The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-07-17
BILL.

lhl b1dt Dill kOb phCh lEbIu bnC tdSt. "
and shocked us all. Before he
went away Bill was the liveliest and genu-
NEST thoroughbred in the camp. dnre say
hat in all the Red Hoss mountain district
there wasn't gentleman who could lay bis
tongue to stronger oaths and more OF 'em
than could Bill-that's why he was known
far and wide as Damnation Bill, for the
name that 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 by the other fellows. who,
having pardnered with him and studied his
were qualified to give him a
name that clearly and directly conveyed a
succinct idea, as the saying goes, Of the
most salient features Of his character.
Damnation Bill was q name that suited
Bill to a I.
Curiously enough, when Bill got back
from the east he didn't do no more swear.
ing, and it was that circumstance which
created the scandal-the first scandal Bill
had ever been identified with. Talking 1t
over among ourselves, the rest Of us fellows
figured it that Bill must 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
down east to see his mother.
"Well," says Barber Jim, ''if he has got
religion and has broken away from the old
traditions, supposin we call him Parson
Bill"
Just then Bill came In on U.S. He had
overheard what Barber Jim had said, al
though Barber Jim hadn't any idea that
Bill was within gunshot Of Casey's, where
we was all confabulating.
Boys" says Bill, as calmlike as you
please, you can call me the old name II
you want to or you can call 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
l hain't got religion, and there bein no OBJ
lection III tell you somepin that, bein
pardners of mine, you ought to know.
~ wasn't more than a kid" says Bill,
when the war broke out. lived with
the old folks down east-was the countri-
est boy you ever seen. Readin the Spring
field Republican from day to day as how
the flag had been insulted, how forts had
been fired on and how the Union was in
danger, I-why, of course, my boy blood
was up, ard was just everlastinly bilin
over to jine the war and go to the front
and save the country. So run away from
home. 1t was hard on the old folks, for
was their only child. and can understand
now that their hearts was Just sot on me
"Well, walked all the way to Chatham
Corners and Joined the cavalry they was
musterin in there. | was only 10 then, but
was big enough for 60 They needed re-
cruits, and they didn't ask too many ques-
tions. At Washington wrote back home,
and after that got letters from mother or
father twict week, and ii wasn't long be-
fore father sent me the colt he had raised
and broke and had great hopes of for the
next county fair trotting match II hadn't
gone and Joined the cavalry. They never
scolded me for running away. 1t was always
God bless you and do your duty and
things OF that kind they wrote, and mother
always put In p. S., saying, Willie, don't
forget to say your prayers
"Some of you" says Bill, were in that
war, and you know what army life was.
Say my prayers' Why, who thought OF
prayin in the midst of that wild, hard, ef-
citing lifet Least Of all the boy who had
known only the quiet and humdrum Of
country life Pardners, 1t does me good to
lift the weight Off my mind and tell you
that grew to be the toughest Of the lot.
And swearf Why, they used to sit around
anu az hiN, 6ob ~ u
It'll No wonder they called me Damnation
BILL earned that title surel
1.-THE end of the war found me In Ken.
lucky, Some of the boys were going to the
mountains, for they had homes to call them
back. They meant to get rich quick, and
the gold mining fever caught EN-. WHY
shouldn't go with emf had no banker
ing for the old life in New England with it's
quiet folks and humdrum, go to meetin
ways-not II The war had given me a taste
Of adventure. wasn't long making up my
fool boy mind to take my chances with my
soldier comrades. So across the plains j
come, and with the rest at Pixies Peak /
busted. There was harder times after that.
| tended bar two years In Denver, then
drove hack spell. and after that dealt
in Charley Sampson's bank. Last thing OF
all, gettin desperate, bought an outfit and
come up TO Red Hoss mountain, hayin
heard Casey and Three Fingered Hoover
tell of the prospects in this country. You
see was too proud to go back home, bein
broke. A good many times I'd have given
my skin to be there, eatin mothers pies and
snoozin in her feather beds, but was toe
proud to go back broke, 40 staid right
here and done my best with the rest of you
fellowsl
The home folks kept writin the same
old kind of letters, cheerful and patient
like, sendin lots o love and tellin me oyeI
and over again about things had entirely
forgotten. They never scolded me about be
in so Maynard. 1t was always God bless
you and do your duty and Just as sh,
had done when i was a boy in the wal
mother always put p. s., sayin, Willie
don't forget to say your prayers uset
10 laugh when | read that the idea O
Damnation Bill sayin his prayers was com
ical
4 II struck 4 rich last fall, as you all know
From bein u grcbstaker one week was il
a fair way to be 4 bonanza king the next
and was startin to Denver one mornin Il
sec about fixing up some arrangement will
Dave Mofatt's bank when along came
telegraph telling Inc father was dead anC
would come at once.
l Things have shrunk up down east sine,
was boy. found thatout when wen'
, back home for the first time in 20 years
The wood lots and home pastures amt 81
big as they used to be. The lanes are onl,
about half as wide, and they turn oftener
, The houses are smaller, and the front stoop
and front door are so low that a fellow lik,
4, me-that Is. 6 feet 2-don't have much sat
! isfaction doin business with 'em. Only
mother hasn't changed-she was whit,
; haired, and she was fatter than she used t.
be, and sometimes Though she didn't com
+, plainlI noticed that it hurt her to wall
! ns,ch-but she was the same mother hat
/ run away from 20 years ago. Seemed fun
ny to be called Willie after havin been call
! ed that other name-you know-so long
!. But, bless our mothers heartsl US fellow
is always Willie to them.
II went to bed at 0 o'clock that night
went to bed in the same room that wa
mine when was a little kid. The pisture
!, on the wall came back to me. Little Sam
/. uel, Uncle William Fosdick that wa
: named after, the first Sunday school card
Q got md Flora Temple and George N
r Patchen in their great trot Il got that on
Q myself The bed was high and feathery
and the comfortable smelt good and ole
fashioned. 1t made me sleepy and dreamy
like just to be there Hadn't more'n 20
to bed before in come mother, carrying
candle. Willie says she, may be you'll
lattr ~, l,,,N 4 ~. j