The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-07-07
THE STORY OF BILL.

THE STORY OF BILL.
Chicago Record.
The change in Bill was noticed the
very day that Bill got back from the
east. 1t surprised and shocked us all.
Before he went away he was the live
liest and genuinest thoroughbred in
the camp; dare say that in all the
Red Hoss mountain district there
wasn't a gentleman who could lay his
tongue to stronger oaths and more OF
! 'em than could Bill--that why he was
known far and wide as Damnation
Bill. for the name that a fellow was
/ known by out in that Gods own
country in them days was not the
name given to him by his sponsors in
baptism, but nby the other fellows
who, having partnered with him
and studied his idiosyncrasies, were
prepared to give him a name that
clearly and directly, conveyed a sue
cinct idea, as the saying goes; of the
most salient features Of his charac-
ter. Damnation Bill was a name that
fitted him to r.
Curlously enough, when Bill got
back from the east he didn't do any
more swearing, and it was that cir
cumstance which created the scandal
the first scandal Bill had eyer been
identified with. Talking it oyel
among ourselves. the rest of us fel
lows figured it that Bill pust have
got religion while he was down east
and this seemed all the more likely
when we found out, just by chance
one evening, that Bill had been Gown
east to see his mother.
"Well," says Barber Jim, "if he has
got religion and has broke away from
the old traditions, supposin we cal
him Parson Bill"
Just then Bill come in on us. He
had overheard what Barber Jim had
said, although Barber Jim hadn't any
idea that Bill was within gunshOt OF
Cascys where we was all confabula
ting.
"Boys," says Bill, as calm like as
you please, ''you can call me the old
name If you want to. or you can cal
me any other name and ! won't kick
guess the worst name you could
give me wouldn't be too good for me
But l want you to know that ! hain'1
got religion, and, there bein' no OBJ
lection, I'll tell you somethin' that
bein' pardncrs of mine, you ought tt
know.
II wasn't more than kid" say.
Bill, "when the war broke out.
lived with the old folks down east
was the countrycst boy you ever seen
Readin' the Springfield Republican
from day to day as how the flag hat
been insllted, how forts had been fir
ed on and how the Union was in dan
ger, I-why, OF course my boy bloOt
!. was up and l was just everlastin'l.
bilin' over to jine the war and 80 Il
the front and save the country. So
,, run away from home. 1t was hard OF
, the old folks, for l was their onl
, child, and l can understand now tina
their hearts wasjust s0t on me. Well
d walked all the way to Chatham Corn
ers and joined the calvary they wa
. musterin' in there. l was only 81,
& teen then, but l was big enough ia
twenty: they needed recruits an
: they didn't ask too many questions
!, At Washington wrote back home
!. and after that got letters from IA
Q ther or mother twice a week, and |
wasn't long before father sent me TIN
: colt he'd raised and broke and ha
u great hopes of for the next count
!. fair trotting match. II l hadn't gon
d and Joined the cavalry. They neve
$ scolded me for running away; 1t wa
always God bless you and do you
u duty and things of that kind the
|. wrote, and mother always put in a
It S., saying, willie, don't forget to sa
d your prayers
u "Somc, of you," says Bill, were |
!" that war, and you know what arm
life was. Say my prayers? Why, VIII
4 : thought OF prayln' In the midst c
o that wild, hard, exciting life? Leas
Is of all the boy who had known onl
e the quiet and humdrum country III
I I Pardners, II docs me good to lift IL
is weight of my mind and tell you ths
II grew to be the toughest OF the 10
. And swear? Why they used to 8
4 4 around and laugh at me, got SO q
compllslled at II. No wonder thu