Elder Brown's Backslide by Harry Stillwell Edwards
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old buttons, you kin walk home by yourself, for I'm danged if_you sh'll ride me er step ."

surely Coriolanus never turned his back upon Rome with agrander dignity than sat upon_the old man's form as he faced about and left the brute to survey with anxious eyes the new departure of_his master .

he_saw the elder zigzag along the street, and beheld him about to_turn a friendly corner . once more he lifted up his mighty voice:

" drunk, drunk, drunk, drer-unc, drer-unc, -erunc, -unc, -unc ."

once more the elder turned with lifted hand and shouted back:

" you're a liar, Balaam, goldarn you ! you're er iffamous liar ." then he passed from view .

III

Mrs brown stood upon_the steps anxiously awaiting the return of her liege lord . she knew he had with_him a large sum of money, or should_have, and she knew also that he_was a man without business methods . she had long since repented of_the decision which sent him to town . when_the old battered hat and flour- covered coat loomed up in_the gloaming and confronted her, she stared with terror . the next instant she had seized him .

" for_the lord sakes, elder brown, what ails you ? as I live, if_the man ain't drunk ! elder brown ! elder brown ! for_the life of me can't I make you hear ? you crazy old hypocrite ! you desavin' old sinner ! you black-hearted wretch ! where have_you ben ? "

the elder made an effort to wave her off .

" woman," he_said, with grand dignity, " you forgit yus-sef; shu know ware I've ben ' swell's I_do .Ben to town, wife, an' see yer wat I've brought-- the fines' hat, ole woman, I_could git . look't the color . like goes 'ith like; it's red an' you're red, an' it's a dead match . what yer mean ? Hey ! hole on ! ole woman ! -- you ! Hannah ! -- you ." she literally shook him into silence .

" you miserable wretch ! you low- down drunken sot ! what do_you_mean by coming home and insulting your wife ? " Hannah ceased shaking him from pure exhaustion .

" where is_it, I_say ? where is_it ? "

by_this_time she was turning his pockets wrong side out . from one she got pills, from another change, from another packages .

" the lord be praised, and this_is better luck than I hoped ! Oh, elder ! elder ! elder ! what did you_do it for ? why, man, where is Balaam ? "

thought of_the beast choked off the threatened hysterics .

"Balaam ? Balaam ? " said the elder, groggily ." he's in town . the infernal ole fool 'sulted me, an' I lef' him to walk home ."

his wife surveyed him . really at_that moment she did think his mind was gone; but the leer upon_the old man's face enraged her beyond endurance .

" you_did, did you ? well, now, I reckon you'll laugh for some cause, you_will . back you go, sir-- straight back; an' don't you come home 'thout that donkey, or you'll rue it, sure as my name is Hannah brown .Aleck ! -- you Aleck-k-k ! "

a black boy darted round the corner, from behind which, with several others, he had beheld the brief but stirring scene .

" put a saddle on er mule . the elder's gwine back to town . and don't you be long about_it neither ."

"Yessum ." Aleck's ivories gleamed in_the darkness as he disappeared .

elder brown was soberer at_that moment than he had_been for hours .

"Hannah, you don't mean it ? "

" yes, sir, I_do . back you go to town as sure as my name is Hannah brown ."

the elder was silent . he had never known his wife to relent on any occasion after she had affirmed her intention, supplemented with " as sure as my name is Hannah brown ." it_was her way of swearing . no affidavit would_have had half the claim upon her as_that simple enunciation .

so back to town went elder brown, not in_the order of_the early morn, but silently, moodily, despairingly, surrounded by mental and actual gloom .

the old man had turned a last appealing glance upon_the angry woman, as he mounted with Aleck's assistance, and sat in_the light that streamed from out the kitchen window . she met the glance without a waver .

" she means it, as sure as my name is elder brown," he_said, thickly . then he rode on .

IV

to_say that elder brown suffered on_this long journey back to Macon would only mildly outline his experience . his early morning's fall had begun to_make itself felt . he_was sore and uncomfortable . besides, his stomach was empty, and called for two meals it had missed for_the first time in years .

when, sore and weary, the elder entered the city, the electric lights shone above it like jewels in a crown . the city slept; that_is, the better portion of it did . here and there, however, the lower lights flashed out into_the night . moodily the elder pursued his journey, and as he rode, far off in_the night there rose and quivered a plaintive cry . elder brown smiled wearily: it_was Balaam's appeal, and he recognized it . the animal he rode also recognized it, and replied, until the silence of_the city was destroyed . the odd clamor and confusion drew from a saloon near by a group of noisy youngsters, who had_been making a night of it . they surrounded elder brown as he began to transfer himself to_the hungry beast to whose motion he_was more accustomed, and in_the " hail fellow well met" style of_the day began to bandy jests upon his appearance . now elder brown was not in ajesting humor .Positively he_was in_the worst humor possible . the result was_that before_many minutes passed the old man was swinging several of_the crowd by their collars, and breaking the peace of_the city .a policeman approached, and but for_the good- humored party, upon whom the elder's pluck had made a favorable impression, would_have run the old man into_the barracks . the crowd, however, drew him laughingly into_the saloon and to_the bar . the reaction was too_much for_his half- rallied senses . he yielded again . the reviving liquor passed his lips . gloom vanished . he became one_of_the boys .

the company into which elder brown had fallen was what_is known as " first- class ." to such nothing is so captivating as an adventure out_of_the common run of accidents . the gaunt countryman, with_his battered hat and claw- hammer coat, was a prize of an extraordinary nature . they drew him into a rear room, whose gilded frames and polished tables betrayed the character and purpose of_the place, and plied him with wine until ten thousand lights danced about him . the fun increased . one youngster made a political speech from_the top of_the table; another impersonated hamlet; and finally elder brown was lifted into a chair, and sang a camp-meeting song . this_was rendered by him with startling effect . he stood upright, with_his hat jauntily knocked to one side, and_his coat tails ornamented with a couple of show-bills, kindly pinned on by his admirers . in_his left_hand he waved the stub of a cigar, and on_his back was an admirable representation of Balaam's head, executed by some artist with billiard chalk .

as_the elder sang his favorite hymn, "I'm glad salvation's free," his stentorian voice awoke the echoes . most of_the company rolled upon_the floor in convulsions of laughter .

the exhibition came to a close by_the chair overturning . again elder brown fell into his beloved hat . he arose and shouted: "Whoa, Balaam ! " again he seized the nearest weapon, and sought satisfaction . the young gentleman with political sentiments was knocked under the table, and hamlet only escaped injury by beating the infuriated elder into_the street .

what next ? well, I hardly know . how the elder found Balaam is a mystery yet: not that Balaam was hard to_find, but that_the old man was in no condition to_find anything . still he_did, and climbing laboriously into_the saddle, he held on stupidly while the hungry beast struck out for home .

V

Hannah brown did_not sleep that night . sleep would_not come . hour after hour passed, and her wrath refused to_be quelled . she tried every conceivable method, but time hung heavily . it_was not quite peep of day, however, when she laid her well- worn family Bible aside . it had_been her mother's, and amid all the anxieties and tribulations incident to_the life of a woman who had free negroes and a miserable husband to manage, it had_been her mainstay and comfort . she had frequently read it in anger, page after page, without knowing what_was contained in_the lines . but eventually the words became intelligible and took meaning . she wrested consolation from_it by mere force of will .

and so on_this occasion when she closed the book the fierce anger was gone .

she was not a hard woman naturally . fate had brought her conditions which covered up the woman heart within her, but though it lay deep, it_was there still . as she sat with folded hands her eyes fell upon-- what ?

the pink bonnet with_the blue plume !

it may appear strange to_those who_do_not understand such natures, but to_me her next action was perfectly natural . she burst into a convulsive laugh; then, seizing the queer object, bent her face upon it and sobbed hysterically . when_the storm was over, very tenderly she laid the gift aside, and bare- headed passed out into_the night .

for a half- hour she stood at_the end of_the lane, and then hungry Balaam and_his master hove in sight .Reaching out her hand, she checked the beast .

"William," said she, very gently, " where is_the mule ? "

the elder had_been asleep . he woke and gazed upon her blankly .

" what mule, Hannah ? "

" the mule you rode to town ."

for_one full minute the elder studied her face . then it burst from_his lips:

" well, bless me ! if I didn't bring Balaam and forgit the mule ! "

the woman laughed till her eyes ran water .

"William," said she, " you're drunk ."

"Hannah," said he, meekly, " I_know it . the truth is, Hannah, I--"

" never mind, now, William," she said, gently ." you_are tired and hungry . come into_the house, husband ."

Leading Balaam, she disappeared down the lane; and when, a few_minutes later, Hannah brown and her husband entered through_the light that streamed out_of_the open door her arms were around him, and her face upturned to_his .

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