The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-09-18
THE REGENERATION OF COL. mUCKs

| THE REGENERATION OF COL. HUCKS.
Will White in the ElDorado Republican.
When Col. William Hucks, of the
upper Slate creek i'm Center township
better known as "Uncle Billie Hucks
of Center"-was elected as delegate
to the State Republican League con.
vention in Topeka he untangled his
legs from the low school house desk
where he had been sitting and rising
told the boys that he supposed they
knew what they were doing and that he
didn't need to tell them that he was
an Alliance man last year and had
made speech or two on the Muddy
for the Alliance ticket. Though
he added with one OF his smiles out OF
the corner of his mouth after looking
all over the room to assure the fellows
that he was about to make point, 81
wont any this year." Enthusiastic
stamping of feet.) "Not if I know my
SELF" More pedal enthusiasm.) But
nevertheless, the old man as he rode
home that night was little exercised
over the prospect of being called a
traitor and wondered, rather unconsci-
ously, if it wouldn't look kind of queer.
But when he thought of seeing all the
old time fellows again at the Copeland
and of shaking hands with old Plumb
and hearing the speeches and the res
olutions he forgot his Doubts, hit Boil
ivar an extra hard lick as he came
down off the slant from the Slate
creek bridge and thereby showed that
his spirits were improving and that
the Rubiean had been forded.
Mother" said the Colonel next
morning, 81 guess I'll go to Topeka
next week." SIS that So" said Mrs.
Hucks who had long since learned
that the best way to find out a thing
was to not ask questions about it.
EYES," said the Colonel, "There's go
un to be some sort ola Republican do
ins there and 1 guess I better CO."
And mother" whose father eft with
old Grant," and whose brother died
at Shiloh, but whose faith in the par
ty had known 10 wavering, though
her voice had been silent for a year or
so, smiled and said, "I'm glad you are
going William for you need the rest"
But the Colonel knew what she meant.
When he went off whistling "John
Browns Body" he stopped minute;
and he could hear a thin quavering
little voice down at the spring house
singing as he had heard it before, at
the bean dinners and campfires and
the rallies for the last quarter of a
century with his own: "But his soul
goes marchene on" And he remem-
bered how proudly that little voice
sang that song at the ratification of
his election to the legislature in Gen.
ter township school house away back
back in the seventies; and how she
lad taught the children at Sunday
'ShOoA W sing thO sung bClO1O tucy
could afford singing books; and how
when little Link died they buried him
n the cute little blue soldier clothes
The made for him to play soldier in at
he school exhibition, and how the
children of the neighbors gathered
ound and sang that song, the only I
ong they all knew, over his coffin. ,
But his soul goes marchene ON II
SCOT a pretty bad cold, amt you
Bill; don't pay to go to them Republic 1
an meetin's; the Lord is on our side, - &
aid an Alliance neighbor who was
iding with him. 4
You go to hell spell, will you,n 1
eplied the old man az he snuffed and a
cached for his handkerchief. t
But the old Doubt came to him t
gain in his calmer moments; once v
cry strong when the fellows at the v
.lliance said he would make a goUd C
ounty treasurer on the Alliance tick. r
t; and when they wanted to pass O
esolution to that effect and elect him II
D the county convention, it was all he Y