The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-09-03
ELDER Browns BACKSLIDE.


keepers department Of a Macon ware
house from the room in general, and
surveyed the well-dressed back Of a
gentleman who was busily figuring at
a desk within. The apartment was
carpetless, and the dust Of decade
lay deep on the old books, shelves, and
fertilizers which decorated the room.
An old stove, rusty with the nicotine
contributed by farmers during the
previous season while waiting by it's
glowing sides for their cotton to be
sold, stood straight up in a bed of sand,
and festoons Of cobwebs clung to the
upper sashes of the murky windows.
The lower sash Of one window had
been raised, and in the yard without,
nearly an acre in extent, lay a few
bales of cotton with jagged holes in
their ends, just as the sampler had left
them. Elder Brown had time to no
tice all these familiar points, for the
figure at the desk kept serenely at its
task, and deigned no reply.
"Good-mornin', sir" said Elder
Brown again, in his most dignifed
tones. rs Mr. Thomas in?''
"Good-morning, sir" said the fig
ure.
"I'll wait on you in minute. y"
The minute passed, and four more
joined it. Then the desk man turned.
"Well, sir, what can | do for you?"
The Elder was not in the best of
humor when he arrived, and his state
of mind had not improved. He wait
ed full minute as he surveyed the
man Of business.
Il thought | mout be able to make
some arrangements with you to git
some money, but l reckon | was mis-
taken" The warehouse man came
nearer.
"This is Mr.. Brown, believe. |
did not recognize you at once. You
are not in often to see US.
mo; my wife usually tends to the
town bizness, while | run the church
and farm. Got fall from my dom
key this morning." he said, noticing
quizzical, interrogating look upon
the face before him, land fell squar'
on the hat" He made pretense Of
smoothing it. The man Of business
had already lost interest.
"How much will you want, Mr..
Brown?"
swell, about seven hundred dollars,
said the Elder, replacing his hat and
turning a furtive look upon the ware
house-man. The other was tapping
with his pencil upon the little shelf
living across the rail.
II can get you five hundred. l."
''But [ oughter have seven"
"Can't arrange for that amount.
Wait till later in the season, and come
again. Money is very tight now.
How much cotton will you raise?"
well, | count on hundred bales.
An you can't git the sewn hundred
dollars?"
Like to oblige you, but can't right
now; will fix it for you later or"
SWELL" said the Elder, slowly, ''fix
up the papers for five. and I'll make
it go as far as possible" "
The papers were drawn. A note
was made out for S552.5O, for the in
terest was at one and half per cent.
for seven months, and a mortgage on
ten mules belonging to the Elder was
drawn and signed. The Elder then
promised to send his cotton to the
warehouse to be sold in the fall, and
with curt Anything else?" and a
"Thankee, that's all" &" the two parted.
Elder Brown now made an effort to
recall the supplemental commissions
shouted to him upon his departure,
intending to execute them first, and
then take his written list item by
item. His mental resolves had just
reached this point when new thought
made itself known. Passers-by were
puzzled to see the old man suddenly
snatch his head-piece off and peer
with an intent and awe-struck air into
its irregular caverns. Some of them
were shocked when he suddenly and
vigorously calculated.
ah-Maria-Jemimy! goldarn
an blue blazes!'
He had suddenly remembered hav-
ing placed his memoranda in that hat
and as he studied its empty depths his
mind pictured the important scrap
futtering along the sandy scene Of
his early-morning tumble. 1t was
this that caused him to Craze an oath
with less margin than he had allowed
himself in twenty years. What
would the old lady say?
Alas! Elder Brown knew too well
What she would not say was what
puzzled him. But as he stood bare
headed in the sunlight sense of utter
desolation came and dwelt with him
His eye rested upon sleeping Balaam
anchored to a post in the street, anC
so as he recalled the treachery thai
Law at the base Of all his aff1iction
gloom was added to the desolation
To turn back and search for the lost
paper would have been worse than use
less. Only one course was open tc
him, and at it went the leader OF hi'
people. He called at the grocery; hi
invaded the recesses of the dry-good!
establishments. he ransacked the
hardware stores; and wherever ht
went he made life a burden for tn,
clerks, overhauling showcases anc
pulling down whole shelves of stock
Occasionally an item of his memor
anda would come to light, and thrust
ing his hand into his capacious pock
ct, where lay the proceeds Of hi
check, he would pay for it upon thu
SPOT, and insist on having it rolled up
To the suggestion of the slave whom
he had in charge for the time being
that the articles be laid aside until h
had fnised, h he would not listen.
"Now, you look here sonny" h
said, in the dry-goods store, I'm con
Quoting this revival, an | don't neet
no help in my line. just you ii
them stockin's up an lemme have 'em
Then l k'eo0 I've got EN-" As eacl
purchase was promptly paid for, an
change had to be secured, the clerl
earned his salary for that day at least
So it was when, near the heat o
the day, the good man arrived at tn
drugstore, the last and only unvisite