The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1896-12-26

about 1t"
'tOb, I was in awful trouble. ! could
not sleep nights or anything. The store
bills kept getting bigger, and then !
gave notes. and then a little mortgage,
and the times kept getting harder and
the taxes higher until l was almost
crazy. Bat l tell ycu," and a little
CLEAN Of pride lit up his face, Walter
has changed all that, and even Though
he Goes MIKE mo work hard | don't
knew that l have any right 20 COM
plai.,. You see, this is the way it was:
When things GOT to the very worst M
w were afraid the sheriff would come,
Waller offered that if I would make
ovcr the farm to him and agree to work
70. hin, Until I was 20 io would pay Oh
all the Gc5ts, give something to each OF
the ether children. and that after l was
20 neither myself nor the CID woman
woala hare to do any more work. He
wcn,i suppc1t rs, AID we would have
to worry ;baEt nothiag."
Ey 4 series Of questions Pratt learned
from the old man All tho details of tins
wonderful bargain. lie learned that the
simple hearted obi man was practically
a slave to his greedy and selfish sor.
He bad t. get up Us j o'clock il the
morning and work Entii 8 a. night, and
the uniilial trEtr had dared at times to
thrash his father fer not working rs
hard as he thought he shcElG. Mora
over, he dill not allow him to have
meat OR gced food except when he was
working hard. In the winter time,
when there was nothing TO do but
chores. tile old man and his wife were
forced to live Oil cornmcal and bucE:
wheat.
The rich mans wrati, arose as he
learned OF The miserable story, ard lis
heart was moved with rnwonted pity
as he saw that his old friend Was lock
ing forward with such simple anticipa-
ton to the good time coming when he
would be 70 years and free. The prob
abilities were that he would be worked
to death before then; if no7, that he
would be starved to death soon after
ward.
Although the cd man complained,
GLt VAIN tGlIAEA-l, SI1EtitI tI4G VI tlC
treatment be was receiving. he really
blamed himself mere than his son.
"Walter has been hard no saiG,
"but ! can't say I deserve much more.
! I lived in Way that brought Us Ill
into dett, ana have caused him 4 1T
Of worry il getting out, and you know.
Hiram, whist debt i, especially to q
man who feels thee 10 would not rob
any il s49 world"
At this moment the conversation WIS
interrupted by 4 s.iQqt.
Looking II the direction from which
It came, II man yTas seem standing on
the fence, waving his arms ;,Ecrily.
THAT'S Walter, EIla tire old man
as he commenced sA3veiing fer G.aar
life. "He wants Tic to cot this ditch
finished and the ills Lid III il before
the frost comes.
mo, Hiram, | can't go Shooting
with you this tine, walter CAM fn:.ca
me, and 1 amt get ANY money IL g-a
powder anG sliot with, though l eues; |
conld borrow Ihc'npsoa's gun II I
wanted it. But. ! tell you, if yon come
back seven years from now, when 7
amt got nothing to do, we will 60 out
hunting again and have a good time
just the sare as We used 70. You have
not SCI Q piug Of chewing tobacco, have
you?"
NO"
"City folks don't chew much, do
they? Walter said it was a dirty and OK
pensive habit, and be made mo stop. bat
sometimes | set d chew when / 20 to q
thrashing OR logging bee."
The millionaire had a strong inclina-
ton to walk over to the other field and
bag the brilliant Walter Instead of 60
ing to the woods to hunt for iuoffensive
squirrels. He felt that lie would enjoy
putting a charge Of cold lead into him
about as much as he used to enjoy put
ting it into a skunk. But he restrained
himself and walked back to the woods,
!. There he sat down on an old oak log.
wondering-for his heart for once ii
many years was full of the kindliost
~feeling-if it would not be q worthy
deco to bny the freedom of his old
friend. He could certainly find some
way OF doing it without causing too
much talk, and it would be a deed of
charity that might do something to suft-
en- the hardness Of his past life. But as
be thought it all over aud remembered
how the old man was looking forward
to a good time coming he paused. After
all, what was the difference between
them?
The old man was a slave to his son.
and he was simply d slave to his busi-
ness. He was locking forward to a good
time coming when he would be able to
retire and live ON his wealth. But he
knew in his heart that, under the train.
ing he had given himself. he could not