The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-09-11
THE 0KALAL0US GIFT.
BY LIEUTENANT W. A. cURTTs.

Jim My, ain we iiCH' VIC Cah "uy
a mule, n plow and new house, now.
I'm dreadful tired of living in that old
shanty; the roof leaks SO, and the walls
are so full Of cracks that let in the wind.
It's lots better than sleeping on door
steps and in back alleys nights and stay
ing anywhere days, but we are gentlemen
planters now, and we ought to have
house; nice one, painted white, with
green blinds, is what I want to
have"
"And Bob, let's buy n mother and
little sister to live there with US and be
cozy like. How much do you think we
could buy n mother fOri Oh, how nice
that would be. We'd be out in the fields
working, and the mother would come
out and watch us, and the little sister
would play around aud pick flowers, and
the nights when VIC came home, the
mother would tell us stories, just the
way mothers always do, and she would
take care of us when we was sick"
"You don't buy mothers. you goosey,
you Just has 'em, that's all, and il you
don't have 'em, why, that's all there is
about it, you cant buy en-"
81 should like to have a mother awful
well. never had one. I was just
found. I don't see why couldn't have
mother Just ns mu"h as any Uthor
little boy, for know | should love her.
] suppose it's because I'm SO poor. Old
Mrs. Flanagan was all had, aud when
| didn't make enough money playin' my
fiddle around the streets she ustcr lick
me like sixty. Cricky, am glad I ain
out of ST. Louis. y
81 had a mother oncct, and they both
died when was n little iclIer, seven
years old, and | went TO work as news
hoy and lived the best way could the
worst way, il would be Tor most people.
Mebbe we could advertise for somebody
to come here and live with us and be our
mother, but who would come hcrc2 |
guess we'd better wait tiH we begin to
grow nch, then well advertise for
mother and see il it will do any good.
don't expect it WILL though. We're
brothers now, anyway, SO you have one
relation"
The speakers were Bob Brown and
Jimmy Simpson, two boys, aged fifteen
standing upon the banks OF the Okale,
loo River, Mississippi, watching the first
steamboat that had come up the river
that winter IS it disappeared around
bend. The dark, turbid river, swollen
by the heavy winter rains, flowed swiftly
between its low muddy banks. Back
from the river shores stretched an inter
minahlc forest OF young trees. Beneath
the trees was thick growth Of cane and
underbrush, making "A wcll.nigh impas.
sable jungle. A cleared space of several
ncres--thc site of a future Gotten field
a little hut with IL cart beside it, and q
mule eating the tender tops of young
cane were the only signs Of civil;Altion
One year before the boys were living
IN st. Louis, the clGc: n ncwsboy, the
Younger n street musician For several
years they had been fast friends, the
elder and stronger often protecting the
little musician from the attacks of evily
disposed street urch,ns. They often
talked over plaus fc: hettrrint th"i' ""-
mtion, and 1t was resolution resulting
from one of these talks that caused Mr..
Matthew K,uchcr. real estate agent, to
see walk into his office one summer
morning two small chaps whose imror
tant air seemed strangely out Of place
with their ragged clothes.
Eve see sign out here, mister" said
Bob brisklv, saying that YOU had farms
for saIr az 81 49, acre"
"Oh, yes; those Mississippi lands.
Yes, they are only - an acre. Do YOU
know Of anyone who wishes to bay"
II want ~ buy myself said Bob.
"How many acres would you like2"
said Mr. Kincher, smiling
"Three acres. | have $50 and I'll
need some money 10 begin farming
with"
How arc you gong to get there:
Do You know how Tar it is;'
Twenty miles, thirty miles. We can
walk"
Twenty miles; Why, il j. j; hpqagsSs by sa1lgsI1;
boat, and after buying ycur three acres
You wouldn't have enough left to take
You down there"
Sadly III" boys departed their nroiec,
shattered. But Boz l,>ol,rl +, reiu,r
I" that real cS'at" oticy SON" doy with
enough money To carry out his rIan
jimmy was unable to contribute any
thing, as all the money which he received
curing the day was taken from him n.
night, and he was severely heatcn if his
employer suspected that he had kept
back any for himself I'm SIX months |
Bob had added Sl5 to the so already in
the savings bank, and the luck of SIS |
reward given him for finding lost doc
increased his hoard to $50.
Again the boys sought Mr.. Kincher's |
office. The sign advertising Miississipp
lands at - IN acre still stood before the |
office door, Mr.. Kincher remembered |
Their faces, or perhaps their rags, and
greeted them Chcerilv Bob told him
their GRAND, how they now had $50 and |
hoped that his would he enough To nav
Tor three acres aud tho implements neces.
sary for commencing farming. Mr.. Kin.
cher sat thinking for some time and final.
y said
well, boys, you seem bound - t,y |!
y, and | believe that YOU will succeed. |
IL VIII be hard work, but # you show as |
mu"h energy aS YOU have shown in saw
~" ShO out ol ynur slender rorninm.. !
go" viii SIc"s"j. rha !anhS ar. locate
~ thc DS-lgln, niC..r. ALL l.,,..a 81.