The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-03-20
TWO GREENBACKs.

l W. UAkAIIADANAJs
One led useless life, and was guilty
of enormous sins In the way of omis-
sion. The other passed through an
| honorable career of real service aud
| we'll doing. To be sure, greenbacks are
not endowed with life and free will
| yet how people bow to thea, and strive
| to get them, and submit to their power.
The two particular greenbacks, the
| adventures of which it is the purpose Of
! this story to relate, were each of the
| denomination of $40. One was a bright
| new one, and was one of a thick pile
that lay in the desk of fat old fraud
| in the shape of wealthy citizen, whose
small eyes sparkled complacently as he
contemplated his hoard, and whose
false tongue pleaded poverty in reply
to requests for the payment of honest
debts. That greenback's life was avery
! monotonous one. If 1T had had a
| tongue to speak it would have lifted up
its voice In loud protest at being penned
| up in such a lonely place, and beg to be
allowed to see something of the world
instead of being doomed to the dreary,
useless life it was leading.
Greenbaclz No. 2 was a creature of
more fortuiteus circumstances. It was
not so crisp and clean as the one that
was kept in confinement, but its scars
were honorable ones, won Ia Life of
activity and hard service. We first be-
hold 1t passing over the blaok-walnut
desk of a large manufacturing estab-
Ishment into the hands of an honest
looking nan with so1led clothes and a
dust-begrimed face. For convenience
sake we will give the man a nane-we
will call him Luke Preston-though
that is a matter of little consequence
as regards the adventures of his green
back. The first thing he did was to
call at Skettle's grocery on his way
home and pay his weeks bill. This
amounted to three dollars and forty
cents, and handing over his ten-doilar
greenback he received six dollars and
sixty cents in change. Further along
he stopped at the meat market and set
tied up, paying out two dollars and ten
cents, having then remaining four dol
lars and fifty cents With these two
debts off his mind he went home and
sat down to a good supper which one OF
the best of wives had prepared for him.
''Lucy, did old Ga rland saw that wood
this afternoon P" he asked. e
eyes" was his wife's reply.
''Then I'll go around and pay him
after supper"
'eIt is so cold and stormy tonight I
wouldn't go out. He can probably just as
we'll wait until some time when you
happen to see him."
"No," was Luke's reply. He has
earned the money and may want it. 1t
would be too bad TO keep it from him.
All he has comes from little Jobs like
this, you know"
And after the meal was finished Luke
made his way through the driving snow
straight to the home of old Garland.
Good evening, Mr.. Garland. L
thought I would step around and pay
YOU for saving that wood. It's dollar.
I believe"
"Thank We, sir, thank ye, exclaimed
old Garland, while his wife looked up
over her spectacles from a pair of socks
which she was darniDg. ''Yes, sir, that's
right. Much obleeged %
Not at all. 1t belongs to you.
eyes, yes. You're right. But it
amt all of them as looks at it in that
els that so ?"
eyes there's lots of little debts
standin' ont that 1 can't collect; and
| there's Squire Clinch, in particular, as
had ten cord of wood in his yard, which
I took the sawin' of. Jest finished the
| Job yesterday. and of course asked for
my pay. But he allowed that he'd
been doin' me great favorl in givin'
me such big job, and said I'd have to
| wait week or two, as he was hard up. J"
| esquire Clinch too hard up to pay
for his weod-sawing! That sounds like
joke" t-r
"'Tain't much of a joke for me, for I
need the money. I had to borrow three
dollars of John Brady the other day TO
buy some coal with, and he ought to be
paid. But I had only enough to get a
| little flour with tonight, and I was won
derin' how I'd put John of. Howsum-
| ever, Til give him this dollar, and per-
/ haps he viii wait for the rest. I was
! going to get a pair of new boots, too.
| These old things let most too much cold
in when a man stands still all day saw
in wood. But I'll have to wait till
| Squire Clinch isn't so hard up"
esquire OIinch doesn't act on the
right principle" said Luke, turning to
go. " hope he will pay you before
long. Good night
Good night, and many thanks to
On his way home Luke saw light
across the way in the village printing
office. He crossed the street and en-
tered.
"Good evening, Mr.. Quill, . he said
"my time for your paper is Just out,
believe, and [ wish to pay for another
SIX months ahead"
''Ah, thank you, Luke; I wish all
my subscribers acted on your plan
Don't they ?' asked Luke.
''No, indeed. You would be sur
prised if should mention the names OF
some of our most wealthy men who owe
for from two to five years back ~
"Well, I hope that won't ever be said
Oh me. The rich ones, I suppose, think
such small sums make no difference.
There's where they are mistaken. y
replied Mr.. Quill. 'rrhe life of trade
Is in these small sums And q poor
mans dollar is worth more than a rich
mans promise, any time; for material
and labor cannot be obtained without
money.
i Before returning home Luke bought
some delicacies for a Sunday dinner. 4
weekly literary paper and his wife,s re
1 iigious magazine. Besides, he gave ter
cents to a little beggar girl, who held
out a hand blue with cold from under
the shreds of a tattered shawl When
n L 1 L