The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-03-31

She brushed against Judge
in passing, but he had become inter
; ested in the game, and did not notice
her. Reaching the water tank al
last, she drank cup of water, took s
seat near the door with her back to the
players. But she did not remain
there. Rising again with difficulty,
she tottered back to her former seat,
but reaching the players she paused
{ directly in front of them, and now ex-
citedIy threw back her long bonnet
and looked around at the company
Her actions at unce arrested their at
tention, and pausing in their play they
all looked up inquiringly. Gazing di,
; recdy in the face of Judge -,
she said, Ia q tremulous voice:
'Do you know me, Judge --?7
| ''Eo, mother, ] don't remember
you," said the judge, pleasantly;
where have We metz"
eA{y name is Smith, said she, ''and
/ was with nay poor boy three days.
of and on, In the courtroom at Osh-
kosh, when he was tried for-for-for
i robbing somebody. and you are the
came man that sent hira to prison for
ten years, and he died there laet June" I"
! All faces we're now sobered, and
passengers began to gather around and
stand over them to listen and see what
was going on. She did not give the
Judge time 70 answer her, bat becom-
ing more and more excited she
went Oh:
He was a good boy. if you did
send him to Jail He helped US TO
clear the farm, and when father was
took sick and died, he done all the
work, and he was getting along right
smart till he TOOK to town, and got to
playing keards and drinking, and then
somehow he didn't like to work after,
but used to stay out til morning, and
then he'd sleep so late; and could
not wake him when l knocked, he'd
been cut so late the night before
And then the farm kinder run down,
and then We lost the team. and one of
them got killed when he'd been to
town one awful cold night. He stayed
late, and l suppose they got cold
standin' out and got skeered and broke
louse and run most home, but run
| against the fence, and stake run into
one Of 'eln, and when we found him
next morning he was dead, and the
other was standin' under the shed.
And SO after awhile he coaxed me 10
sell the farm and buy house and lot
in the village, and he'd work at car
penter work. And so I did, as we
/ couldn't do nothing Oh the farm.
but he grew worse than ever, and
after awhile couldn't get any work,
and would not do anything but gamble
and drink all the time. I used to do
everything I could to get him to quit
and be a good, industrious boy again,
but he used to get mad after awhile:
and once he struck me, and then In
the morning found he had took what
little money there vas left Of the farm
and had run Of. After that I got
along as well as / could, cleanin' house
for folks and washin'; but I didn't hear
nothing of him for four or Eve years;
but when he got arrested and was took
up to Oshkosh for trial, he writ to me. ="
By this time there was not q dry eye
in the car, and the cards had disap-
peared. The old lady herself was
weeping silently and speaking in
snatches. But recovering herself she
went on:
but what could I do2 I sold the
house and lot to get money to hire a
lawyer; and I believe be is here some
where Hooking around). Oh, yes,
there he is, AIr. - pointing to
Lawyer -, who had not taken part
in the playl. And this is the man, I
am sure, who argued against him
! Lpointing to Mr. -. the district
attorney.
And you, Judge --, sent him
to prison, for the poor boy told me
that he really did rob the bank. But
he must have been drunk, for they
had all been playing keards most all
night, and drinking. But oh, dearl
'sIt seems to mo kinder as though if
he hadn't got to playing keards be
might have been alive yet. But when
l used to tell him it was wrong and
bad to play, he used to say, Why,
mother, everybody plays now. l
never bet only for candy or cigars, or
something Ike that And when we
heard that the young folks played
keards down at MIR. Culver's donation
party, and that Squire Ring was go
ing to get billiard table for his
young folks to play at home, 1 could
not do anything at all with him. We
used to think it was awful to do that
way when was young; but it just
seems to NE as if everybody nowadays