Mexico weekly ledger., 1884-05-01
SOURI,, THURSDAY, MAY 1, 1884.
Peck's Bad Boy And His Pa.

n a paper for?' said the grocery {
nan to the bad boy, as he came IN /,
With a two dollar bill, and wrapped /.
t up in a half sheet Of note paper,
md asked for an envelope. That's
ome April fool business I'll bet five
lollars..
'.I'n take the het, and when T con.
'ince you that it is no April fool
business, we will put your five dol
airs in with this and send it. II
I'm going to send that two dollars to
lie confederate grand army fair, at
Richmond, Va. You see there are
.o,s of private soldiers who fought in
The confederate. army, who are des-
titute, some Of them ON the verge of
with families to support,
and they have no government to give
them pensions, and their .neighbors
are poor, so their comrades are get
ting up a fair to raise money to help
support them, and perhaps build a
home for them like our soldiers
home, and the confederates ask the
northern people to chip in a little
towards it. 1 %sympathize with the
old boys two dollars how much do
you sympathize?" and the boy
looked at the groceryman as though
he expected a contribution.
"Not darn sympathize," said the
groceryman, as he picked up the
cheese knife and raised it over his
head as though he wanted to cut a
slice of cheese off a confederate SOL
der. mo, sir, l won't give a
nickle. Serves them right if they
suffer and starve. What did they
want to raise a row for? They were
whipped, and now they must SUBJ
NIT to their defeat, and live the best
way they can. Catch me giving
money to rebels! No! never. You
are a fool"
"You are a heartless old cuss,
that's what you are. You never was
a soldier, or you would have some
charity concealed about your carcass.
The union soldiers are giving cheer
fully towards helping their old op'
ponents, and it comes with a bad
grace for a stay-at-home coward like
you to go back on soldiers. Uniol
officers shake hands with confeder
ate officers, and the goyernmen
gives offices to them, and when the.
come up north everybody is glad t.
see them, and when u people g
south in tue winter everybody treat
them splendid, and they forget al
| about the terrible war, but here is
chance to do something kind for til
old crippled and sick private soldier
of the confederate army, who hav
hearts and souls and everything bu
money, and you refuse to give
nickle, eh ?"
eyes, I refuse" said the grocery
man, as he went off down the coul
> ter to get away from the boy. 9
don't want nothing to do with ME
who tried to break up this unio1
Condemn them, they shot a brother
k in-law of mine in the back, and for
year after the war he couldn't
= down, except on his knees. When
think of what that man suffered t
:. want of rest it makes me wild, al
when I think of the government I
Sc fusing my brother-in-law a pensi
n. on the fmsy ground that he was ru
~ ming away from the enemy on t
- field, my blood boils. He had
m get back to the e a at Gettysbu'
of because he had left his knapsack W
IS. his writing materials in, about a IN
u back, and he wanted to write a let
= to his parents. By gum, l wo
give a cent"
"Those who we're shot in the ba
,er and their friends, arc the most bit
rs, on the confederates," said the !
boy sarcastically. "The union
1t diers who were shot in the breast,
had an arm or a leg shot off while
the front, and who fell with Il
faces towards the boys in gray,
ca. the ones who appreciate bravery,
MS they don't kick on chipping in a Ii
has to help their old enemies, who
at friends now, out of a tight pl
is a You would treat our misguided ne
SO bors worse than England treats
Zulus. You are worse than a
nibal. You do not seem to appr
bbs ate the fact that these old confet
ate soldiers are white, that they
brothers, belonging to the same c.
Of try that we do. speaking the s
and language, and ready to fight for
, to union at the drop of the hat II
occasion requires. You would
sn.s them starve, and not raise a bel
hand. You would not see a
starve if he came to your door
ex- plead mutely for food, and yet
and will see a confederate soldier,
CHS, for three years fought because
,ubt, thought he was right, and wen
OF his desolate home with q buiie
e 50 him, suffer for the necessar'e
life and you refuse to help
rupt Can't you realize that bis Chi
than are as dear to him as yours 81
I'M YOU, and that it breaks his hea
COL see their pitiful faces pinched
= are hunger, and that their voices a
|, in for bread from the father who