St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-12-07

he purchased a ticket for Richdale.
He had an aunt and an uncle at Rich.
dale
George had not seen his relatives
for years. The last time haG been
when he was student in the gram
mar school, and now he was B. A. of
Ann Arbor and keeper of books in
pork-packing establishment. Fur
thermore, he had all but died from the
fever, and the experience had aged
him incredibly. 1t seemed to him a
century since he had heard a brake
man call the names of the stations
which dotted the line between the city
and Richdale. He sat humpily in his
seat, one elbow upon the window-sill,
supporting his head, which ached a
trifie, and recalled certain incidents of
his former visit There was one boy
"a butchers son-with whom he had
been on the best of terms. And there
were two girls-twins-with noses
like push-buttons set amidst constel-
lations of frecEles, who used to come
to hole in the fence and stare at him
from two pairs of round, blue eyes.
The butchers son had a sister; he
could not under stand why. He con-
fessed on one occasion, and whispered
the confession, that he thought it was
because he had once been very wick
ed, and had toli his mother that he
considered the Bible pretty slow
reading, and that if that was the only
sort of books there was in heaven, he
didn't b'lieve he wanted any heaven
in his'n. And, sir" said he, his voice
sinking still lower and taking on
note of awe, "tbe Lord sent a girl
baby to our house In less'n a week
after!"
Sometimes this sister had accompa-
MED the butchers son when he visited
George Georgia remembered her as
a species of dumping in a pink frock,
who referred to him crushingly, when
he essayed to exhibit his power for
comedy, as thin arty." He did not
like her after that. He declared proud
ly that he had no sister, and enjoyed
keenly the miserable expression Of
envy which came upon the other boys
face. Never mind" said the other
boy, directing look of disgust at the
dumping, who was placidly chewing a
red thumb, shell be gettin' married
fore long, and then I won't be
bothered with her any more" With
which philosophic reflection he pro-
duced a handful of marbles, and the
two boys sank to their knees.
George was counting his marbles at
the close of that day, and gloating, for
the butchers son had passed from the
scene totally ruined, dragging his sis
ter after him
When the brakeman's voice broke
in upon his reveries, and the train be-
gan to slacken speed. He was In Rich
dale again. And he was conscious of
a not unpleasant sense of anticipation
as he glanced from the car window
upon the peaceful village, with the
great hills rising on the one side of
the bustling little river, and the long
street struggling beneath rows of hard
naples on the other. The place had
changed but slightly with the years.
There was the same old station agent
with the wooden leg.
He sent his salise on by the same
red dray, and walked slowly up the
street, recognizing various familiar
objects with a mild delight. At the
he paused to shake
hands with the butche~, the father of
his former playmate. The butcher
asked him, as they stood under the
same yellow-coated ham in the door
way, what he was doing now, and in
sisted upon shaking hands again when
he revealed his connection with the
pork packing establishment. At his