The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-07-03
aaaessdtE gatelligeaeer.
Undressing Little Ned.

"There is Whisky BILL who used to
drive that old white horse in front of a
twenty-five cent express wagon?' re-.
peated the man il tone of surprise.
EYES,"
"Well, now, it's o curious case," he
slowly cont'nucd. 1--WE all thought he'd
gone 70 the dogs. for sure, for he was
drinking pint of whisky day, but a
few months ago he braced right up, stop.
ped drinking, end now I hear he's in
good business and saving money. II
beats all for the last time saw him he
seemed half underground
When you go home at night and find
that all is we'll with your own flesh and
blood, do you go to sleep reasoning that
the world must care for itself7 DO you
ever shut your eyes and call up the hun
dreds of faces you have met during tho
day, and wonder if tho paleness of death
will cover any of them before the NOR
row? When you have been f.tracted to
face, even It be n strangers, do you let
1t drop from memory with dreams, or do
you call it up again and again as night
comes down, and hope it may not lose
any of its brightness in the whirling
mists of time?
So "Whisky Bill" was hunted down.
An inquiry here and there finally traced
him to little brown cottage on by
street. He sat on the step in tho twi-
light, burly, broad-shouldered man of
fifty, and in the house three or four chill.
dren gathered around lamp to look at
picture book.
Eyes, they used to call me Whisky
Bill down town." he replied rs he moved
along and made room, "but it's weeks
since heard the name. No wonder
they think me dead, for I'vc not set eyes
on the old crowd for months, and | don't
want to for months to come"
"Ihey tell me you have quit drinking
One could see that by your face"
II hope SO; haven't touched drop
since February. Before that was half.
drunk day in and day out, and more of q
brute than man. / don't mind saying
that my wife's death set me to thinking
but didn't stop my liquor. God forgive
me, but WAS drunk when she died, half
drunk at the grave, and / meant 10 &c
on regular spree that night. 1t wa,
low down, sir, but was no better thnn q
brute those days."
"And so you left your mothcrless chill
drcn ut home and went out and goi
drunk ?"
"No. said meant to, but l didn't
The poor things were crying all day, and
after coming home from the burial
thought to get 'em tucked away in bed
before l went out. Drunk or sober ]
never struck one of 'em blow, and they
never ran from me when / staggered
home. There's four of 'em in there and
the youngest isn't quite four years yet.
got the elder ones in bed III right and
then came little Ned. lie had cried
himself to sleep and he called for mother
ms soon as woke him. Until that nigh
| never had that boy on my knee, to Say
nothing of putting him to bed, and yot
can guess these big fingers made SLOW
work with the hooks and buttons. Ev
cry minute he kept saying his mothe
aidn't do that =ayy end :::S:.tc: :a.oa Iii; Iii;
way, and the big children were hidinf
their heads under the quilts to drowt
their sobs. When had his clothes of
and his night;gown on l was ashamed
and put him down, and when tho oldes
saw tears In my eyes an. iuinped out ot
0ed to put her arms around my neck,
dropped the name of Whisky BilI' right
then and forever"
"And little Ned?"
"Mebbe I'd have weakened, but fol
him." replied the man, rs he wiped hi!
eyes. After ! got the child's night-gowr
on, what did he do but knoel right dowr
beside me and wait for me to say thu
Lords Prayer to him Why, sir, yor
might of knocked mo down with feath
erl There vas, mother and father t
him, and couldn't say four words 0
that prayer to save my life He wait
ed for me to begin, as his mother always
had, and the big children were waiting
and when / took him in my arms ant
kissed him, called Heaven to witness
that my life should ange from tha
hour. And 80 it did, sir, aud I've beef
trying hard to lead sober, honest life
God helping, 10 one shall call me 'Whis
Ky Bilr again."
The four little children, little Ned il
his nightgown, came out for a goodnight
kiss, and the boy cuddled in his father.
arms for moment and said:
Good night, pa--good.nighs, every
body in the goodnight, ma, uE
in heayen-and don't put cut The lighl
till VIC get to sleep p-Detroa Ere,
@'So''