The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1882-08-03
Jones & Go.
MARY JANE JONES, IN THE ARGoNAUr

came by the way of New York, and
Washington, and Panama City, in 8
steamboat, and ma brought a maid
to wait on her, and pa had a black
fellow named "Jim," and when he
got to California; say we, Tn
only fourteen years old now, but
was born then, though that don't
matter, l guess-pa had lots OF
money. l was born at the Lick
House, and you ought to see my
baby clothes. Jones 65 Co. haven t
the kind of goods them was, because
Maud has draggled them all to
pieces. Maud is the baby. Six
years old Maud is, and it won't be
long before she is n clerk in Jones
& Co.'s. First babies always have
the incest things. Ma says first
babies are like second wives.
But L keep getting away from
Jones & Co. Well, l am of the
opinion that after pa bought his
house on Van Ness avenue, he went
into stocks whatever that is. Co
ing into stocks must be very serious
business, and sometimes pa came
home looking splendid, and wanted
to buy everything, and laughed at
ma for being so mean, and not get
ting better clothes, and then he al
ways wanted her to drive in the
park, and to the theater.
One day he came home with a
brand new carriage and span of
long tailed horses, and negro coach
man, and a funny little darkey for
footman. 1t was for ma, and we
rode every day. Then sometimes
pa came home and looked very blue,
and talked about stocks, and l be-
gan to watch pa, and noticed that
sometimes when he laughed the
loudest he looked just as if he
wanted to cry, and then he sold the
horses, and then the house, and the
furniture was sent to auction, and
ma felt very bad, and pa wasn't
himself any more, and once, when
baby Maud was asleep in his arms,
he kissed her and cried, and then
when told ma, she said she guessed
pa did not feel very well, and
mustn't notice it, and then she cried.
After this we all went to a board
ing house-a nasty, mussy board
ing house. Everything was well
enough, only a clearinghouse is
not much Of a home.
Then the baby came, and it died.
and ma almost died, and 1 heard pa
say to the man who kept the board
ing house that ''he was pretty tight
up, but was coming out all right, y
and the next day pa didn't have any
watch or sleeve buttons.
l didn't seem to notice it because
I seen that maybe pa had sold them
to pay board, and 1 heard ma and
pa talk away in the night, and some
times ma cried, and pa looked in
the morning as if he had not slept q
wink, and l don't believe he had.
Once it was dreadful. Pa came
home tipsy, and 1 never seen ma
feel so bad, ever; and then they
talked it over, and ma went home tC
grandfather's in New York, with
Maud, and stayed with pa to &C
to school.
Then pa kept getting worse anc
worse, and we went to live in rooms
and eat at restaurants, and pa stayed
out late at night, and l guess hC
drank more than was good for him
and 1 thought something had to bC
done. So l said to pa one day:
spa, less go into business anC
open a store"
And he laughed and said:
'What kind of a store?"
And l said:
"Oh, a candy store or stationery
store, or a thread and needle store
just such as women keep and littl'
girls help in"
An pa laughed and said he would
think of it. and when he came hom
that night l asked him if he haC
thought about it, and he said he
hadn't and l said he had better, ant
he said he would and that mornin:
he didn't 90 out, but stayed at hom
and wrote ma a long letter.
So next day l went INTO a stor
on Polk street kept by a nice lad,
who had a bad husband, where the.
sold everything, and she said il
France they called it lingeris.
1 didn't know what they mean
because it was French, and l aske'
her if she didn't want to sell he
store, and she said:
DO you want to buy a stor'
little girl?''
And l said:
"My Pa does"
And she smiled and said sh
t guessed the sheriff would have
store to sell in few days, and
said 1 would tell pa, because /
knew Mr.. Numan, the sheriff.
, was one of Mr.. humans men tn:
t sold pas horses and furniture Q
e for him.
And the next day told pa abol
: the store, and what a nice one
was, he said he had been a dl
goods man once, and had a lars
is store, and sold silk dress goods, al
: velvets, and furs, and laces, worr
n ever so much yard, and Ind
. shawls worth more than a thOusar
, dollars apiece.
- L don't know exactly what pa d
- but l think something turned NJ
. S few days afterwards, for hea
y him say he had made "a raise, al
II he showed me more than thou
a and dollars in gold notes, and for
s. day or two he carried them in
y side pocket, and mostly kept l
- hand over them for fear they won
Or Jump out and fly away, and
at bought me some shoes and a n
s. and stuff for aprons, and l ma
e. them myself, and l never saw
iy look so happy since ma went awa
Of and one day he said To me:
al "Vevie, l have bought the ste
.r on Polk street, and you are to
q. saleswoman and partner"
And sure enough, in few da
:, we went into the store, and over
- door was a great big sign of ''Jor
~ IL Co., and pa said was the &C
Is And when / said, land so, pa, y
m' are JONES'" he blushed, and / gu
Ia he didn't like for his old friends
"a