Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-03-01

| once belonged TO Judge CrOOker, HaQ
survived all the incidents Of his adj
venturous career. He was, indeed, as
repIete with suggestive memories as
the graveyard to which he was wont to
repair for rest and recuperatlon in
summer weather. There, in the shade
of n locust tree hard by the wall, he
was often discovered with his faithful
dog Christmas-a yellow, mongrel,
good-natured cur--lying beside him,
and the historic derby hat III his hand.
TIe had a persevering pride in that
hat. Air. BIenEinsop showed q sir
prising and commendablc industry. un-
der the stimulation of increased pay.
He worked hard for a month, then
celebrated his prosperity with night
Of such noisy, riotous joy that he
landed in the lookup with a black eye
and broken nose and an empty pock-
ct. As usual, the dog Christmas went
With him.
When there was loud yell in the
streets at night Judge .Crooker used
to say, "It's Hiram again. The poor
fellow is out aHiramins."
WI!lin.1 Snodgrass, the carpenter,
gave much thought and reflection to
the COOL fortune of the Gilligan girls.
# hired girl could earn twenty five
dollars week and her board, a skilled
mechanic, who had to board him
self, ought to earn at least fifty. So
he put up his prices. Israel Sneed,
tie plumber, raised his scale to CORE
spond with that Of the carpenter. The
prices of the butcher and grocer kept
pace with the rise Of wages. A period
of unexampled prosperity set in.
Some time before, the Old Spirit OF
B!ngville had received notice that its
services would no longer he required.
It had been an Industrious and faith
full Old Spirit. The new generation did
not intend to be hard on 1t. They
were willing to give it comfortable
home as long as it lived. Its home
was to be called The Past. There 1t
was to have nothing to do but to sit
|
days.. The Old Spirit rebelled. 1t re-
fused to abandon its appointed tasks.
The notice had been given soon af-
ter the new theater was opened in the
Sneed block, and the endless flood Of
moving lights and shadows began to
fall on it's screen. The low-born, rur-
blind intellccts of Bohemian New
York began to pour their lewd fancies
into this great stream that flowed
through every city, town and village
In the land. They had no more COM
junction in the matter than rattle
snake when it swallows rabbit. To
them, there were only two great, bare
| facts in life-male and female. The
males in their vulgar parlance, We're
either "wise guys" or suckers" The
females were all "my dears."
Much of this mental sewage smelled
to heaven. But it paid. 1t was cheap
and entertaining. 1t relieved the te-
dium Of smalltown life. g
Judge Crooker was in the little
thcater that evening that the Old.
Spirit Of Dingyille received notice to
quit. The sons and daughters and
eycn/ the young children Of the lest
families in the village were there.
Scenes from the shady side Of the
great cities, bar-room adventures with
pugilists and porcelain-faced women,
the thin-ice skating of Illicit love sue
ceetlcd one another on the screen. The
tender souls Of the young received
the impression that life in the great
world was mostly drunkenness, vio-
lence, lust, and Great White Way
wardness of one kind or another.
Judge Crooier shook his head and
his fist as lie went out and expressed
his view to Phyllis and her mother in
| the lobby. Going home, they called
him an old prude. The knowledge that
every night this false instruction was
going on in the Sleed block filled the
good man with sorrow and apprchen-
sion. He complained to Mr.. Leak, the
manager, who said that he would like
to give clean shows, but that he had
to take what was sent him.
Soon Il curious thing happened to
| the family Of Mr.. J. Patterson Bing.
| It acquired new god-one that be-
gam us tie reader will have observed,
with small "g." lie was homeless,
Jrdia-rubber, obed;cnt little god. For
years the need of one like that had
been growing in The Bing family. Since
lie had become millionaire, Mr.. BinS
had found it necessary to spend a
good deal Of time and considerable
money in New York. Certain Of his
banker friends in the metropolis had
introduced him to the joys Of the
Great White Way and the card room
OF the Golden Age club. Always he
had been i'll and diSgruntlel for Il week
after his return to the homely realities
of B!ngville. The shrewd intHitlnns
Of Mrs. Bing alarmed her. So Phyllis
and John were packed off to private
schools 50 that the good woman would
be free to look after the impcrilcd
welfare Of the lamb Of her tlock-thc
great J. Patterson. She was really
worried about him. After that. she al
ways went with him to the city. She
VOC rloaspd md delirhte1 with The