The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-12-29
pEcx's BAD BOY AND HIS "A.
ss t.xoRGx V. rxex.

l say, come tn nefG Wni& | kfte you piece of advice. ]" said the grocery man to the bad boy. as the youth entered the grocery one cold morning. with an old veteran from the Soldiers home. who vent up to the coal stove and rubbed h,s hands. and turning to the old veteran. the groceryman added, No, sir. yoc can't have any plug tobacco. ualess you have got the money to plank right down on the counter. and l had rather you wouldn't come here to trade anyway, be- cause you look hard. and smell frcwy. and my customers dcut like to mix up with you" The old veteran warmed his hands and vent out, with a tear in h,s ere, and the groceyman took the bad boy in the back end of the store, and said, You want to let those old soldiers alone Your pa vas in here last night. and he said he vas ashamed of you. Hf said he and your ma were out riding, and he saw you walking up towards the Home, with soldiers on each side of you, holding On your arms, and your pa thinks they were drunk. Now, you ought to be ashamed. Let those old soldier alone They are bad lot.- and the groceDman acted as though he had been the means ot saving the boy from q terrible fate The boy was so mad he conldnt speak for minute. and then he >aid
 sNou and pa are pretty crowd to 70 back on soldiers. amt you: How long is II s,nce you were humping yourself around this town trying to hire A subs,- } tute ,e go ;o wsr for you: Then soi dier who volunteered was the noblest work ot tod. and you helped pass re>o. luuons to the effect tha, the country owed a debt ot gaiitude to them that could never be paid Every dollar pa has go, eNeep, ~ha, he won playing poker before he reformed he got out Of soldiers, ~hen he was sutler of regiment, Every mouth ful cat now IS the pree oi a soldier < wages ~ho spent his money with pa for brandy peaches or safdines. Ia wasn't ashamed of soldiers then. when they 70, drunk on brandy peae hes he sold ,o them. and al that time a soldier would have been welcome to a plug ot tobacco ou, of your store, and nos you turn an old wounded veteran out doors because he hasn't go, i've cents te buy tobacco
 There. there" sand the grocery man. becoming ashamed of himself on don't understand your pas situation. ot mine, you see
 Yes sec sad the boy !" see II all just as pl.,ln as can be, and Il is my tatn to talk. and l am going to talk The tune ls passed ~hen you need tho soldier
 When you wanted him to stand between you and the bayonets oi the enemy. he ~As thoroughbred. and you smiled when he came in the store. and asked hun 10 have eigar When he was wounded you hustled around and got To. ge;hei sanitary stores, such as saufkrout and piaying cards. and sen, them to him b, the fastest express. and you prayed Tor hini and when he had whipped the enemy you welcomed him home ~,th open arms, and sad there was nothing too good tor him forever afer He should always he remembered. hts children should he cared for and educated. and all that Now he IS old. his children have died or grown up and gone west. and you do not welcome him any more. He comes m here on his wooden leg and all you think oi Is whether he has got any of hls pension money left Ills old eyes are so weak he cannot sec the sheer ~ith winch you drafted patriot. who sen, a subs,itte,e ,o war, looks at him as he asks you for plug of tobacco ana agrees ,o pay you ehcn he draws his neat pension. and he goes out with pain in hIs great big hear such as you ~ill never feel un- less you have somc eodhsh spoil on your hand liah Aou patriots make me tired
 lou are pretty hard on u>. and the gto, cry man acted hut. The govern ment paid the soldiers and give, them penslons and all that. and they ought to kno~ better than to ret drunk
 Paid them" sad the bad boy indig nantly Nha, k four dollars A month pension ,o man who has los, his arm or ~ho has bullet holes All over him Ii tram runs over man's legs. the tail. road is in luck fl |, does not have to pa, ten thousand dollar What does ihe soldieT get, He gets left half the tune
 am opposed to people getting drunk
 bu, as long as pa and iots of the besi
 people m town. get drunk when they ieei like II; why IS II worse for an old soidier ; who has ns other say to have fun and feel rich. to gc, drunk 7 If you had to live Al the soldiers home. and work on ,he road and do tArm work for your board you would ge, full A goose when you [ came io town. Outside of the home ground the old .oldier ieeis free. lie : looks at the bright sunshine. tnhales Gods free sir. walks upngh, toward. town, and us, As hs old ~ounds begln : to ache, he sees beer sIgn, and instead of the words man tha, IS born of woman is of few days, and full of woe coming 10 his mind he thinks of the words oI the constitution. all men are born free . and equal. endowed with certain lnalien-
 able rights. among which arc life liberty
 and the pursuit of hAppiness, and he
 goes n and orders a Shoonef of beer
 like white man. The saloon IS the only place on Gods green earth. where the old wounded veteran IS free and equal. and he , make ,he mos, oi IL When he gets full , he s the prey of foolish boys. like ire
 bugs. who have fun Jeer,ng him, and they
 sno~ball him, and say look al the old . drunkzrd' fl he Lays down on the rsii-
 road track and IS killed by the czrs, you