The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-09-21


of the railway station, he sent minute
description of her to some of the West
ern papers thai had a large circulation.
He made little bed for her on the
lounge at first, but as the weeks went
on, and no one came to claim her, he
bought a crib. He dreaded to look into
a newspaper after that, and when the
shop bell rang his heart beat painfully.
But no one ever came, or sent a mes
sage asking for a child. Sef had come,
and she staid, and from the first mo-
ment she and a. Bean loved each other
devo;edly.
You better send her to the orphans,
home" said Matilda Haddock, the old
woman A. Bean had hired to make
some clio, hes for the child, and attend
to her little wants. g You can't never
take care of a child, no how, unless you
git married"
d" Marriedr' screamed A. Bean,
married! You must be crazy. A phil
osOpher, and l claim to be one here
A. Bean dropped his voice, and spoke
calmly-''a philosopher knows better
than TOTO, if may so express it, TO
complicate his relations"
Heyr' said Matilda Haddock, drop
ping snuff all over herself in her amaze
ment, Il don't make We out, r.
Than to marry" snapped the little
man, quite out of patience. ''But l
shall keep her. The first thing l re-
member | was bound out. s'pOse you
know what that is?''
Matilda nodded.
"WeH,'' continued A. Bean, THAT
was the first awful thing. The next
was, l was carried off to fat country,
so flat pancake would be hummocky
to it. The heavens shet tight down to
the airth, an there wa n no folks, nor
no apple-sass, nor no nothin'! o Lord
How did hate it! An Ezra Doxtater
and Miss Doxtater-how they hated
boys, me special He used to call me a
cuss, which it amt for me to say I
wasn't; an she bein' what you might
call ugly good was forever tellin' me
what becomes of bad boys that are took
Off student. An they were forever a.
lickin' me, an settin' me to work,
which | do say l was willin' enough to
do if i hadn't been forever fit at. The
first thing did every morning was to
plan out how L d git to 60 away. 1
KEEP plannin', an a-plannin', till the
railway come. an then lit. | like to
be where folks aire, an things is goin'
on. / don't set no store by water, an
so l come to the city, an here rve
staid. But bein' with folks amt havin'
folks, not that L do want folks reg Ter,
not bein' brought up to have EN-, but l
shall keep her. First had WALLER cat,
an then l had a yaller dog. They were
the cutest critters. But bein' of an in
quirin' turn, Miss Haddock, think I'll
try a human this time, an folks kin
clack their tongues of, l shall keep
her"
When two years had passed, A. Bean
took the child to the pastor of the church
not far from the little shop.
"Im not religious man myself"
he explained, "leastways, not till l had
her. But havin' children to bring up
docs make a difference, an I'd like to
make arrangements to come to church
reg Ter. Besides, / want her named.
Named reg'ler so twill stick, an SEEM
as we've neither on us any folks, I'd
like her to be named Alexandry after
me. A princess some where has that
name, Miss HaddOck says"
"Alice would be a shorter name, and
less unusual" suggested the kindly
minister.
I'VE amt usual folks" persisted A.
Bean. 81 It's usual for folks to know
where they come from, but we dom t,
an here we be; so if it amt agin all
mater, T. like to have her Alexandry
so twill stick, an her baptized when
it's convenient"
When DR.. Stearns explained that it
was not the custom of his sect to bap-
tie little children, and that every one
who wished to come was welcome to
the church, A. Bean was much amazed.
The minister made a prayer, with his
hand upon Alexandra's head, and
kissed her when she went away. And
h. tho,
sured that her new name would stick.
to be seen every Sunday in one of the
shadowy corners of the quaint meeting
house.
The two rooms grew narrow. ''She
must have a room by herself" A. Bean
explained to the tailor upstairs. "And
we must eat in a decent place. Not
bein' a family man, perhaps you can't
understand it. The hair and the hatch
ell and the potatoes under the table ain't
appetizin' to her. The tailor moved
away, and with Miss Handbook S help the
room over the shop was transformed
into young lady's bedroom. Though
she amt but ten, she'll grow to it,''
sad A. Bean, rubbing his wisps of hands
together. Elk it for a young lady, an
then it will be proper White curtains
red and green ingram carpet was laid
on the floor, and big mahogany
bureau, bought at bargain at Isaac's
secondhand store, stood between the
windows. The dainty bedstead of pol
ished brass was bought by A. Bean HIM
self - It's just like her." he explained
to Miss Haddock, '' bright, an shiny,
an Slim" And Alexandra had grown
bright and slim and wonderfully clever;
for she now not only cared for herself,
but for the shop, and helped A. Bean
in all his work. When she was nearly
twelve years old, they were one day sur
prised by a call from DR.. Stearns.
A. Bean was very much fluttered, and
ran from his wig-cOunter to his lace
counter in a bewildered way. This
here edge" he said. laying out some of
his choicest laces, ''does take my eve
more n anything in the pile. | s'pOse
you come for lace, as wigs don't seem
to have no place on heads as has such
hair as yourn. l sold DIR. Camp q wig
two year ago, a sort of yaller red his
hair is, an mighty hard to MATCH"
Il came to talk TO you about your
little girl said the Doctor, feeling q
twinge of conscience at the surprise his
visit occasioned- "Have you ever sent
her to schoOlp'
mo, but she an me together have
learned to read, an write, an spell
some, along of Miss Haddock. When
had she better begin?''
''She ought to have been in school
for the past two or three years. ex-
planned the Doctor.
Alexandra was sent to the primary
school the next day, but when the little
scholars laughed at her reading, she
snatched up her hat and ran home, and
nothing would induce her to return.