The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-02-16
III ER.
By TOM 2. MORGAN.
lcn,rrLrht. l.oo. d the Author.l

~ .N.fr. tNDD1 rlRDt, i~Af y = tNt NNh''
With ono CO.. option, the members of
the Baxter household were honest and
upright. Though life had been some
thing Of a struggle with them since Mr..
Baxtor's death, they had met their
trials bravcly, and after each day OF
struggling, when night settled down
over the little weather beaten house
under tho tall cottonwood tree, they
could go to rest with tho simple salts
faction Of feeling that they had done
their best.
The day was fast approaching when,
the tiIno OF residence required by the
government having been fulfilled, the
homestead claim would bo their own
Their small crops, cultivated AS well az
O boy whose will perhaps was greater
than his ability could cultivate them,
were sufficient for their modest needs,
and il their means were scanty their
wants were carefully kept down to
them.
They owed no one. They hated no
one unless it might bo Indian Jim, tho
worthless half breed whose chief fond
ness was for dirt, begging and stealing,
three things that the Baxters, with one
exception, abominated. They feared no
one, except perhaps some of the pomp-
Gus, straight backed officers of tho prai-
RE military post Of Fort Beal, three
miles away, ond Of these tho younger
Baxtcrs, with tho same single excep-
ton, stood more in than fear.
Mrs. Baxter was u quiet, p~ainstaking
woman, who worked hard to make both
ends meet in tho humble household.
-lI 4 l-- -
did his best to fill his fathers place.
And little Martha was faithful ut hor
tasks, helping at the dish washing,
mending and sweeping, and dropped
seeds for Dobby's planting, fed the
chickens and assisted at whatever else
her hands found to do.
But there was one inmate of tho little
weather beaten house who, though evil
IDENTIFY considering himself ono Of the
family, took no caro- to emulate the
probity that marked their daily life,
and apparently feared neither the law
nor tho commandments. This was Lii
jer, who was far from being sanity in
spite Of the patriarchial name he bore,
a doubtful sort Of compliment to the
Bible story Of Elijah and tho ravens. AS
Dolby did not know tho names OF any
Of the ravens, he compromised and did
the next best thing by calling the little
crow Elijah.
From the very first Liners appearance
was against him. Even when actuatod
by as good intentions as ever Il crow
had, he looked the rascal. When Dolby
took him from tho parent nest, an ugly,
almost featherless little wretch, his most
prnrniD,ant ottrih,fo Lilo chat re a
scoundrelly lawyer, was his bill.
His voice at that timo was u harsh,
complaining ~"whauruk,' md his de-
light, noxt to eating, seemed to be in
exercising it as near continually as pos
sible. He was q shameless gormandizer
oven when SO small that he could scarce
ly wabble about, and the only way to
quiet his cries and his appetite was to
stuff him so full Of dough that for the
time being he was past all wabbliDg.
One day, when half grown. he was
caught by the old rooster in the act Of
stealing dough from tho chickens and
set upon and SO severely drubbcd before
Dolby could come to tho rescue that one
Of his legs was broken. This healed rap
idly, but in a fashion that caused him
to forever after walk with a Swaggor
that made him look all tho moro rascally.
AS he progressed to full grown crow
hood he developed more queer villainies
than it seemed possible for his small
brain to father. In tho matter of voice,
whatever Lijer lacked in quality he
made up i'll quantity. Besides the
"caw," omnio to all crows, no &c.
quircd various notes and m~odulations
expressive Of wrath, Impotence, salts
faction and delight, and what might
have been called "a kind Of laugh, n
harsh, strident "whoor-hoor-ha-a-a!'
AT feeding times, when his rations of
dough and meat scraps were placed TO-
fore him, he seemed tho soul Of LIBERAL
ity to the guilclcss chicks who would
gather, Il half fearful and always hun
CRY circle, about him. Lijer would as
suro"them of his pacific intentions By
sundry clucks and murmurings md
q look of total harmlcssncss that would
entice the boldest Of them to tho feast.
He would appear the model host till a
chicken got just where he wanted him,