The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-03

the able-bolest man anywhere round
here but you never see him a-pitchin'
no hay, nor a-workin in no harvest
field. not even when such men as super
visor Bulger OF Deacon Narboys is Of
fern two an hal "A day 10 save their
crops.
mo. sir: he'd dru.hcr live on his poor
old mother than 20 work, an about all
he docs IS 20 go'n git the cloes IN
baskit before she washes EN-, an Kerry
'em home aftcrward. You kin see i'm
a-doin' that every mOrnin an every
night rce'lar What lac does i'm the
middle OF the day IS a mystry to every
body. Some days hc goes a-hshin, but
that's mostly on Sundays Week days
he gcnaliy shets imsclf mp In the house
lest 10 leaf, 1 s'pOso. sid mink
'twould make him shamed 60 hear the
ronnd OF the scrubbin' when his moth
crs TO work over the washbOard an he's
layn' round. a doin nothin'.
"Somo days the boys all git mad N
run him out unless ne braces up and
goes to work, When that happens
North pisa n sit a notice IN the county
paper. sure"
In spite OF the " agOn-makcrs story.
found il hard 60 dislike Cal Nanport
without knowing more concerning him,
and 1 invited talk about him from va
fious village magnates. But the testi-
mOny thus gathered was all of one sort.
IT was clear that all the men o; North
pisa both hated and despised him as an
utterly worthless vagaboud. The feel
ing of antagonism between Cal and his
kind. however was like jug handle,
all on one side as / founc when !
came TO know him personally If ever
there was "a man who bore nobody III II
81. lH4I q
either Cal or his mother face to face, /
perceived that some of the women of
the place held the young man IN better
esteem.
"Thcy may say an the mean things
they want about Cal Nanport,' said
Mrs Miggs. the sturdy old blacksmith
wife. who had two grown sons OF her
own. "and 1 won't deny that 10 does
look like small potatoes and few In the
hiil fer him TO live on his mothers
canms ass be pears TO; bat they'd be
some happier mothers in North Pisa II
an the SONS was like him. ] know some
young men IN this village that work
hard enough an save their mOnov that
amt near so kind TO their mothers as
he Is. When Mis- NanpOrt was younger
an Cal was a-gon' 10 school an she
used 20 go out 20 wash. which she don't
do no more she told me he never spoke
a sassy word 20 her ia his lifo 1 wisht
everybody could say as much fer their
boys. 1 told my man yisthly an it
madc him mad that some folks 1 know
MOULD be piliin 20 have their boys a
little lazier II they could only say what
Ais Vanport kin. but they can't" she
concluded In q tone clearly showing
desire 10 be confidential, which / care
fully ignored by promptly bidding her
good day.
The moro / heard about the washer
w0man's shiftless son. the more / liked
him, somehow. and the wagon-maker
told me a story two or three days later
that added 20 my interest.
There goes the giri that Cal Nanport
wants 70 marry" said Rugglcs. stand
ing IN front OF his shop and pointing
acrOss the street TO tall. good-looking
young women. undoubtedly tbs hand
Soonest In North Pisa. Eyes. she IS the
daughter OF Squire WCodmansie. and
when she WAS IA tho same school here
In the village that Cal went TO. the two
rot 20 thinkin' lot of each other OF
course. her folks didn't like the Idea OF
her mQfFSin a washcrwomans son. and
80 they sent her away 70 school Tor q