The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-08-15
Tom LoveIl's Reformation.

married to one of the finest wimmcn
in this country. You wouldn't think,
to look ut him, that he used ter be q
reg'ler dude, would you now ?-pccktic
an whitc pocket handkerchief ever day
an Sunday, JOO?'
" You don't scSSO."
"Yesscr; there's no deny'n' he 'uz a
fine lookin' chap an he'd Il mig hty
takin' way with the wimmcn an chill
dren but the men never did set much
sto' by him, though you couldn't help
lil1in him whom you knOwcd him ter
save yer life; but yer sec he 'uz from
Talathy town, an in our settlement
nOth'n' from Taluthy town, don't go.
The men 'uH down on him from the
fust, and when he got t. drinkin' so
bad they's downcr'n ever"
"Mebbe you didn't give him fair
chance an he got discouraged"
Nov, thct proves ycr's II stranger
ter the circumstances. You soc it uz'
this away" and old ST jackson jerl1cd
his chair to an upright position, and :,
swelling with the Importance OF IL viii
lage, or rather cr0sa-roads rccontcur,
for "IIowcllScS" was nothing more than
a store situated ut the intersection Of
the roads, with a saloon or tavern OPP
pOsitc-hc stretched the fingers Of one
tObucl O. stained hand to their extent
and with tho foreiiLger Of his no |, IS
adorned other member began telling
of on each his statements, rs if they
were divided into SO many heads.
"Nluggic Barton wuZ the prcttcSt
an pcartCSt gal III tnc settlement am
had mo- bchuX 'an she could tote: but
jim Sibley, he wv pittin' ahead OF 'cm
I'LL. The rest Of the fcltrr, WIZ t,kin
1T good naturcd enough SO long as 'twuZ
Jim Slbiey, but when in stepped this
here Tom lowell from T:tlathy town.
an dude, they couldn't stand that, so
they up III. tolc him to get back on his
own side o the creek. Tom. he laugh
cd good naturud like, an said he would
when he could cay the prctticst gal
from Howcllscs with him. We'll. VIM
min is Gurus humans. | :.On mean to
say eZ Maggie Barton wus dcccitful,
but she did act cuius. She was secmin'
to set grand sto' by Jim, when all at
Ohct she turns arOun an marries Tom.
Bout tIat time OF man Barton up an
dies an Tom, stead O cay'in' her ,othel'
side o,thp crock, stays here at the Ol'
Barton'S place (Which never was much
Of n place nohOw), accOrdin' to the OF
mans request. An bad as the OF place
is, eit's mortgaged clean over the run.
Tom Lovcll's just drunk it plum up.
Po' Maggie, she's doin' arOun' tryin' TO
suppO't herself uu' chile ain triilin hus-
band to boot. 1t nd be Il long sight
better if nc wuz Otan tao way"
The subject Of ST Jackson's enlight-
enment was truly Il pitiahlc sight. He
was halfrcclining on Il rude wooden
bench in front Of the saloon. The hot
sun. from when he sought no prOtcc-
ton, was glnring full in his face that
had in it the elements Of beauty, but
now 80 distorted and biOatcd rs to be
rcpulsivc. His hat had dropped to the
ground and lay crushed beneath his
foct. The rough countryman passed
him with Il look Of contempt. He had
long been a.warnng against 0ver-in-
diligence.
Men who thought themselves strong
came and went, drinking as their tp-
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 a fool to drink till he
feels hissclf gcttin' mudllcd." And
they mentally. pattcd themselves on
the back for being good sociabc fell
lows, but too clcarhcadcd to got drunk.
Tom had been forbidden the saloon
not for lack Of respectability--
owner Of the saloon, as well as he
other Inhabitants, were not over nice
about such small matters but for lack
OF payment which was a much more
serious affair; yet Tom still hung on
the outskirts, and in some mysterious
way managed to keep drunk.
He was later and drunken than ever
that afternoon as he started home. He
made his journey by easy stages. His
going home wa, merely Il matter of
hnl hr oh ~ IA 81,
nap or Il smoke if he was SO inclined :?
He often m;.lc Il long dctour, leaving
the road to find u more comfortable
place for u long and uninterrupted
sleep. The light was out ut Jim Sib
lcy's as ne passed. Farther on he met
solitary horscman.
AS he plodded heavily onward he
had some vague ideas Of staying away
from the tavern next day. He had had
subj iucas--hc called them resolutions
---oftcn before: they always came to
him as he canSht sight of the baby face
at the window Of lis cabin. and they
always left him next morning when
the thirst came strong upon him. Ills
love for Maggie was dnllcd or sleeping
pc rhaps, but this love for his baby was
the one livi1g, 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 hcr he loved her. The
brown eyes Of tho mother wcro grow
ing faded, troubled and hard, yet she
taught the child to love and trust her
faJhcr. At tho first glimpse of the
slouchiny figure she would place the
child at the window and say: "l'apas
coming. our dear papa's coming"
Then the baby hands would clap and
the shrill littlo voice ring out in joyous
welcome And Tom Lowell never fail
cd to grCct the child with some loving
remembrance, a posy he had plnckcd
on the read homeward, OF Il toy he had
whitfield between drinks.
But to night it was late, and the child
had stro ned her eyes thronGn the dark
till they grew weary and heavy. She
was stili in The chair at the window
fast asleep wh"n her father came
home.
The next morning Tom slept late and
heavily. leaving Maggie to do every
thing about the place as usual. ir
fact, Maggie thought no more OF look