The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1867-10-24
Ghosts that will not Down at Bidding
SCENE.
Boadholder's .PGrlor.
DRAMATIS PERsoN.E.

LJtftt'tCtNttI L az ttis
DRAMATIs PERsoN.E.
A gouty Boadholcler az hiS easy
chair, sitting bya table drinljng arjac.
Enter poor man ,ctth ta'teye6 garments
and bare feet, preceded Jy a Lite beg
and girl.
Poor man.--Good afternoon, Mr..
Bondholder. 1 have brought you a
present, Here are two little children,
your slaves for life. I give them to
you, if you please, for no fault Of theirs,
except they are white +! But, sir, l
could not help it--thcir father and mo
ther, both dead, were white. These
are my little innocent grandchildren
all you and your party have left mo
and the bonds you hold are mortgages
on them as upon myself cannot pay
the debt-take the little ones.
BonRoller.-De off get out--tako
the dirty brats away from me
Poor man.-Please, sir, don't speak
so harshly. 1t frighteus the little girl.
The boy does not seem to start much at
your angry tones, else he would not
double up his fists, bat the girl is timid.
BondKoh{er.-Got out--bc off with
your brats, or I'll ring the bell for
servant to put you out you importinent
scoundrel
Poor nan.-.You needa't ring, Mr..
Bondholder. The day of ringing little
bells has passed away. And you needn't
ling for servant And as YOU have
no chair for servants, | will stand here
a moment before | go, and have little
talk with you. Aud you will listen.
And you will not speak cross or inter
rupt me.
Once, when you were afraid Of the
darft, you wore the kinalicst smile.
And you pattod me on the back and
said was dear, good, patriotic man.
l listened to you then, and, by the
Eternal, you shall listen to me now :
Do you remember those days p
There was war. You, with your oily
tongue, helped to bring it about. 1t was
more of war than you thought it
would be. You were a coward, a great
big coward. Don't look ugly, for l
don't scare worth cent And you
were afraid to go to war. You made
long speeches about saving the Union,
protecting the Constitution, honoring
the laws and helping the poor man.
You said the war was TO restore the
country to peace and prosperity.
You said the object of the war was
not to coerce States, nor to deprive any
people of liberty.
You said those who would not fight
were towards. | was no coward, Mr..
Bondholder, so 1 went to war. You
were a coward-you dare not go, so you
hired me to go. took your money and
went. And now, when have returned,
l find that owe you moro than you
gave me, and that [ must now work to
pay myself for being shot at, and to pay
you big interest on the money you let
me have.
And l find that you are exempt from
taxation, that you hold the wealth of
the nation in your pockets, and that l
am your slave.
In short, Mr.. Bondholdor, you are a
coward, cheat, swindler, a tyrant,
robber, a great bloated aristocrat. When
the war came on l was poor but hon
est man. I knew but little of your
tricks and financial plans. L had a wife
and loved her very dearly. She wore
no silks, for 1 could not buy them. We
had no grand home as you now have.
We drank nilk-you drink wine and |
pay for it. Our home was poor mans
home, but was very happy one.
Do you know, Mr.. Bondholder, how
you whined and begged of me to go to
war You said the country was in
danger. You promised to care for my
family, and to look out for my interests,
it 1 would go aud fight for you. You
promised we'll, you did, and you lied to
me all the while. While l was fight
ing you were speoulating. [ bade my
wife good bye, and went to war. My
son went to war.
You made war speeches. You prom
isei great things to the soldiers. You
lied to them, you did, and you know it
Don't look mad-I am not afraid of
cowards-I don't scare worth dine.
1 was wounded in the battle aud halt
starved in the hospital Ny son was
killed by the Confederatos while on a
cotton expedition to enrich your loyal
cousin in the army as a general. | had
hard time of it and at last came home
My wife died from neglect. You
never cared for her. My son was killed
by the Confcderatcs while helping on
tie crusade after cotton and negroes
came home to find you rich and nc
poor. My farm was covered with weeds
and MORTGAGES. NV wife lies in the