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

jim! My, amt we rich' We can buy
a mule, plow aud new house, now.
I'm dreadful tired of living in that old
shanty; the roof leaks so, and tho 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 a mother and
little sister to live there with US and be
cozy-like. How much do you think we
could buy mother fore 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 and pick flowers, and
the nights when we 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 if you
don't have 'em, why, that's all there is
about it, you can't buy en-"
Shouio Inc W nave a
we'll. l never had one. / was Just
found. don't see why couldn't have
mother just as much as any other
little boy, for know l should love her.
suppose it's because I'm so poor. Old
Mrs. Flanagan was all had, and when
l didn't make enough money playin' my
fiddle around the streets she uster lick
me like sixty. Cricky, am glad aln
out of St. Louis"
81 had mother oncet, and they both
died when I was little feller, seven
years old, and | went to work as a news
boy and lived the best way l could; the
worst way, it would be for most people.
Mebbe we could advertise for somebody
to come here and live with us and be our
mother, but who would come here2 I
guess we'd better wait tiR we begin to
grow rich, then we'll advertise for
mother and see if it will do any good. 1
don't expect it will; though. We're
brothers now, anyway, so you have one
relation"
The speakers were Bob Brown and
Jimmy Simpson, tw2 boys, aged fifteen.
standing upon the banks Of the Okala-
loo River, Mississippi, watching the first
steamboat that had come up the river
that winter ss 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-
minable forest of young trees. Beneath
the trees was a thick growth of cane and
underbrush, making a well-nigh impas
sable jungle. A cleared space of several
acres-the site of q future cotton field
little hut with a cart beside it, and a
mule eating the tender tops of young
cane were the only signs of civilization.
One year before the boys were living
In St. Louis, the elder a newsboy, the
younger 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 urchlns. They often
talked over plans fcy b.tterinu thAir-n.---
ulrfon, and 1t was resolution resulting
from one of these talks that caused Mr..
Matthew Kincher, real estate agent, to
see walk into his Office one summer
morning two small chaps whose impor-
tant air seemed strangely out Of place
with their ragged clothes.
owe see sign out here, mister" said
Bob briskly, "saying that you had farms
for sale at IS an acre"
''Oh, yes; those Mississippi lands.
Yes, they are only SIS an acre. Do YOU
know OF anyone who wishes to bay"
81 want to buy myself" said Bob.
Glow many acres would you like7"
said Mr.. Kincher, smiling
"Three acres. I have $50 and I'll
need some money to begin farming
with"
'How are you going to get there's
Do you know how far it is?'
Twenty miles, thirty miles. We can
walk"
Twenty miles. Why, it j. b7 hg. 7gsas g,4Ss
boat, and after buying your three acres
you wouldn't have enough left to take
you down there
Sadly the boys departed, their project
shattered. But Bob resolved to return
to that real estate Office some day with
enough money to carry out his plan.
Jimmy was unable to contribute apy.
thing, as all the money which he received
during the day was taken from him a.
night, and he was severely beaten if his
employer suspected that he had kept
back any for himself In six months
Bob had added $15 to the $50 already in
the savings bank, and the luck of $15
reward given him for finding a lost dog
increased his hoard to $50.
Again the boys sought Mr.. Kincher's
office. The sign advertising Mississippi
lands at $5 an acre still stood before the
office door. Mr.. Kincher RENE mbered
their faces, or perhaps their rags, and
greeted them cheerily. Bob told him
their erraud, how they now had 500 and
hoped that his would be enough to paw
for three acres and the implements neces-
sary for commencing farming. Mr.. Kin.
cher sat thinking for some time and final.
ly said.
"Well, boys, you seem bound to try
1t, and / believe that you will succeed.
1t will be hard work, but if you show as
much energy as you have shown in saw
'uS 500 out Of your slender earnings,
you will succeed. The lands are located
nn the Okalsloo River, and before the