The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1901-04-27
THE PASSING
UNCLE BILLY.


The man who had been reading the
home paper heaved a gentle sigh
Poor Uncle Billy" he explained.
whats the matter?" asked his
friend. Something happened to one
a your relations?"
mo. he wasn't exactly a relation OF
nine-not exclusively. He was Uncle
BILLY to everybody. Wherever he has
rome. he will be Uncle Billy still.
can remember him ever since l was
knee high to a toad. and in all that
time he never changed a wrinkle of
|his old face. He got old 40 years ago.
think. and then time overlooked him
ina death never found 1t out until now.
rhe paper mentions the Death Angel,
klso 1t is with unfeigned regret that
hey chronicle The funeral will be
eld in the First Baptist church, which
hskes me wonder whether the church.
drew straws for him. for nobody
Ner suspected him Of any church
aihliations in my time.
"He was q pagan-one Of the unre-
enerate, a tobacco-chewing, rough
Hiking, big hearted old reprobate. who
Ever smiled, but let his eyes smile for
In while the rest of his features were
imposed in imperturbable gravity.
Ia who was liked by everybody-else
9would never have been Uncle Billy
b kept the one general store in the
|11le village when was a boy. He had
young man named Abner to help
a, and Abner did practically all the
6siness. Uncle Billy never seemed
care much how things went, devot-
: himself chiefly to checkers. Some
hes he would tumble round among
y shelves for his customers and
I'VE them. and quite as often he
uld tell them to go around and see
they could find what they wanted
emselves. That wouldn't work
@rywhere, but we were a primitive
ople then and we'll content to be so.
B said I have saw him when We
INT say I seen him. and we felt an
NEST scorn for those finicky folks
10 were more correct in their Ian
Qage. We were always square with
hcle Billy we never took advantage
bis unbusinesslike ways and we ap-
eciated the freedom he allowed us.
And now the old fellow is dead!
a fellow named Lish Jewett. l re-
hber. played great trick on Uncle
one time. He was the village
up and addicted to didoes anyway.
Gle Billy aimed to keep most
efything in stock, but he didn't keep
~ good run of 1t. and every once, in
xhile he would get out of something.
~ found out that he was short on
da-only had about half a pound of
md what does he do but go around
tell everybody to ask for soda.
The people were all willing to do it.
had only too little to vary the
ctotony Of existence in that little
w, and SO old and young and rich
poor f1ocked into Uncle Billy's'
ore and called for soda. The old
n was generally pretty quick catch
On. but somehow he didn't tumble
tnls instance. although he was GER
MY suspicious. When Doc Peter
came In toward evening and asked |
TWO pounds Of soda Uncle Billy be-
yed his curiosity.
What be you wantin' sody for,
:! he asked.
Why, says Doc what would |
y It for-to grease my boots?
~ does anybody want with soda?'
"el says Uncle Billy I reck-
d mat mebbe you had diskivered
z sort o use for it out o. the com.
Everybody in town has gone
nad. seems like. I've sent to
= zoe for q boatload to meet the
snd. It's mighty curious how
u get run on suthin all at once
idon't reckon a can O. Californy
DO you jest as well. would
I've got in some mighty fine
hadn't ordered a boatload, but
e iay In . big supply of it, and Of
- !ust as soon as he got it the
Aad Tell oil. Uncle Billy couldn't
9 out how that happened. For
or three weeks everybody that
INTO the store would be asked
tney. were, of for soda. and it
= that everybody had all they
aed At home.
!ast Jewett thought he would
- Job on the pastor of the
oeist church.
a pastors name was Dolby and
2 good sort of a man, only he
got his edge worn of, being
and not kns out Of the semin-