The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1895-05-25

you all know Bill fit in the var; AN
he's blind, you know; an he's EoiIi' to
git his money now soon. l reckon his
back pay'll be sev'rul thousand dollars.
It'll DC two or three months before
he'll git it, bHt they say It's sure to
never cease? Bill Atkins a moneyed
man! The news must be true, for the
whole party remembered the pension
examiner who had visited the town,
and two OF three men testified to see
ing him go TO Atkins house,
The news spread like wildfira
through tho little town, and created q
souls pretended not 70 believe it, but
they were in a hopeless minority. and
the subject was discussed in all it's
bearings. The Atl<inses had suddenly,
and by no effort OF their own, become
very important citizens. Mrs: Smith,
the wife of one of the minister's, told
the ladies in the sewing society
that She thought it shame that none
of them ever went to see the At11inses.
They've got souls to save 1T they air
PORE she added, judiciously overlook
ing the fact that report said they were
no longer beggafs. Mrs. Kelly, tho
lady who had avowed her intention of
never helping them again, looked quite
n bashcd, and secretly resolved to send
Mrs. Atkins a pitcher OF buttcrmill<
that very evening.
Next morning Mrs. Atkins herself
set forth for a visit to Johnson's store.
entirely unaware of the rumor that
was abroad She entered the place
rather timidly and in a very apologize
tone asked for a pound of bacon, a lit
tie coffee and box of Bn uff, adding, as
was her invhriab1e rule, that she would
pay for the things as soon as 'berrics
gifts ripe" AS Mrs. Atkins had made
SSr. 81, hs1
entered the store, there was no reason
why it should have particularly i'm
pressed Mr.. johnson; yet he seemed de-
lighted, and hastily produced the things
she wished, but in much more generous
quantities. ''How would you like n nice
ham?'' he asked, holding up the article
in question. Mrs. Atkins hesitated.
She was honest as her limited
means would permit, SO she shook her
head, saying he would get tired of
waiting for his pay. mo. indeed he
insisted; take your own time to pay
for it. 1 don't mind waiting a bit on
good customer" Thus urged, Mrs.
Atkins took the ham, and added SEVERAL
unaccustomed luxuries to her list. He
would not allow her to carry the
things, but sent them in his delivery
wagon. and gave her at parting po-
lite ''can again" Mrs. Atkins went
homo in a truly astonished state of
mind, related her rcmarl<a BILE advcn-
ture to the old man and the children,
and wound up by declaring that Jim
Johnson's been converted, and now
it. else he never would have did it."
The Atlsinses enjoyed q square inca,
that morning, the first in many a
weary day.
The two churchesDthere were only
two in the town-seemed to vie with
each other in paying delicate attcn-
tions to the hitherto neglected family.
To be just, the two ministers and their
wives had endeavored to induce the
Atl<inses to '.join the church," hut
their efforts had not been crowned
with success, largely, it seemed, be-
cause Mrs. Atkins and Mandy, the
oldest girl, had ''nothin' to wear"
But now the other ladies of the church
developed sudden interest in the
| reply one of them boldly asked:
''Well, why don't you git a dress at
Boothby's? He'll wait till you git tho
money" Mrs Atkins, who was getting
a little accuston ed to her unexpected
turn of good luck, pluclzed Mp heart
goods and general merchandise" store
in the place, and. though somewhat I'M
certain of her reception, managed to
express n desire for a certain purple
calico toward which her heart had in
clined, but which she had never
dreamed OF possessing. MI. l5OOCn Dy
was most affable; certainly she could
have the goods, and any thing else she
wished. A pink calico for Mandy
was added, and the enterprising mer~
chant succeeded in pressing upon the
bewildered woman various articles OF
adornment entirely unsuitable to her,
but of which he had found some trouble
in disposing.
Thus it went on. Mandy and her
mother became regular church goers,
arrayed in their elegant new calicoes,
and even the old man had a new suit
of ''store clothes sold him on time
and somewhat against his will by an
accommodating merchant of the town.
In vain the Atxinses protested that
they did not know when they could
pay for all these luxuries; these gen.
orous friends smilingly waved aside
all such scruples and protested that
they were perfectly willing to wait.
Thus the winter passed, the Atlkinses
daily growing in favor 1t had been a
hard season, but, thanks to the indul-
gence of their now numerous friends,
they Jared we'll, and the Oldest boy had
a position that enabled him to earn a
little.
Spring came, and with it the pen
sion officer came to the town again.
He stopped at Johnson's store one day
| to purchase some cigars. and that
smiling merchant took occasion to
question him a little. ''When is ole
Bill Atkins goin' to get his pension"
| he asked.