The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-02-13
THE BAD BOY AND HIS PA.
HENNEKY TELLS TIE GROCERY MAN
WHAT HE THINKS or THE OLD
SOLDIERS.
The ENcnse the nnd hoy flnds TOR the Vet
ernD who Sometimes DrInss Too Much.
From Me Milwaukee sun.I


'Say, come in here while give yol
apiece 81 advice, said the grocery MAJ
to the bad boy, NJ the youth entered tn,
grocery one cold morning, with an Ole
veteran from the Soldiers Home, who
went up to the coal stove and rubbed
his hands, and turning TO the old vet.
eran, the grocery man added, mo, sir
you can't have any plug tobacco, unless
you have got the money to plank right
down on the counter aud had rather
you wouldn't come here to trade any
way, because you look hard, and smell
frowy, and my customers don't like to
mix up with you" Tho old veteran
warmed his hands aud went out, with a
tear in his eye, AID the grocery man took
the bad boy III the back end Of the store,
and said, lyon want to let those oldsol.
diers alone. Your pa was in here last
night, and he said he was ashamed of
you. lie said he and your ma we're out
riding, and he saw you walking up TO-.
ward the Home, with soldiers on each
side Of you, holding on your arms. aud
your pa thinks they were drunk. Now,
you ought to DO ashamed. Let those old
soldiers alone. They are bud LOT, " and
the grocery man acted as il he had been
the means Of sayng the boy from a ter
rible fate. The boy was 30 mad he
conldnt speak for q minute. and then he
said:
"You and pa are pretty crowd to go
back on soldiers, amt your How long
Ii 1t since you were hunting around this
town trying 10 hire substitute TO 20 10
war for you? Then u soldier who vol
unteered was the uoblcst work of God,
and You helped pass resolutions to the
effect that the country owed debt Of
gratitude TO them that could never be
paid. Every dollar pa has got he got
out OF soldiers, when he was sutler Of u
regiment. Every mouthiul eat now il
the price Of soldiers wages who spent
his money with pa. Pa wasn't ashamed
OF soldiers then, and at that time sol
dier would have been welcome 10 plug
OF tobacco out Of your store, and now
you turn MI old wounded veteran out
doors because he hasn't got five cents to
bny tobacco"
"Yhere, there, said the grocery man,
becoming ashamed Of himself. "Yon
don't understand your pas situation, or
IInne, you see"
eyes, | see, soil the bad boy, 81 see
1t all just NJ plain as can be, and it il
my turn to talk, and am going to talk.
The time is past when you need the
soldier When you wanted him tostand
between you and the bayOnets Of tho
enemy, he was II thoroughbred, and You
smiled when hc came IN the store, and
asked him TO have Il cigar. When ho
was wounded you hustled around and
got together sanitary stores, such as
sauerkrout and playing cards, and sent
them to him by the fastest express, and
you prayed for him, aud You welcomed
him home with open arms, and said there
was nothing too good for him forever
after. He should always he remembered,
his children should be- cared for aud ed.
ucated, and all that. Now he tx old.
his children have died or grown up and
gone west, and You do not welcome him
any more. He comes IN hero on his
wooden leg and NIL you think Of ia
whether he has got any Of his pension
money left. His old eyes are so weak
he cannot see the Bnccr with which YOU,
drafted patriot, who sent substitute to
war, look at him rs he asks you for II
plug Of tobacco and agrees to pay you
when he draws his next pension, aud he
goes out with pain in his great big
heart such M You will never feel unless
You have some Goldfish spoil on your
hands. Bah You patriots make mo
tired"
''You are pretty hard on us," and the
grocery man acted hurt. "The govern
ment paid the soldiers, and gave them
pensions, and nil that, and they
ought to know better than to get drunk"
"Paid them, said the bad boy, indig.
nantly, "what is four dollars II month
pension to II man who has lost his arm,
or who has bullet holes all over him? II
"A train runs over n mans leg, the rail.
road is in luck if it does not have to pay
ten thousand dollars. What does the
soldier get? He gets left half tho time.
am opposed to people getting drunk,
but M long ns lots OF the best people in
town get drunk when they feel like it,
why IL 1t worse Tor an old soldier, who
has no other way to have fun and feel
rich, to get drunk If you had to live ut
the Soldiers Home, md work on the
road, and do farm work, for your board,
You would get as full Az II goose when
you came to town. Outside of fine
Home grounds the old soldier feels fir ee
Ho looks at the bright sunshine, inha 10 |
Gods free air, walks upright toward
town, and just ~ his old wound begins
to ache, he sees beer sign, and instead
OF the words Man that il born of woman
Is OF few days and full of woe coming to
his mind, he thinks of the words Of tho
Constitution, all men are born free and
equal, endowed with certain inalienable
rights, among which ARE life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness, and he
goes in and orders schooner Of beer.
When he gets full he is the prey of fool,
ish boys, like hrc-hugs, who have fun
leering him, and they SNOWFALL him and
say Look at the old drlnkard.' II he
lays down on the railroad track md is
killed by the cars, you read in the
paper Of another veteran killed Your
only anxiety is as to whether he is the
same cuss you trusted for the tobacco
last summer, and the soldier liz buried
without tear Now, have had il
irovc into me by the conversation of
people older than me- by newspapers,
md resolutions that u soldier il one of
ave got through having use for SOL
Ter that he becomes n thing unworthy
be recognized, bnt MS long as | live a /
nm who fought can have share of G
hat | have got, and | will help him c
ONE when he is full Of benzine, and V
hip any boy that throws snowballs ut h
i'm, or calls him names, and don't you n
'rget it," q
"Say, hold on, Hennery," said the II
rocery man, AZ his eyes became dim. ii
You 20 out and call that soldier back q
nd tell him he is friend of mine. Bv il
UNI, never felt 80 much like pirate W
my life, You are right" ' c,
oval That L.. N ., -, III