Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-02-13
The Return Of Her Little Lad.

The Return Of Her Little Lad.
Every one on us has their trials,
they say, and John Thomas is mine!
That's my husband, mem; and, mebbe,
We met him shepherding as We came
down the hill?
ASLEEP in the wortle bushes wi
lamb in his arms, say ye? Ay, that's
John Thomas all over, Gle him a
CLINT O. sunshine, and he'll sleep the
clock round. Terrible thing a hus-
band, Honor and obey, says the
parson I'll honor him for just his
worth, no more, no less. says l; and
for obey, I'll see to that when gies
| commands. That's fifty years ago
and a mint o. trouble he's been to l,
atween US yet!
"How's my boy; We arsts? There
nowi If John Thomas was worth his
salt he'd be to Tavistock to see for
tidings o. the little lad. He won't
forget his poor old grannie, for all
his fine friends as he's gotten now,
Sit We down, mem, and I'll tell we the
tale fra the beginningl Ye thought,
m2bbe, when ye saw him dressed so
fine and smart, and lookin' like a
little lord, that he was non of our'n.
But he is that; he's my own gran
sons son, and the son of a earl, as
will be one day, though I'm in no
haste for that. A grand man and a
real gentleman is Lord Fitz Maurice,
for all Billy German nays he's bloat-
ed; he's pale and thin-has heart dis
ease, they say-and that's how the
matter come about
MY son Thomas was a sailor, and
in furrin parts he married his wife, a
sweet young thing; but, like a hot
house flower. she never throve on Eng
lish soil, and died when her girl was
three years old.
Thomas was weel to do, and he
gave the child the best o. education;
but she was nobbut a slip of thing
when he was lost at sea, and she
come home to live wi l. Think of it.
menu Three score year and ten have
| lived here come Martinmas; but she
had lived in gay cities and i furrin
lands.
There was one young gentleman
he might be a matter o. eighteen or
more-he war a fine lad and civil
spoken; he'd be up here for ground
bait, as John Thomas prepares, and
more nor once he'd leave his fish for
we.
We'll, mem, We guess what comes
when there's pair o. bonny young
folks about and the spring is in the
air. | did not see it myself, for Jessie
was good girl, and give no thought
to her eddication bringing her nearer
him nor us. Her cheeks would flush
and pale when he COON near, and her
cen has gotten starry light, but l
wor blind. Twas John Thomas that
spoke.
They'd been married then a week!
l. % SAO O0J Il CCuL JCSSlc W 1dNl-
stock Market, and she bided out so
late. He was an Honorable they
tell me, but he didn't behave much
like one. He had to finish his college
education and he dared not tell his
fayther o. the marriage for they were
very poor, he said, and his fayther
was weak i the heart and must not
be crossed. However, the lass had her
bit of money from her fayther and
she bode wi us till he should come
and claim her.
1.-TWO years passed, and he had got
ten his degree He was to travel in
France, and his fayther had given
him three hundred pound a year for
his own spendings. Twas too little,
he said, to ask Jessie to share wi
him; she had better wait
"Howe'er, Jessie had a temper of
her own for all her sweet ways. She
would go wi him to France or be ac-
knowledged as his wife in England.
But that he said could not be. His
fayther would break his heart wi the
u,
and what passed there l never knew.
Only one day there came a letter TO
say that Jessie had died, as her moth
er did afore her. There was a child,
boy, and knowing our true worth
and generous hearts, the fayther was
sending him to us.
Il don't deny it was a shock, for
I'm getting on in years, and John
Thomas didn't earn as much as once.
But there was the mothers money,
and the Lord provides. Will we be-
lieve me, mem? When John went to
Tavistock to get the bit O. money that
had been our Jessie's there was not
penny o. it left. All drawn. the
lawyer said.
Eve had a rare hard winter to
modder through that year, for the
babe was sick and John Thomas had
the rheumatic. But things mended
somehow and when Spring came there
was a banknote for twenty pounds
sent through the post. There was
no address and we never heard again.
Why did / not seek out his folks?
Nay, mem. the child war mine. /
loved him well, and we amt so poor
we'd sell our flesh and blood.
Then l heard the old Earl was
dead and the boys grandfather had
gotten the estate. l tell We, mem, my
heart turned cold for very fear, for
knew that one day he must go. We
are only common folk, and it isn't
right that an earl-to-be should grow
up wi the likes of we. I'd be awake
o. nights listenin' TO the winds moan