The Abbeville messenger. (Abbeville, S.C.) 1884-1887, 1886-03-09
BLUE BELLS;
Or, The BoOt-BInck's story.
BY NJ. MORltE-L

One fine morning, as I was lcisurely
walking down Main street, with no par
tlcular object in view. my attention was
attracted to a little %bootblack. Some
one in passing had dropped, or careless
ly thrown away a small bunch of blue
bells. My attention was first attracted
to the little fellow by his STOPPING to
pick them Up, but what was my amuse-
ment to see him tcnderly kiss them and
then carefully fasten them in the button
hole of his faded jacket. My curiosity
was aroused. made up my mind to
quiz the boy, SO I walked up to him and
asked him for q shine. 1 looked at the
boy carefully, he was very small and
very poorly dressed, he was pale and
thin, and the large blue eyes looked as
if they were full of unshcd tears.
"Half-a-dimc, " he said, when he had
put a final polish OF my shoes.
| took out a quarter, and said. as I
balanced it on my forc-tinger. Here is
ten cents for the shine and fifteen cents
for the flowers" pointing to the bells in
his button hole.
He put his small hand over the flowers
quickly, and gave a quick gasp.
"No, sir; l can't sell them; if 1 was
starving l wouldn't sell a bluc-bcll."
"And why not, my little man2" I in
quired.
He looked at me so piteously that I
was almost sorry Ihad asked him. I put
my hand on his head and said:
Excuse me for asking, you need not
tell me unless you wish to, and you can
keep the quarter besides"
He looked up at me a moment and
then said:
81 like you, and if you care to listen
I'll tell YOU"
''Of course I an anxious to hear why
you love the blue bells"
81 will ut the first and tell
it all to you, but first let us 60 down
there and sit down." pointing to some
dry goods boxes not far from where we
stood.
We went, and after seating ourselves
or u small box behind some larger ones
where we would not be observed, he
took the blue bell bouquet and holding
1t in his hand, began by saying:
cit is just a year ago this month, and
1T has been such a long year l thought
the blue bells never would come" and
then he stopped and put his hands over
his eyes as if trying to shut out some
horrid sight; did not interrupt his rev.
erie. Presently he took down his hand,
and said abruptly:
"My father was a drunkard. We
once owned some fine property, I've
heard mother say, but that was before I
was born, for we have always been poor
as far back rs I can. remember. Mother
says that father drank up the farm, the
oxen, horses, sheep, COWS, hogs, furni-
ture and everything else. We got so
poor mother had to go out and wash by
the day to get food for Bcss and me to
eat. We lived in a little log house, a
quarter of a mile from any one; it was
about half a mile to town. Mother used
to walk to town every day, except Sat
urday, to wash for somebody. On Sat
urday she washed for ourselves and
ironcd on Sunday.
Sunday is the Lords day. Your
mother certainly didn't work on the
Sabbath"
eyes, sir; she had to. Mother said
the Lord made six days for the saloon
keeper and one for Himself, but He for.
got to make q day for the drunkard's
wife. She said the saloon Keepers had
confscated the Lords day, but she had
hoped the Lord would consider her cir.
SuiiioIdiiSCo uuu lOiSlfG icI lOl WORKING
on the Sabbath. She said if there were
no saloons she would not have to work
on Sunday. There were just four of us
father, mother, Baby Bess and Willie
that is me-"
$50 your name is Willie, is it 2 but
go on with your story"
swell, as l said, mother was away al
day, and sometimes she would not gct
home until after dark she was not very
strong, and sometimes she had big
washings, and sometimes we didn'
have much to cat. because the ladies
mother washed for, didn't have In,
right change. or they would forget t.
ask their husbands for it. Mother al.
ways hated to AJAX for money after sh,
had earned 1t, she said /, did seem as i
they ough: TO know that abe needed thu
money OF 81. ~oaid not wash for it
ssad it generally. happened that wher