Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-11-20

| trlols BOY a9in, Out ne used 10 GET Indu
after awhile, and oace he struck me,
and then in the morning | found that he
had taken what little money there was
left Of the farm, and had run off. After
that Igot along as well as l could,
cleanin' houses for folks and washin',
but I didn't hear not hing of him for four
Or five years but when he got arrested
and was took up to Oshkosh for trial,
he writ to me-
BY this time there was nota dry eye
in the car, and the cards had disappear
ed. The old lady herself was weeping
silently and speaking in snatches. But
recovering herself, she went on
But what could do? 1 sold the
house and lot to get money to hire a
lawyer, and | believe he is here some-
where looking around. oh, yes,
there lie is, Mr. - pointing to
Lawyer--. who had taken part in
the play. And this is the man, [ am
sure, who argued asin him. poinlin5 to
llr.-, the district attorney. 'Anl
YOU, judge, sent him TO prison
for ten years 'spose it was right, for
the poor boy told M that he really did
rob the bank, but he must have been
drunk, fer they had all been playing
keards most all night aud drinking.
But, oh 4. dear, it seems to be kinder as
though il he hadn't got to playing
keards he might been alive get. But
when | used to tell him it was wrong
and bad to play, he used to say, why,
mother, everybody plays now. lneyer
bet only for candy, or the cigars, or
something like that And when we
heard that the young folks played
ksards down to Mr.. Culyer's donation
party, and that Squire Ring was goin'
to get billiard table for his young folks
to play on at home, l couldn't do moth
Ing at all with him. We used to think
it was awful to do that way, when was
Young, but it jst seems to me as II
everybody nowadays was going wrong
into something or ..other. But maybe
it isn't right for me talk to you, Judge,
in this way. but 1t jist seemed to me as
if the very sight Of them keards would
kill me. Judge; thought If you only
knew how felt, you would not play on
so and then 10 think. right here before
all these young folks! Maybe, Judge,
you don't know how younger folks,
especially boys. look up to such as you;
and then [ can't help thinking that,
maybe If them that ought to know bet
ter do so. and them as are higher
larnt. and all that, wouldn't set slch
examples. my poor Tom would be alive
ana caring for his poor old mother; but
now, there amt my Of my family left
but me and my poor little gram chile,
M, dead darter's little girl. and we are
going to stop with my brother IN lllinoy.'
Tongue Of man or angel never preach-
ed a more eloquent sermon than that
,ray. withered old lady, trembling with
cd aye. excitement, aud fear that she
was doing wrong. | can't recall half
she said, as she, poor, lone. beggared
widow. stood before those noble looking
men, and pleaded the cause Of the rls
ing generation.
The look they bore as she poured
forth her sorrowful tale was indescrlba-
bic. To say that they looked like
criminals at the bar, would be faint
d scriptiou. can imagine how they
felt. The old lady tottered to her seat,
and taking her little grandchild in her
Ian. hid her face on her neck. The
little one stroked her gray hair with one
hand. and said, Don't cry, granma,
don't cry. granma.' Eyes unused 10
weepmg were red for many mile on
that Journey. And | can hardly be-
lieye that one VINO witnessed that scene
ever touched card again. 1t Is but
lust to say that when the passengers
came to themselves they generously
RESPONDED to the Judge, who, hat IN
hand. silently passed through her little
audience.