The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-11-14

Bill Takes Trip From Atlanta t. Augusta.


was then worth only 81 cents on the
dollar, but he had faith and clung to it
%lth hope. About that time com.
mcrclal revolution--a crisis-a panic
came over the country and to save
his mercantile credit he was forced to
sell his stock. 1t distressed him and
grlevcd my mother, but he said there
was no help for It. The stock mus.
go. | remember the night he came
home and told my mother tha. the
stock was gonc-hc had sold it TO
Judge llutcliins for u cents on the
doiiar-tilc stock that he had paid 100
cents for twelve years before. Father
was sad and the tears fell on mothers
cheek and none Of us cared for supper.
When father went back to the store
tha. night sat down by mother $ side
and took her hand in mine. "Moth-
er, said |, "you must not feel 80 bad
about that stock. Let me tell you q
secret. Last night proposed to DC.
tavia Hutchins, l asked her to marry
ME and she said she would and wo
have fixed tho timc-the 7th Of March
and in less than three months I'll
get that stock back and it will be in
the family again. Now, don't you tell,
but you mustn't cry any morc,' and I
Kissed her ION her check and said.
Mother, Mr.. Shakespeare says sAlrs
well that ends WELL" But my dear
mother was woman and womanlikc
she told an intimate friend what said
about getting the stock back and that
friend told another woman in conf
dcnce and the confidence kept spread
ing and spreading until the engage.
mcnt and the stock matter got all over
the village and at last to Judge Hutch
ms. | was mortified and alarmed, but
my affianced stuck close to me, for she
was drcadfully in love, though she
denies it to this day. In due time we
were married and were 80 happy we
didn't want any stock OF anything else
hardly. A few days after our marriage
as was passingohis Office, the stern
old judge called me in. He unlocked
his iron safe and taking out paper,
saidto me, 81 heard that you told
your good mother that you were going
to marry Octavia and get that railroad
stock back. Did you tell her that?"
l was intensely alarmed, but, like
George Washington, would not tell a
lie. "Yes, judge, did," said 1, "but
l didn't mean it," I replied. saw
the twinkle in his eye. "Wcll," said
he, II thought that if you were deter
mined TO have it I had just as we'll
give it to you now," and he handed
me the certificate with the transfer al
ready written. don't know what 1
said, but he enjoyed my embarrass-
ment. What considerate man he
was. remember that few months
after he sent six of the family ncgroes
up to our house one morning before we
got up. We heard them talking on the
front steps and my wife asked me to
get up and see what they wanted.
They Informed me that "old master
told them he he'd given them to me-
and Miss Octavia and to come ur
here" They were all servants who
had long said that when Miss Octavie
got married they we're gwine to live
with her. That was the usual patri-
mony of slave owners to their children.
We he'd no use for them, and sent
them back with kind note boggiug
the judge to keep them for US awhile
longer. Some years after that Mr..
Lincoln set them free and to tell the
truth I am glad of it, for shey were al
ways o care and an expense.
Now, while I write our train has
reached Union Point aud remember
when We college boys used to take the
tandem mule train from here to Ath-
ems. 1t was an all day journey, for it
took US eight hours to make the forty
miles, but we rode on top and had lots
of fun and plenty Of good things to
eat that our mothers had provided.
Yes, l love to ruminato about those
good old times when everything had
roseatc hue and we wrote love letters
to our swcethearts and reveled in loves
young dream.
BILL ARP.