LITERATURE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4748, 19 July 1883, Page 4

LITERATURE.

BIOH JIM, OF BOTTOM CAED. By 0. F. GiiLiAM. Yefiar yer'd like ter hear somethin* 'bout lay 'spenenoe in ther digftin'a, boys ? Did I •ver tell yer that story 'bout Bioh Jim, o' Bottom Card, am* his raoket with Curly J.ke ? Bo ? Wall, I'll tell yer ther story. Yer see bis real name was Biohard James, but ther first man he struok in ther mines shortened up the'r tail end o 1 his name frum •Tames ter Jim an* chopped off a piece o hi front name and called him Bioh Jim. Wall, yer see, tome one had struck it riah at Bottom Card a few months afore an' all 0' us old pilgrims an* er good sprinklin o' tenderfoots, hed rushed in tbar an' staked our claims, an' th'ngs war goin' on kinder flourishin'. Wimmin o' t v er ri«ht sMj a war a mighty akeeroe article in them di/pin'a, an' yer kin jedge how we war all tore up one evenin' as ther stage dra we ' up at fcscr ehanfcy called th« "Top Card," ana lee tie womtn with a leetle eurly-hair'd younker, 'bout 3 or 4 years eld, dumb out an' went into ther hotel, walked inter ther bar room after supper, an Doo Means, ther boss ef ther place, war gtandin* 'msog a Jot o* the boys at ther end ©' ther bar, as I come up, he were jut sajin' ! "I Ml yer boys, I war most devilish sorry fur tber leetle womin, when I told her I'd never heerd o' any one in these parts by thefc name. She said they'd all lived with her mother in ther East some whar, an' ther old woman an' her man hed hed er fallin' out somehow 'bout three years ergo when her kid war six months old, an' aB she wouldn't leave ther old lady, he'd left her. She heerd some way or 'nother that he war out here at Bottom Card, and. as her old mother kicked ther bucket a few months ago, she couldn't rest tall she came out here ter hunt ther old man up. She kinder broke down an' ther water flame ter her ejes when she found I couldn't pat her on tVr trail 0' her man, an' it kinder broke me up, too. Yorki-i take me fur a ■tring-halted ♦• adorfoot, bojp, ef I wouldn't suite up my ii.a fur a little womin an' a kid like them ar'. I ralkerlate ?he ain't got any too much ot her dust, eitlu-r, an' i b'ljeves ifd be ther squat* thing ef we was ter raise • leetle 'n-ong ther boys ter help her 'lorg." "S'reot! Now yer talkin 1 sense," a feller by ther name o' Curly Jake chipped in. He war one 0' ther roughest men in ther camp, but he he 3er heart in 'im bigger'n an ox, an' takin' off his hat he dropped in a 20dol gold piece. " I*ll see thet, an' go ose better," Bays Doo Means, as he tossed in a couple 0' twenties. "I can't quite ace yer, boys, but here rosb ther only bird I've got left," says Poker Jim, «a he ohucked in a shining eagle. Curly Jake passed 'round the room, bq' ther boys throwed in purty lib'ral 'till he come ter a man who war settin' with his head restin* on his bands at the table right «ide ther open door that led inter ther hall whioh communicated with ther dinin'-room. Curly slapptdhim on ther baok in a kinder friendly, joky way, and ssy^ : " Bich Jim, we wants yer ter help us out on er pur*e we're raisin' far 'er womin thet's is need." Bioh Jim looked up sullen like, an' says awful short an' gruff: "I ain't got any thin' to give." "'But this here's er lady," says Curly, lander insislin' like. '• Oh, git ouf, an' don't bother me," Bich Jim answers quick like, an' savage as ther mischief. Cnrly's eyea flashed mighty wicked, as drawin' hisself up an' throwin' ail ther floorn an' contempt he could inter his voice, he says : "Xr man thet's struck it as rich as yer hey lately, an' then'll refuse tsr put up er leetle dust ter help er womin thet's in distress, ain't got er heart in 'im as big aB er muikeeter." " What's thet yer say," says Bich Jim, ipringin' ter his feet with a hull string 0' cu?b words, an' him an 1 Curly begin dravin' thar Bhootin' irons. Jiat then war beam ther patter o* leetle feet on the floor 0' ther hall leading' ter ther bar room, an' a womin's voice _ sayin' : " Come my darlin', yer must not go in thar," an' tber cext instant, wfrh a scream o' chiliah joy an' mischief, a leetle chubby faced, curly ha'red boy run into ther room, »n' rusb int er whar Bioh 3>wl war stand in' throwed his arms 'round hi? i j ga aa' lacghin' like it war lots o* fun ter git away from his mother, he hid his face ergin Jim'B knees. I tell yer boys ef an' angel hed come equar -down from he'vin us fellers thar in ther barroom couldn't er been more took back than we war at ther eight o' that leetle'codger. ItM a done yer hearts good boys ter have eeen him and hearn him talk. Bich Jim he jia*; laid his sbootin' iron on ther table without glanoin' at Curly, an' his face war as gentle as a womin's a«, stoopin' down, he laid his big rough hand aoft like on ther curly ha'r o' ther leetle feller, an' says in a kinder tremblin' Toioe : " What doeß yer want, my leefcla man." Ther younker looked up inter his face, an' •eein' it was kinder eof'ened up, his leetlo heart seemed to go right out ter him, an' he answers brave as yer please : " I wants my paper. Mamer said my paper war here." "Who ia yer paper?' says Bich Jim, bendin' down an' raisin' him inter his arms. "My paper's matner's papor. Is yer my paper ?" •'I guess not my leetfe feller," says Bich Jim, tber water oomin* ter his eyes, fts ef the words hed brung somethin' ter his mind thet touched a soft spot. ( I wish I war jer paper." "Won't yer ba my paper ? I likes yer," ther leetle un said, pattin' his face easy an' tender-like, with his leetle chubby hands. "Doeß yer?" Bioh Jim aays. "Yes, I does, an' I likes mamer, too," says ther leetle chap. " Don't yer want me ter tiss yer, des like I tisees mamer P " "Yes, ef yer will," Bioh Jim says, in er kinder pleadin' way. ' " I tiss mamer hull many lots er times, an' love her too, free busbels ; an' I'll ties yer hull many lots a times, too." An' ther affec•hernate leetle creetur throwed his arms tight 'round Jim's neok an' kissed him about a dozen times. While he war still er kissia' Bioh Jim, a leetle womin with a sweet, sad-lookin' face glided inter tber room kinder skeery like, an' says : " Come, Biohy dear ; come ter mamer, now." . .-- . At ther sound o* her yoi:r, Rich Jim turned 'round white as ther driven enow, an' jist give one look, an' then, in er voice qniverin' with feelin', an' in which there war a world o'love an* tender pleadin', said jist ther one word, "Nellie." She gin a start an' a leetle scream, an' weaved baok'ards and for'ards like sho war goin' ter fall, an' then with ther joyful cry, " Ob, Biohard, my husbon', I've found yer at last!" she darted for'ard inter his arms, an' cuddled her purty leetle head down onter Ma breast like she war parfeo'ly saterefied. Alter thar f eelin's hed cooled down a bit, Bioh Jim looks up at Curly, who war stand in' as ef rooted ter ther floor, with his shootin' iron all cocked an' ready fur biz, an' holdin' out his hand, saya : " I actad ther dirty dog with yer, Curly. Won't yor put her thar an' oallitsquar?" "Don't say ernother word erbout it," says Only Jake, layin' his pop down on ther table tide ther other one, an' takin' hold o' hia hand. "It's all aquar with me. But ef yer ain't got ns objacshuna, it'd tickle me er heap ef yer'd 'low me ter kiss ther little kid once." "Sartainly, Curly," Bich Jim say*, an 1 holdin' ther leetle feller, at his dad's request, he give Curly er smack squar on ther mouth. "An' ther leefclo womin'U give yer one, too, Curly. Nellie," he says, torom' ter bis wife, 41 give this friend o'raihe c kiss won't yer ? He's been er good friend o* jour'n, too." An' Nellie, kinder meek like, raisin' her bead, bhuhingly pressed er kiss on Curly's Tough faoc. As Curly drawed bhaelf baok, lookin' awful happy, but kinder shamed like an' colorin' all over his face, he remarks : •Til be darned if yer ain't struck it, Bioh JTim." Thet's ther story, boys. Thar mighter been somethin' iaterestin' happened arterwards, but we lickered up so perfuse-like arter thet, in drinkin' ter ther health o* Big Bich and Leetle Bich, aa' Mrs Bich Jim, ther proceedin's following didn't stay by me like the others did.

Scene— Village school. Lady visitor (to a rery dirty ohild) — "Jane, why don't you come with a clean face t ■ rohool ? " Jane (after some lieaitation)--'- Pleoae, ma'am mither canna spare me o j taffc water and *he wunna bae me use Imrd, for it cracks ma Jliu."