Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1884-01-10
The Miachevous Offspring,
WHAT HE THINKS ABOUT OLD SOL
DIERs.

piece of advice" said the grocery.
man to the bad boy, as the youth en-.
tered the grocery one cold morning,
with an old veteran from the Soldiers
Home, who went up to the coal stove
and rubbed his hands, and turning to
20 the old veteran the groceryman ad-
ded, mo, sir, you cant have any plug
tobacco. unless you have the money To
plank right down on the counter, and
/ had rather you wouldn't come here
30 trade anyway, because you look
hard, and smell frowy, and my Gus.
toners don't like to mix with YOU y
The old veteran warmed his hands and
went out, with n tear in bis eye, and
che groceryman took the bad boy in
90 the back end of the store, and said,
1'Iou want to let those old soldiers
alone Your pa was in here last night
and he said he was ashamed of you.
lie said he and your ma were out
riding, and he saw you walking up to.
ward the Homo 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 soldiers alone. They are bad
lot," and the groccryman acted as
though he had been the means of saw
ing the boy from a terrible fate. The
boy was SO mad he couldn't speak, Tor
a minute, aud then he said
"Yuu and pa are Il pretty crowd TO
60 back on the soldiers, amt YOU
How long is it since YOU were hump.
ing yourselves around this town trying
20 hire Il substitute to 60 to war for
you ? Then a soldier who volunteer.
ed was the noblest work If God, and
you helped pass resolutions to the ei.
feet that the country owed n debt Of
gratitude to them that never could be
paid. Every dollar that pa has got
except what he won playing poker be.
fore he reformed, he got out of col.
diers, when he was -utlcr ola regiment.
livery mouthful | eat now is at the
price of a soldiers wages, who spent
his money with pa for brandy peaches
and sardnes. Pa wasn't ashamed of
soldiers then, when they got drunk on
brandy peaches he sold them, and at
that time a soldier would have been
welcome to plug of tobacco out of
your store, aud now you turn an old
wounded veteran outdoors because be
hasn't got five cents to buy a plug ut
tobacco
There, there" saidihe groccryman.
becoming ashamed of himself. you
don't understand your pas situation
or mine, YOU see -
"Ies. | see said the bad bow, Il
zee it all just as plain as can be, aud It
~ my turn to talk, and am going to
talk. The time il passed when YOU
need the soldier. When you wauted him
TO stand between you and4he bay0nci.
OF the enemies, he was a thoroughbred.
AMI sou smiled when he came in the
store, and asked him to have o cigar.
When he was wounded you hustled
around and got together sanitary
stores, such as sauerkrUut and PLAYING
cards, aud sent them 20 him bv the
tastes, express, aud you prayed for
b M, aud when he had whipped the
ptemy you welcomed him home with
open arms, and said ;herc was nothing
Zoo good for him ever after. IIcshould
always be remembered, his children
should be cared for and educated. and
all that. Now he i old. and his chill.
dren havs died or grown M and gone
West, aud you do not welcome him
any more. lie comes in here on his
goodeu leg, and all you think of is
whether he has got any of his pension
money left. His old eyes are so weak
he cannot sec the snecr with which
your drafted patriot, who sent sub.
J .itute TO war, looks at him n he asks
YOU for n plug Of tobacco and agrees
% pay for it when he draws his next
pension, and he goes out with a pain
in his great big heart, such as YOU will
never feel unless you have some cod.
Ssh spoil on your hands. Bah F., You
patriots make me tired
"You are pretty hard on us" and
the groceryman acted hurt. "Tbe
paid the soldiers, and gives
fkem pensions, and all that, and they
1gght TO know better than to 90 aud
get drunk"
paid them" said the bad boy in.
"What is four dollars
;sosth pension 90 a man who has lost
liis arm. or who has bullet holes all
over him II atrain runs over n mans
leg, the railroad is in luck if il does
not have to pay ten thousand dollars.
What docs the soldier get? He gets
J sft half the time. / am opposed to
people getting drunk, but as long a. pa
sad some Of the beet people in town
get drunk when they feel like il. why
IS it worse for an old soldier, who has
$40 other way to have fun and feel rich,
fol get drunk. Ii You had to live at
Ghe Soldiers Home, and work on the
road or do farm work, for your board
ysu would get as full a goose every