oncst, and nov you are
cid, but we have never yet seen the
righteous man around at the kitchen
window begin cold grub. You raley
ought to spend half of your time readin
the Scriptures and sayin Amazin Grace.
We have been wild and hayward in our
generation, and in spite of all that could
be said Or done I'll wanderin feet have
sometimes struggled ont of the good and
narrow way. But so far as the record
runs we have never run UP the white
feather in a fight or took up with any
thing that didn't belong to us. We
have met the enemy at the dead line.
and no man ever come around by our
house spilin for a fight but what he 90
accommodations. We have helt up the
good name and standin of the Sandersj
generation. I'D we have never yet got
called Va we couldn't show down.
We have got a pleasant place to live,
with clothes to wear and plenty to eat.
The time has now come, Rufus, when
about the last thing we can do is to let
the checkrein down and take a good.
safe, steady gait. The faster a man goes
and the higher up he climbs the worse
it will be for everybody if somethin
to slip and break his holt.
Sometimes, If you notice, the good Lord
lifts a man way up yonder in orderment
to show he can fall +he further and hit
the harder when the grand smashup |
comes. 1t won't do to git too alfred
peart and proud and prosperous in your
old age. Set the back band right. Take
time.