The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-11-26
Uncle Bill at the Opera
3: BY Peter Stanley ::

We've had big time-Uncle Bill
and lat the opera.
He drove in from Stixville, twenty
miles through the country 10 see HUI
man Hearts" on the stage.
We had supper at 700, but Uncle
Bill declared it was at least $50 by
| Stixville time, and he wanted to go
right now"
/ had procured tickets in advance,
to save delay and argument, knowing
how Uncle Bill was, but he insisted
on buying a new set" and wanted
the gentleman to pay me back the
money | had spent ION him Uncle
Bill didn't know they were cOmpli-
mentary.
When We finally entered the hall
and were ushered to our seats. he in
sisted on keeping the tickets las col
lateral provided the thing don't prove
satisfactory
Uncle Bill figures closely.
We had scarcely sat dow 1 when he
wanted to know of a fashionable old
lady who sat just in front of us If
the services had commenced" She
smiled. l almost wished We hadn't
come
When the curtain dropped after the
first act, which Uncle Bill watched
with silent interest, he turned to me
and made the following comment on
the various characters:
Peter, | believe l know tlat old wo-
man. And that young lawyer is the
same scoundrel that was out at the
Stixville picnic last summer. thought
then he had the ear-marks of -
scoundrel, sir, scoundrel, A thor
Oughbred scounfel. Well, We might
as we'll go, hadn't WEI"
NO. no. Uncle Bill That's only
the first act There's three more TO
come yet. Look. now. there We 60
In the second act there was a scene
of family prayer, wonderfully realistic
of the good and simple people who
live in the Arkansas hills, and when
the actors knelt upon the stage. Uncle
Bill. too, humbled himself upon his
knees, true to Stixville custom. He
afterwards remarked to ne that it was
"gettin' so nowadays people let style
keep them from kneeling in time of
prayer"
Says 7. "Yessir.'
Between shouts of laughter. tears
of sympathy and RACES of fury. I'm
BILE Bill saw the show to finish. and
when we we're home again, comfort
ably seated around glowing fire. he
filed his pipe with the genuine arti-
Gle of home-cured "stingy-green" to-
bacco and sent delicate puffs of per-
fumed smoke floating on the air. He
declared that his sleepy spell had left
him.
1t had And it didn't return that
night.
Peter. I've been thinkin' bout that
niger. He reminds me Nv the old
times. If l mad just sich a darkey as
he is / wouldn't care three cents
who's 'lected president. Old Bill and
that there niger could get along;
and we'd be a team on the farm. |
cOulI put dependence in him, and he'd
do what the women folks told him
without sassin' back at 'em. / tell
We, these here sassy ones soon make
payday at my house, and they're
bout all that way nowadays, Peter. If
you can see him you mout tell him
fer me, that when he gets through
with the show business 10 come out
TO StiXville and III give him a good
home. plenty NV pork and Jam pota
toes during the week and batter-cakeS
and lasses Sunday morning for break
fast. Yes. sir I'll do it. Peter. And ?
tell ilim the simmons are ripe and
the 'possums are fat, begad sir, at
Stixville.
And that girl, Peter. that beauti-
full specimen of noble womanhood-l
that dark haired angel whose kind ;
ness to that poor old woman was both |
deservin' and commenddble. Com /
mendable, sir, (Thank you. DrapI
one NV them there cherries in it. /
Seems to flavor it up jest right. sir. !
Not too sweet. Alem. That's as l
good as ! ever drunk. begad. sir) She 4
is the image-the very picture. Peter,
Nv one ! used to know. That's been
long, long years ago, my boy. l was l
eighteen and she was upwards of six
teen. Seems now but a few short II
years, memory brings her SO near to-
night. since we rambled together deep II
into the tangled forest, fingered upon
the banks of the bubblin' brooks and II
watched the limpid waters leap their
pc billed way.
But we came abruptly 20 the part
ing of the ways Peter. ] say, to the
partin' of our way. begad. sir. (Jest
a little 1rap more, Peter: Just enough n
TO wet my throat) What pity some II