The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-08-22


preaching.
"Good-mornfn', good-mornin'," said the
Elder, piling his bundles on the counter.
81 hope you are well?" Elder Brown ex-
tended his hand fervidly.
''Quite well, thank you. What"
'And the little wife?" said Elder Brown,
affectionately retaining the jews hand.
''Quite well, sir"
"And the little ones-quite well, hope,
too?'
eyes, sir; all well, thank you. Some
thing l can do for you?"
The affable merchant was trying to re-
call his customers name.
"Not now, not now, thankee. If you
please to let my bundles stay untell come
bacl-D
"Can't I show you something? Hat,
coat"
mot now. Be back bimeby."
Was it chance or fate that brought Elder
Brown in front of a bar? The glasses
shone bright upon the shelves as the swing
ing door tapped back to let out a coatlese
clerk, who passed him with a rush, chew
ing upon a farewell mouthful of brown
bread and bologna. Elder Brown beheld
for an instant the familiar scene within.
The screws Of his resolution had been Ioos =
ened. At sight of the glistening bar the
whole moral structure of twenty years
came tumbling down. Mechanically he
entered Ine SdlODll, anu ldlu Il silver quar-
ter upon the bar as he said:
"a little whisky an suger." The arms
of the bar tender worked like a fakr's in
side show as he set out the glass with its
little quota of ''short sweetening" and a
cut glass decanter, and sent a half tumbler
of water spinning along from the upper
end of the bar with a dime in change.
"Whisky is higher'n used to be-" said
Elder Brown; but the ar-tender was
HI, Md 4 4 hi
t>1Glder Brown stirred away the sugar, and
| let a steady stream of red liquid flow into
the glass Fe swallowed the drink as I'M
concernedly as though his morning tod had
never been suspended, and pocketed the
change. But it amt any better than il
was" he concluded, as he passed out. He
did not even seem to realize that he had
done anything extraordinary.
There was Il millinery store up the street
and thither with uncertain step ne wendell
his way, feeling little more elate, and
altogether sociable. A pretty, black-eyed
girl, struggling to keep down her mirth
came forward and faced him behind the
counter. Elder Brown lifted his faded hat
with the politeness, if not the grace, of q
Castilian, and made a sweeping bow
Again he was in his element. But he die
not speak. A shower of odds and ends
small packages, thread, needles and but.
tons, released from their prison, ratified
down about him.
The girl laughed. She could not help it
And the elder, leaning his hand on the
counter, laughed, too, until several other
girls came halfway to the front. Their
they, hiding behind counters and sus.
pended cloaks, laughed and snickered unit
they reconvulsed the elders riS-d-riS, vino
had been making desperate efforts Il
resume her demure appearance.
"Let me help you, sir" she said, coming
from behind the counter, upon seeing Elder
| Brown beginning to adjust his spectacles
for search. He waved her back males
tically. ''No, my dear, no; can't allow it.
ma'am. No gen'l'man III low er lady to dc
such a thing" The elder was gently fore
ing the girl back to her place leave it
to me. Ive picked up bigger uhings'n
them. Picked myself up this mornin'
Balaam-you don't know BALKAN; he's my
donkey-he tumbled me over his head in
the sand this mOrnin'." And Elder Brown
had to resume an upright position until his
parOxysm of laughter had passed. "EOu
see this cid hat?" extending it half full OF
packages; II fell clear inter it: ies' as
clean inter it as them things thar fell out'n
it He laughed again, and so did the
girls. "But, my dear, I whaled half the
hide otf'n him for it,"
so, sir! how could you? Indeed, sir, |
think you did wrong. The poor brute did
not know what he was doing, l dare say,
and probably he has been faithful friend
The girl cast her mischievous eyes toward
her companions, who snickered again. The
old man was not conscious of the sarcasm
He only saw reproach. His face straight
ened, and he regarded the girl soberly.
"Mebbe you're right, my dear; mebbe
oughtn't."
~ am sure of it," said the girl. "But
/
cloak to carry nome to your wife,
"Well, you're whistlin' now, birdie; that's
my intention; set 'em all out" Again the
elders face shone with delight. Am
don't want no one-hoss bonnet neither"
"Of course not. Now here is one; pink
silk, with DELICATE pale blue feathers. JUS
the thing for the season. We have nothing
more elegant in stock" Elder Brown hello
it out, upside down, at arm s-length.