Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1912-05-03
Little BruZ Hall and
His KITTY.

smith of poetry, for he was tall, lank
OF body and dark. He had long, mus
cular. sweeping aims. and his face
was as solemn as the great ancient
artificer in metals himself. | have
been. about his sombre shop and have
seen him handle his bellows with one
hand and huge wagon tire with the
othef-place the tire on the anvil and
with his great hammer. weld the
white heated ends of the circle-the
myriads of sparks flying here and
there, like miniature falling stars.
Meanwhile Ras would whistle or sing
L snatch of a solemn song, but keep
ing time with the rythm and ring of
his hammer. He was harmless as
possible, but he was not altogether
saint, for he would get drunk on
Sundays, and sit quietly on the street
corners or door steps.
One day l said. ''Ras, what do you
get drunk on Sundays for? What
good does it do your He replied,
Don't l work hard and pay my
honest debts?" eyes" "Do l ever
harm anybody" emo" Don't /
tend to my own business?" eyes"
"Do / sit with loafers on the
street 2 ono, but Ras, this is not
answering my question. why do you
get drunk every Sunday?" "Well,
Judge, you know l am awful poor.
and what's the use of my living poor
all my life when ! can get rich once
week on a pint of Apple Jack ?"
This answer of Ras' silenced me, for
| knew that many man, rating him
self finer gentleman than Ras, had
often felt the same way.
Ras has wife and whole house
full of brats, and they were strong
and pretty. too. Among them, u little
sturdy boy, whose name was Bruz-
square built and red checked. Bruz
was queer child in his habits-was
about seven summers old and played
by himself all the time. Coming out
of the house every morning in his
clean little. kits, he would run about
the town branch all day like bee
does from flower to flower, apparently
Just as aimlessly, stealing rides OH
some loosely hltched horse, or hanging
10 the coupling pole of passing
wagon. slipping home ut night, his
rudy face all black or bloody, his
kits torn aud soiled.
Returning from Il horseback riue one
morning early | heard on the banks
of the old mill race pitiful cry and
there among body of jeering boys,
was little Bruz clinging to his kitty.
a fluffy white and tortois-shel The
other boys were tying n string around
its neck with rock tied at the otner
end. Bruz was asking to pray and
this seemed to check the cruel little
fellows for a moment. On his knees
he knelt in the dewy grass and his
plaintive prayer told the tale of his
woe.
Good man." said he, "these boys
are going to drown my poor little
kitty and | can't help it. Mother told
me when l said Now | lay me down
to sleep, if would ask for any
thing, you would give it to me. o,
Good Man, my little kitty never done
any harm. 1t WAS jist playing with
brothers. marvel and it rolled thro-
ugh a hole in the floor andhe couldn't
git it. 1t was just playing with a
ball and rolled it in the fire and it
burnt up. o, Good Man, the kitty
don't know any better, and when my
kitty dies, please let it go to hea-
ven!" The Kitty was playing with
the string as the cruel boys tore it
loose from Bruz, and threw it in the
water. Then just little swirl and
the kitty was out of sight. This cur
ious little boy never played any more
on the banks of the branch.
The morning was perfect and
beautiful one. The sky was clean
from rinsing of rain storm the
night before. The cherry and apple
blossoms were blooming just as they
are now. and the sward along the
branch was green and rich. A brown
thrush was singing from the trees
and the orioles and other birds were
playing restlessly about. Not many
days afterwards i heard that fever
had burnt poor little Bruz to death
and near about here somewhere he is
in an unmarked grave. The dande-
lions, which he pulled and played
with, now, like golden buttons, fasten
the green sod over him. Others may
have forgotten this curious child,
but still think of him as an immor-
tai "kid." How l wish l could be
rememered like him as an immortal
youth. GRAEME.
Lame back is usually caused by
rheumatism OF the muscles OF the back
for which you will find nothing better
than Cham5erlain's Linlment. For
sale by all dealers,