The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1848-05-17
tll i 8 q { I | d Il /, ],
gTEIE HOLE INZ MY. .POCKET

syJ&SSsSat SUkS ! y y = ~ vi u. .g4E.ss
THE HOLE IN My POCKET.
Anexcellent moral mny be drawn from
the following humorous sketch, copied
from the sCificinnatti Chronicle.
.sltis now about "a year since my wifi.
said TO me one day, Pray Mr.. Slsckwa-
ter,bave you;,ha half dollar about you
thlts gave you this morning2' felt in
my yWaistcoat pocket, and | felt in my
breeches pocket, and Iturned my purse
inside ont, but it5all was empty space
whichis worry different from specie; so
snil TO NJ is. Slackwater, .I've lost it, my
deur;positively, there must be a hole in my
pocket. II II sow it up said she.
Anghonror two after, / met Tom Steb-
bins. How did that ice cream set? said
Tom. SIT set, said j, like the sun, glori-
ously, And sns ! spoke, il flushed upon
me Tint my missing half dollar Ind paid
for those ice creams; however. held my
peace, for Mrs. Slackwater sometimes
makessremarks. And even when she as
suredsIne ut break fast next morning TINT
there Was no hole in my pocket, what could
] dosbut lift my brow and say, 'Ah isn't
there! really!
Before d week had gone by, my wife,
like q sdltiful help mate as she is, always
gave me hersl loose chnngeto keep, called
fora 25 cent piece which had been de-
posted III my sub b.trensury for safe keep
ing. here was q poor woman at the
door, she said, .that; she'd promised it to
foraScartain. ! sWell, wait moment,' I
cried. So fpushed inquiries first in this
direc,ion, then in that, then in the other;
butvnoahry returned horrid groan.
..Onlny soul, said [, thinking il best to
show bold front, syou must keep my
pockets in better repair, Mrs. Slackwnter;
this piece, with i know mot how many
more, Isl lost, because some corner or seam
in nyPlaguy pockets nre left OPEN
sAreayon sure?' said Mrs. Slnckwater.
iSure? yes, TINT am ! it's gone! totally
gone!, MySwife dismissed her promise,
and!then, insher quiet way, asked me 10
chnngelny pantaloons before ! went out;
and to bar all argument, laid another pair
onmy, ,knces.
That evening, allow me TO remnrk,
gentlemen Of the species husband was
very lontl, to go home to tea. ! had half
aminl to bore some bachelor friend. And
whenshnnger and hubit, in their una ssurn-
ing nlnnner,s one on each side, walked me
uptoymy own door, the torch Of Tho brass
knob madssmy blood run cold. But do
not think that Mrs. Slnckwater was
Tartar,mysgood friends, because thus
shrank from home. The fact that had,
while abroad, called to my mind tho fate
of fherS2 cent piece, which had invest
edsasfarge amounts are often invested. ir
snnoketRat IS to say, cignrs; and fear.
edto think of her comments on my pun
falcons pockets.
These things went on for some months;
we we're poor to begin with, and grew
poorer, or atany rate. no richer fast
Times grew worse and worse; my pock-
etsleaked worse and worse; even my
pocket book was no longer 10 be trusted;
the rags slipped fromit Lin manner most
inereditabIe to relate: as the Irish song
says, 55s,I i "a
'And such was the fate Of poor Paddy o.
ssgl. Moore, 4; }s s.
Thath pockets had the more rents, as he
had the fewer
Atslengtfi one day my wife came in
witlisnsubscription paper for the Orphan
Asylum. Hooked att, and sighed, and
handed III back 10 her. +
Med Bowen, said she shas put down
sIO.'
sThesmore shame for him, said !, 'he
CAM, afford III; ne can, but just scrape
silone ,anyhow;; and in these times it isn't
right for him TO do il. Ny wife smiled
inlberssad way and took the paper back TO
hinthat brought il.
The next evening she asked me ifI
would sgo with her and see the Bowens,
and asI had no objection we started. T.
IkneW shnt Ned Bowen did q small
!. business that would about 5000 year,
md thought that it would be worth
while 10 SOD whit that sum would do in
the Saysof Housekeeping. We were ad-
mitted by Ned, and welcomed by Ned's
wife d yory yneat little; body, Of whom Mrs.
tS!ackwaser rhad told mo q great deal, as
they had been hoolmates. All was as