The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-12-23
!. POOR UNCLE 81. /"

&-Ffqacts L.. GdTdteT, w Ue OpFtHUt4N <ScpttO-
licdn. si5s4& gt8ftsE ~
I ssPOOR UNCLE ST."
.spcoS5 [onG-@-T-aGsD T-aG nc EzrfvT
..s A True story.
sTshaif never forget that bright, sunny,
3,ternoon, when my father stood look
ang down at US, my two brothers and
4arseH. f essA b+.fsl.sg.sfsss yxs.., bs-,
1 Ne had been planning. with great
adee. how hv1''vv' we would dress up some dark
aisht,. and in the characteEzef gAests,'
hghten certain III tiIp tiImpld schQoltsllow P N Of
pars
1T will be Jolly fun, boys, I can tell
Euars I exclaimed sFwith sas shout of
aaghter at the idea
aJolly fun to you, Hatfy. but what
IEiI ii be tor him p''s asked a deep, re-
IRoachful voice from the doorway, and
ssncing dp there stood ohrg fathef,s:
EEth q panied look on his face.
\ It was new ideal It would be fun
so us, but what would it be to him. the
spocr, unoffending boy we were planning
so frighten so cruelty? fss.s slossssss.A
! WI. had never thought of that side Aof
5he question at, all; boys, az, and men
too, are only too apt to look at one side
aonly. and that side the one that pleases
themselves the most.
Ourfatherstood a nnenaentin thonght.
and then came into the. room and sat
down. A.
aMg sons he said, ,osI see the ertinfe
has come for mei 10 tell yen,a story of
1 the long ago, when was Q boy,xso full
Of life and fun that, like yod, fgdid not
stop to think whether my fun might not
be just the opposite to some one else. !"
He paused awhile, and sad, panied
shadqE .crept oyer his face, q look had
often seen there, and had 1earned to
connect with . certain man who dwelt
4 Ia little cottage near by. f,esa ( [
BE was a large, strong man, about
our fathers age, but alas! the Tight OF
Ga}ife IBIS reason, had gone out for
ever; he was a funatic, gentle and harm
hss, andfor, the most part cheerful and
PLAYFUL but there were times when he
would fall prone on the floor, quivering
with terror, and shrieking out wild ap
pAlfqbe ssyed froPgthV CHESTS that
were about to seize him.
NY fsthcr 6fteh visiteds his poor Eel
loFn !. poor Uncle 6i,p we boys called
nm, and on a few occasions had &ken
neshis oldest boy, with him; he never
went with empty hands, but always
carried some little gift, a picture-book,
candy. cake ora toy;e and even, at such
amesI noted that,weary, sad expression
creep over my fathers usually cheerful
faee and remain there Ikea cloud, long
ater our return home. I knew, too,
that It was he, who. with 7my~U
5emss assistance paid sthe rent of the
lanatic's cottage, clothed him and pro-
nded the Old woman who lived with and
took care of him. 7Ts y = -esa-s
And sorely had all this puzzled me,
ior fknew that :. Uncle Srsswas in no
wise related to, my father or mother, and
that the money expended in his sup
port, could illbe spared for that pur-
posep sai s saaigest. i So. !.
Often had my father promised to tell
the story when the right time should
eome;n and it had come now, it seemed,
FS WINS WCiE VI OuoAo Oi. 3
Ny boys, he said, '"I am going
now to tell you the story of Uncle ST,
and it isthe saddest story of all my life.
When You have heard it you will know
Why | think it my duty to tell it to you
Just now!sS As ihLJ
,Iwould give ten years of my life if
hlsd no such story to tell. But it is
~ cross add one of my own making, so
lnust bear it patiently as my punish
nent. When I was a boygoing to school
mere was among my schoolmates a
a1ght little fellow. . good scholar but
ssery nervous. timid boy. His mother
vas poor woman, who worked hard
as1pport herself and him. and it was
0er greatest ambition to see him win his
Wy up in the world.1 ~ .S
We all liked Silas, he was so gentle;
uut At the same time we took advantage
1sh's good temper and his tinid ma
ssrs' s;rs and were always playing jokes on
"Hs mother was an Irishwoman and
s NY Of queer superstitiopS There
seemed nothing too marvellous for her
% credit. and Silas had inherited this
s,psrsstious s,as tendency in q. great de-
"Ws Boys soon found ont Mis- weak
asss y. and nothing pleased us more than
ss'ef tlae afternoon session was over, to
~. = On the school-house steps and vie
! 80. nm each other in inventing the most
aaseous and startling stories of
kuosts, robbers and murders. 81 would
sssen with his blue eyes almost start
S. nom their sockets. and his cheeks
alng white and red, finally becoming
eNed to such a. pitch that he would
p at every sudden noise, the Slam
. ~ Of door. or the stamp of foot
NE pavement.