Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-30
MY FRIEND BILL.
DIED.

DIED
On last Friiay, William IDper, well Encun
farmer Of ta.s county. died At his home after
short Illness He issvea family. except
niece Of his that be has hrought up slaes her
parents Death ten years ago.
Bill vas my friend Not mine simply BE-
cause of old associations and some friendly
turns We bad done each other in days agone,
bot because Bill Loper was eyerybodys
frieIid The world i better for his having
lived, and In death b. viii not stand unre-
warded
That notice may Be read and few short
cumments INDUCED in by those who knew
him, bat the great hurrying world Of human
ity viii skip the paragraph to read the half
column account Of the new railroad deal or
pro ,nostications concerning the effect OF the
lato frost on the fruit crop.
Little Amy Lopez will clip the notice out
and preserve it, along with a lock Of the griz-
zie.l hair and faded ambrotyps OF Uncle
BIZ taken when be was caliow youth with
long hair, very long face and a long black
n.ek choI:er wrapped about his neck She
viii treasure it. for she knew q little Of the
uaselfish, sacrificing life that good man lived
knew Bill when he was boy. His parents
were VI the common stock Of Georgia farmers.
only little more shiftless and unprovidinx
than the average.
Old John.Loper was a jack at all trades, and
could dig well or weave q cotton basket or
spend day fishing in the river with equal
facility, and very nearly equal profit He
was one Of those queer composites that No
meet ia life
The neishboIs saii-and ueighbors are sol
dom incorrect in their opinions-that Loper
would have been good school teacher il ho
had had u little morv learning, end he could
have made a preacher If he had started
young enough. He was smart, intellectually.
but dull, very dull, practically. He was =
piddler.
Bill was one OF FIVE His mother was .
querulous, Disconnected woman, who married
his father for his sniaitness, and regretted it
ever aftcrward Bill was the oldest boy, and
there were two other boys and two girls.
Old Jo.in was fo-d OF referring To my
fambiy,' and would frequently ring in "the
old oman an the Children in his CONVERSE
tons
When poor little Bill was a mere child he
was CONT elletlto assume the duties OF a man.
Glad 10 shift tho responsibility of his Shout
ders, old John tIr.,ed the place." as he
called the fine piece OF land and the unpro-
ductive i.t;e patch lie had cleared on it, over
to "Bill an the old oman"
Bill woul plow the old mule when he was
30 small that he had to climb on tho fence
corner to put the plow gear on him. Patiently
he worked, day after day, to help support
the family.
At ten years old he was little old man. It
was then that a school was started in the
ncghborhood and Old John, with character
istlc enthusiasm, signed Bill" The boy took
t. education with an eagerness that have
never seen equaled.
He would study hard all dag, tramp two
miles home and chop wood, look after tho
stock, and bring in wood. and then curl up
in corner and study While his mother and
father Kept up running argument on the
question OF ways and means, before the fire.
Just before the quarter out Bill
mothers was taken sick and he had to stop
school, 1t was sad disappointment TO the
boy, for he had calculated OH standing head
of the class on closing day.
~ do hate mighty bad to have to stop" he
told me- but You see Their amt nobody to
LOOK Il Ger ma an the yong uns, fur pap, he's
hardly ever at home. So | am bleeged to
quit but l tell you, hit do go agin the
grain"
10y as was. looked In those great black
eyes au.l saw how the cloud Il disappoint.
ment dmmed the ray OF hope that glimmered
there.
From that time until he was u Bill was .
slave. His mother never got well. She
grew more querulous with her continued ill.,
ness, and poor Bill bore overwhelmingly
many rcproacbes from those pmched lips. for
she was lis mother, and the unaophisticated
. I. Ii
nobility to rebel against that divine right, al
though unjustly exercised.
ichool time came AID welt, and his two
brothers attended, some of the time Bill
could not be spared. "He's the main stake in
my fence John Lopez would say. Really, he
was the fence.
Suddenly John took it into his head TO pur-
sue his impractical schemes in still larger
way, and lay down ;...,; died. This was the
very acme Of his ,...s .rics, anil it succeeded
beyond his widest expectations.
When his nt h1o.S rounded up the little
mound over Old johns grave, they turned to
Bill, whose big blacs, eyes we're filed with
the tears of bereavement. but half com
pretended. and said: Nov, Bill, you must
be smart and help your mother raise the
family"
his boyish life doing that very thing
Il can't never go to school no mere now"
Bill said to the, "for you see it'll take our best
to make tongue and buckle meet
1t was bard struggle. | am so sorry for
poor folks, anyhow; they do have such a hard
time of it.
But the patch grew into a field and good
crops were made, and Bill plodded along in
manly fashion until he was Is years old
The history Of all southerners of 40 years
old and upwards is very much alike All
went through with the same sad experience,
that wild dream Of the war of secession
Bills family "couie up jest like steps, a.
old John was wont to remark Jasper was
16, Zeke was IA, Mary was IL and little Betsy
was 10. Just like steps, indeed, they were
graded.
Bills mind was not so sluggish as many
persons regarded it. True he had been so
long accustomed To the dull routine of help
less drudgery that he had become habitually
reserved, and to the casual observer he ap-
peared TO be n numbskull. mere animal,
moved more by instinct and mechanical habit
.han by a superior intelligence. But knew
something OF his inner nature Away down
deep ia his soul there we're csldies and counter
currents that cbafed and mIrmured beneath
the placid, slow moving surface that men
observed
Bill loved Polly Pendleton and knew il
She had been the only little sweetheart he
had during his short experience at school
She had helped him over some hard fences,
and Bill, in his ditii1ent and reticent manner,
worshipei the little brown eyed, brown
haired beauty from a distance. He used to
tell .nc that when be got the children all pro-
vided for be was going TO ask Polly to corns
and live with him always
"His do seem like orter be entitled to that
much. alter oil these years Of work. he said,
sand then, you know, haint never had no
chance to enjoy myself couldn't ford to
be frolickin' around while ma an the chill
dern aire aneediu' me at home"
John Lopez, at l6, was the son Of his
father, inheriting not only the name, but the
attractive and erratic shrewdness Of the old
man. Full Of chimericai schemes. fond OF
planning and still fonder Of explaining his
plans. He was . smart fellow, and said
smart things, and the men Of the neighbor-
hood liked to listen TO John when he was in .
talkative mood. He mended articles Of
broken furniture for the old women, Joined
In their gossip and thus their hearts were
won
When the war came Bill was drafted Ar
ranging all the little home matters to the
best advantage, he counseled John to keep .
sharp lookout and TO take care of ma and
the children while he WAS away. Ma had
done learned to rely on John in q measure.
for the same qualities that in that other John
had fascinated her in early life were fascinat-
ing still. and so it came about that the less
deserving son fell heir to the regard and con-
hdence OF the mother who had been 50 long