San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1886-06-17
A BALE OF COTTON;
A Sketch from Real Life.

He had worked hard oil summer.
He had plowed and hoed through
rain and sun, and now in tho fall
had gathered one bale OF cotton, with
which he was to start to market next
morning. The family were assem-
bled around tho fire. The tired,
care worn wife looked q little more
cheerful than usual; the two little
boys, Frank and Tommy, ten and
twelve years old, who had each been
promised q dollar, to ''spend Just as
they pleased" were planning how
they would spend the money. Little
Maggie, who had been promised a
new doll, with real hair, was arrang-
ing the scraps of calico out of which
she designed making dollie's new
dresses.
"Mother, what do you want Z said
the husband ~ can get along with
my old clothes, John; but you have
to be in the cold so much you had
better get you pair of good boots,
some warm stuff for me to make you
a pair of trousers and coat. Frank
will need some shoes and pair OF
trousers; Tommie wants a coat; L can
make him some trousers out OF your
old ones Get some dark calico for O
dress for the baby, and some flannel
!, to make him u petticoat. Maggie
needs some shoes and dress and
some aprons, and you had better get
dollars worth of quinine.
eyes; then I'll get a barrel OF flour,
five gallons of molasses, two dollars
worth of sugar, and the in coffee
That will take about all the money
will get for the bale of cotton; so you
will not get a thing, Bette"
! Il don't need anything, John. !
can turn my last years dress; and be.
sides, the weather will be cold and
I'll not 20 out much And she kissed
her sleeping babe, while tear trickled
down her face. In her unselhshness
she had arranged to provide for all the
family except herself. She did moi
tell her husband that her shoes were
worn through the sole, and that the
| dress she proposed to turn had been
turned before.
Next morning John and his two
BOYS were seated on the bale of cotton
and on their way to town by daylight.
Papa was in fine humor, and the lit
tie boys were in high glee in anticipa
, ton of the good time they were to
have and the nice things they were to
buy with their dollar. About noon
the wagon drove up to warehouse,
where the cotton was sold, the team
was unhitched and fed, and the boys
left to watch the things" while
{. ''papa" went to the bank to get the
check cashed. The check was paid
and John put the money in his
pocket, and had started back to his
wagon, when he met friend, (O
who said: "John, let's go and get a
drink" After they had drank at the
friends expense, John ordered the
"drinks;" then another friend came
in and they drank again and again.
BY this time John was pretty drunk.
lie sat down by the stove to sober up
before he went back to where he had
left his little boys, preparatory to
making his purchases, But the effects
of the warm fire soon putting him to
sleep, he forgot his hard summers
|, work; he forgot his tired wife at
, home; he forgot his two little boys,
sbivering in the cold; he forgot his
manhood as he sat for hours in a
drunken stupor. When he awoke it
was night He staggered up and out
in the darkness-when he remembered
his money. Putting his hand into his
pocket, he found it was gonel Half
dazed with drink and a sense Of loss,
he went to his wagon. The mules
were asleep on their feet; the little
J boys had wrapped themselves in an
old quilt and were asleep under the
wagon.
John hitched up the mule, woke
up the boys and told them to get in;
= then he started homeward. The little
ones knew by the wicked oaths their
father swore at the mules that he was
drunk SO they nestled together, and
during the long weary ride home they
never once said: "Father, where is
our dollar where are the nice things
for mother and the baby and little
sister,
But we will not follow them into
the house. We do not want to see
their little faces by the light of the
lamp burning SO brightly within. We
do not care to see the tears Of disap-
pointment when little Maggie finds
papa has not broughther doll. "Tears
are unmanly, and we fear they would
como unbidden to our eyes if we en-
tered that house and looked upon the
face of the wife and mother when she
met the man who had promised to
love and protect her. Her look of
despair would affect us even more
than the tears Of the little babes whom
God has given them.-Reporter and
Falcon (SOmerville, Tenn
\ Some Of Judge Gustav Cooks
admirers are very anxious TO have
him make the race for Governor Of
Texas this fall 1t would be an in