The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-08-13
Tom LoveIls Reformation.

reg'ler dude, would you now ?--neck tic
an white pocket hauu kcrchev ever d8 y
an Sunday. too?'
You don't sesso."
'Yesser; there's no deny'n' he 'uz u
fine lookin' chap an heu " mighty
takin' way with tie wlmmen an chiI-
dren but the men never did set much
sto' by him, though you couldn't help
likin him when YOU knowed min ter
save yer life; but yer see he 'uz from
Talathy town, an in our settlement
nothn' from Taiatby town, don't go.
The men 'uz down ou him IRON the
fust, and when he got to drinkin SO
bad they's uOwner'n ever"
"MebOe you didn't give him fair
chance an hc got discouraged"
IN wv, tibet proves yer's stranger
ter the circu n -tiuces. You see IL uz'
this away" and old y Jackson jerked
his chair to an uprigut POSITION, ana,
sWcli1ny Witu tn1 Ini nipcrt&hrc Di VIA
laso, or rAtuc" crossroads rec0nteur,
Tor "HOwellses" was nothing more thun
: store situated at the inters ection Of
the roads, with saloon or tavern OPP
pOsite-he stretched the fingers Of Que
tobacCo-sJained haud to their extent
and with the forcfiLg ger OF his no less
adorned other memUer began telling
Oil on each his statements, as IL they
were divided into SO many heads.
Maggie Barton wuz the prettiest
an peartest gal ia The settlement an
had mo- beauX AN she could tote: but
jim Sib!ey, he wuz gittln' ahead of 'em
Nl. The rest of the fellers wuz takin'
1T good natured enough so long Us 'twuZ
Jim Sib,ey, but when in stepped this
here Tom Lowell from Talathy town,
an a dude, tn"y couldn't stand that, SO
they up at tole him to get back on his
own side o the creek. Tom. hO laugh
ed good natured like, an said he would
when he could cay the prettest gal
from Howellses with him. Well, vim
min is Gurus humans. lon t mean to
say ez Maggie Barton wus duceitful.
but she did act Gurus. She was seemin'
to set grand sto' by Jim, when all at
onct she turns aroun' an marries Tom
Bout that time OF man Barton up an
dies an Tom, stead O. cay'in' her tother
side o the creek, stays here ut the OF
Barton's place (Which never was much
OF n place nOhow), accordin' to the OF
mans L, quest. An bad as the OF place
is, eit's mortgaged clean over the ruff
Tom, Lovcll's just drunk it plum up.
PO' Maggie, she's doin' arOun tryin' to
suppo't herself an chile an triflin hus-
band to boot. 1t nd be long sight
better If he WIZ oten the way"
The subject Of ST Jackson's enlight-
enment was truly a pitiable sight. He
was half-rcclining on rude wooden
bench in front OF the saloon. The hot
sun, from which he sought no protec-
tion, was glaring full in his face that
had in it the elements of beauty, but
now so distorted and bloated as to be
repulsive. His hat had dropped to the
ground and lay crushed beneath his
feet. The rough countryman passed
him with look of contempt. He had
long been a.warning against over-in-
.dulgence.
Men who thought themselves strong
came and went, drinking as their ap-
petites demanded, but often cautioning
younger men who drank with them to
look at poor Tom Lowell. Thet's
what comes of not knowing yer capa
city. A mans fool to drink till he
feels hisself gettin' mudIled." And
they mentally patted themselves on
the back for being good sociable fell
lows, but too clcarheaded to get drunk
Tom had been forbidden the saloon
tp for lack OF respectability-
timer of the saloon, as well as the
rher inhabitants, were not over nice
tout such small matters but for lack
payment which was much more
srious affair; yet Tom still hung on
I, outskirts, and in some mysterious
managed to keep drunk.
de was later and drunker than ever
nat afternoon as he started home. He
made his journey by easy stages. His
going home wa, merely o. matter of
habit, SO why shouldn't he stop for
map or a smoke if he was so inclined?
He often made a long detour, leaving
the road to find q more comfortable
! place for long and uninterrupted
sleep. The light was out at Jim Sib-
leys as he passed. Farther on he met
solitary horseman.
AS he plodded heavily onward he
had some vague ideas of staying away
from the tavern next day. He had had
subj ideas called them resolutions
often before: they always came to
at the window of his cabin, and they
always left him next morning when
the thirst came strong upon him. His
love for Maggie was dulled or sleeping
perhaps, but this love for his baby was
tho one living, natural thing left on his
former self.
The child looked at him with the
same sweet, trustful eyes the mother
had turned upon him years ago when
he first told her he loved her. The
brown eyes Of the mother were grow
ing faded, troubled and hard, yet she
~taHgi:t tiIe>child to love and trust her
father. AT the first glimpse of the
slouching figure she would place the
child at the window and say: "Papa's
coming, our dear papa's coming
Then the baby hands would clap and
tho shrill little voice ring out in joyous
welcome. And Tom Lowell never fail
ed to greet the child with some loving
remembrance, posy he had plucked
on the road homeward, or toy he had
whitfield between drinks.
But tonight it was late, and the child
had strained her eyes through the dark
till they grew weary and heavy. She
was still in the chair at the window
fast asleep when her father came
home.
The next morning Tom slept late and
heavily, leaving Maggie to do every
thing about the place as usual. 1r
fact, Maggie thought no more OF look
ing to Tom for assistance than to the
lean and hungry cat which appropria
ted corncr of the hearth. The chilt
played softly about the house so as no
t. wake papa. A ray of sunshine came
stealing through crevice and lay ath
wart his face, impressing him with
sense of uncOmfortablcness.
The sunshine grow warraer and final
ly aroused him. He drew on his boots
the divesting of which had constitutes
his disrobiDg the night before. Mag
Gle had left the coffee on warm ember
1o the hearth, aud his pone OF bree