Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1904-07-20
Observation-Disclosures
x B O S S x

very edge of the tumble down Dreak-
water. He was looking steadily sea-
ward. lie was evidently old, and
he was SCARED by many fights, but
his sunken mouth, from which ne
had lost many teeth, showed that he
would not fight again VIGOROUSLY.
Sometimes he turned from his
gaze at sea and glanced behind him
at a child who was sitting in a
wheelbarrow a few feet away. Every
time he glanced thus he slightly
wagged his stump of tail, and the
child smiled, or she said in a soft
voice:
"Good Bossw
And then Boss wagged harder,
but he could not give much atten-
ton to his companion, for his whole
heart was with that bent old woman
who was up to her waist in the wa
ter by the outermost ledge. 1t was
there that the Irish moss grew, ana
at low tide the woman could gather
it. She thrust her arm down to the
shoulder each time for her handful
of moss. She was wet, sodden wet,
save for a small place across her
back.
She had a mans straw hat fasten-
ed by small rope tightly under her
chin. Her face looked 100 years
old-it was in truth seyenty-old,
scanned and leathery, and it was a
face YOU loved to look at.
Every few moments she raised her
head and put her dripping hand
up over her eyes as she turned TO-
ward the land. She was at first
dazzled by the glare of the water
When she looked up thus, the little
girl in the wheelbarrow always
waved her hat. Then a dim, beau,
tiful smile would come in the faded
eyes.
ats Jest a-doin' of her lots Of
good" she would say aloud. I'm
awful glad | wheeled her down.
wish now Id brought her dowr
oftener this summer"
Twice as she looked shorewar'
she called out shrilly:
"Boss, you take care OF her
Won't you, Boss p
Then Boss pricked up his ear
and shook his tail, and the CIR
laughed and said she guessed she n
Boss could git along fret rate
"We'rc used to it, amt We
Boss ?"
When she said this, the dog go
ND. came to her side, gave her
swift lick across the cheek, the
hurried back and sat down on tn
: edge of the planks again.
Once the woman out in the waite
slipped and fell splashing, and bo'
Jumped up, whining in piteol
ouayer. and would not be comforte
oven when the child said soothing
: ly: ,u.w
But when the woman floundere
TO her feet again and cried "a
rightw the dog sat down.
The child shifted the braclI
/ odor and stretched out her hand
: smiling happily. :.
I TO be sure, she could walk, b'
>, granny wheeled her to the breakw
ter where she could see the mo
gathered. 80,
II was a low course of tides, al
u now the water had gone far out
that one could get to one OF u
lodges where the moss grew.
Granny had no boat, as most
~ the mossers had-there were sol
: boats now farther along, and litl
Molly could see the men put th'
long handled ropes down and dr'
ID them up full. She knew that the
VI men made more money than u
~ grandmother, but then she dbl
~ know much about money.
- Il guess they don't know mu
Is about dog" she told Molly,
~, ~. | guess s longs we got anything
i. eat Boss II have some of it. !
N old fellcr:" -,
30 Molly sank back on her pill
,;r in the barrow. She amused hers
" by almost closing her eyes so Il
Ia the sea seemed to come up nea
- and crimple in sparks of fire. III
Ia she would open her lids wide, d
Wv the great stretch of water wol
e, % flash blindingly on her vision.
nv PLAYED at this for long time, q
No always in front of her was the d
She had grown up Iii the convict
that all was we'll if he was near.
Soon everything grew delielou
an dim and then clear, and the
md smell was sweeter, and she was wa
.ial inc over the hard sand as strai
the as anybody, holding her head
10 .trorrlv Sho did not know she
led asleep. 1t was real to her that
,lw was walking.
md Suddenly she SAT upright IN
itel wheelbarrow, clutching the sides