Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-05-06

clothing and the worn and Shapeless
shoes of the leading citizens. For
decade. the venerable derby hat, which
once belonged to Judge CrOoker. had
survived all the incidents of his adj
yenturOuS career. He was. indeed as
replete with suggestive memories as
the graveyard to which he was wont to
repair for rest and recuperation in
summer weather. There. in the shade
of n locust tree hard by the wall, he
was often discovered with his faithful
dog Christmas yellow, m0ngrei,
"ood-natured cur-lying beside him,
and the historic derby hat in his hand.
He had a persevering pride in that
hat. Mr.. BlenkinSOp showed sur
Drising and cOmmendable industry un-
der the stimulation of increased pay.
He worked hard for a month, then
celebrated his prosperity with night
of such noisy, riot0us JOY that he
landed in the lookup with black eye
and Il broken nose and an empty peck
ct. AS usual, the dog Christmas went
with him.
When there was loud yell in the
streets at night Judge Crooker used
to say. ITS Hiram again. The poor
fellow is out a-Hiraming."
William Snodgrass. the carpenter,
gave much thought and reflection to
the good fortune of the Gilligan girls.
IF hired girl could earn twenty-five
dollars Il 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,
the 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
Bingville had received notice that its
services would no longer be required.
1t had been an Industrious and faith
full Old Spirit. The new generation did
net intend to be hard on it. They
were willing TO give it a comfortable
home as long as it lived. It's home
was to be called The Past. There it
was to have nothing to do but to sit
around and weep and talk of hygOne
days. The Old Spirit rebelleG. 1t re-
fused 10 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 its screen. The IOw-bOrn. pur.
blind intellectS 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 d rattle
snake when it swallows a rabbit. To
them. there were only two great, bare
facts in life-lnale and female. The
males, in their vulgar parlance, were
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-
dunn Of small-town life.
Judge Croker was in the little
theater that evening that the Old
Spirit of Bingyille received notice to
quit. The sons and daughters and
even the young children of the best
families in the village We're there.
Scenes from the shady side of the
great cities. bar-roOm adventures with
pugiliSts and pOrcelainfaced women,
Al, ~, FL, - 80
ceeded 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 CrOoker shook his head and
his fist as he went out and expressed
his view to Phyllis and her mother In
the lobby. Going home, they called
him an old prude. The knowledge THAI
every night this false instruction was
going on in the Sneed block filled the
good man with sorrow and apprehen-
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 IA curious thing happened to
the family of Mr.. J. Patterson Bing.
1t acquired Il new god-one that be-
gan. as the reader will have observed,
with a small "g." He was a homeless,
India-ruhber. obedient little god For
years the need of one like that had
been growing in the Ding family. Since
he had become Il millionaire Mr.. Bing
had found it necessary to spend
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 disgruntled for week
after his return TO the hOmely realities
Of Bingville. The shrewd intuitions
of Mrs. Bing alarmed her. SO Phyllis
and John We're packed off to private
schools so that the good woman would
be free to look after the imperiled
welfare of the lamb of her fiOck-the
great j. Patterson. She was really