The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1881-10-20
THE TIDAL VA VE.


"LaTnin'p' said Obadiah Beales, with
cOntemptuous sniff, as he threw down an
armfui OF scrags that were intended TO re-
pienish the none too generous flame in the
open hre-place-''larnin'l What's the good
OF itf There amt no need of it, as l can see;
an as for keepin' Hetty MOriah any longer
at that ERE school, an payin' such big bills
Jest amt a-gOin' TO do it,"
'NoW, Diah," demonstrated Mrs. Beales,
"you know there amt no schools here fit to
send our gal to, an we won't be dOin' our
duty by her unless we give her a good eddi-
cation. How proud Wen be of Hetty when
she comes home with diploma, an is able
70 hold her head as high as any o. Squire
Kings dartersp
"Now, Mandy" said Obadiah, as he seated
himself In the low rush-bottOmed chair,
"there amt no use Of our tryin' to hold "a
candle TO Squire Kings folks. They amt
our kind, an we amt no business to copy
after 'eIn."
Mandy sighed, but not because she was
convinced Of the correctness of her hus-
bands opinion. She was an ambitious
WOman-more ambitious for her only child.
Hetty MOriah, than for herself or Obadiah,
whom II was impossible to move from the
old traditions. He was a parsimOniOus
fellow, who had inherited more land than
he was able te pay taxes upon, and follow
ed In the footsteps Of his predecessors 50
literally that those who had ever seen old
Amos beales, or the deacon, his son, would
know that Obadiah came OF the same stock
Graces may not be transmitted, but oddities
are handed down from generation to gen
GRAFTON.
Mandy Beales was accustomed to these
circumstances from her husband, especial
~ after the receipt OF the quarterly bill for
Hetty's tuition; and as she drew the mock
orange from the toe of the sock she was
darning, she had time 10 collect her
thoughts and make another appeal to
pAternal pride.
We've as good right to do well BY our
own child as Squire King does by his'n,"
MI rfV,.yh rr., IL -,
the ragged edge OF IA hole the Dimensions OF
which we're rather dlscouragIng to the
feminine reformer; for 1t looked as il, when
the wenrer OF the sock set his foot down he
was likely to keep 1t there firmly until
something gave way. "You amt as proud
as you ought to be Of Hetty Moriah"
81 am, too" said Obadiah, doggedly. "The
trouble Is, wore too proud: am if we 20 to
settin' her up an putin high-fangled
notions into her head, she won't think we're
mt TO sociate with or that anything in Crow
held 10 good enough for her. When she was
ter home last vacation she thought the old
house wasn't fit to live in"
"Well, 1t ain't," said Mandy, with con-
siderable spirit. "You know IL amt never
had coat OF paint on It since we lived
mere, nigh on ter twenty years, an the root
leaks like riddle, so that them upper
chambers Amt no use at all, 'cept in clear
weather"
"Well, II costs money TO be maxim I'm
provements all the timeb said Obadiah 70
whom Mandy's suggestions and hints were
like water on n ducks back alt costs like
Jehu; and what's good enough for me is
good enough for my children. But that
amt ALL" he continued, the allusion TO his
own neglect OF duty increasing his con.
seriousness or Hetty's shortcomings: sSthe
last time she was ter home she turned VI
her nose mOre'n ever at Tom Kennedy; an
gal don't know which side her breads
buttered on when she snubs a Teller a.
that"
''Tem Kennedyp' said Mandy. with mucl
the same emphasis and more than the
amount of scorn Obadiah had thrown int
the ''tdgNtR'" with which he began the dis
eussion. tom Kennedy, indeed 1 hop,
Hetty won't take up with any trash. No
but what he's good enough as far as dlspo
sition goes, an clever enough, maybe; bu
he aln't mover goin' to set the river on fire.
"Well, who wants him to- Hetty MORTAL
may do worse than to marry Tom Kennedy
who aih't nobOdy's fOOl.0
The discussions In the Beales family
generally began with Hetty Moriah, an(
ended with Tom, who had long served as ;
bone Of contention. He had been in the
habit of dropping In evenings ever sine,
Hetty Beales had been cid enough to 90 on
In company, and kept It up, nOtwithstand
ing the daughters absence, quite obliviou
OF the fact chat Mrs. Beales, who welcome,
him as a guest, was opposed to him as
son-in-law. He had known Hetty ever sine,
she was q little girl--had grown up Will
her, in fact-and always acted the part o
an elder brother, and 1t was quite natura
that he should want to hear Of her progress
which she had filed the letters Mrs. Beale
him.
Tom himself was not what you might cal
cultivated gentleman, but he had seen
great deal Of the world, was shrewd an,
observing, and had his mind stored with
fund of general information, that made hin
excellent company for those who seldom
took the trouble 10 read even a newspaper
To this class belonged Diah Beales, VIII
wouldn't subscribe to any thing If he coul
help 1t, but would lend his ears willingly {
any one who would give gratuitous informH
ton, and looked upon Tom Kennedy as n
encyclopedia prepared for his especial bene
at.
Tom happened in one evening with hi
mind full Of topic in which he knew Obs
diah would be enterest, and which fur
nlshed him with an excuse for hearin
Hetty's weekly letter, which he took out {
box on his way 10 Crowheld.
Its sure to come" said Tom, referrin
70 the tidal wave. The Signal Service DE-
partment has announced the fact, and viii
be able to give the precise day and hOu
when 1t will reach our shores"
''Du tellP' exclaimed Obadiah, his under
jaw dropping lower and lower as his inter
est increased.
"Yet," replied Bom, as anxious as an
story teller to make deep impression Of
his audience. "TheTe win probably be
great cOnvulsion of nature, and IL Is Rntici
pated that many islands that were once un
der water will be again submerged"
admired Toms way Of telling a story
though he couldn't understand half tn
words he used.
(which way are they comlngY' he in
qaired. "'Tain't right to warn them tina
live on an island TO get their goods an,
chattles together, an give 'em n chance b
get of with a dry skin.'
That's so,7 said Tom. sis there n ma
handy?"
"shouldn't wonder. Mandy, hain't w
got such a thing In the hOuseyS
''As whatY
"a map. We used 10 have one, I'm ssr
tin sure"
at amt no good, - said Mandy, not will
ling that Tom should know that the rail
had washed 1t so thoroughly 1t would b
impossible to tell where the Gulf OF MeXic
began or ended, or whether the Mississippi
river had not changed places with the Al
lantic Ocean.
''Pn run over and get one,' said Tom
1t wont take minute;' and he was o
like flash, and back again before he wa
thought to have accomplished more thai
half the distance. He gleefully branishe'
an old and well-thumbed copy of schoo
d atlas.
"ThereV he began, before he had half re
covered his breath, ''you see its coming du
west, and will strike full tilt against thu
end o. Long Island, and very likely knocl
Il Into smittcrs."
Good LOrdyp exclaimed Mandy, jus
beginning to realize the probable situation
OF affairs, and the insecurity OF real estate
saint there nothing TO stop itY why dom
the folks 20 10 work ard build a break
water, SOS TO keep the water from crowd
ing where il has no business toY''
"Oh, bless your said Tom, ga break
water wouidn' do mite of goOld. VIII
when this tidal wave comes, IL Just swee
the rving before il worse than anysprinQ
Yeeehet you ever saw"