The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-11-06
STARVED TO DEATH.
By RosELLA RICE.

B1 kp>fLLA hllE.
SHK was the wife of flrmer In easy cir
cnmstanoes She was poor and thin. and
sallON he was strong. and his constitu-
ton was OF iron. His views were right
on every subject , if any one differed from
him he wondered az the blindness. When
his wife said = There Is nothing can eat
this morning" and SAT- with tears in her
eyes and poured out her tea into the sau-
esf, and then waited awhile and poured il
back into the cup, and called this eating.
be ate slice after slice Of the fat, fried salt
pork. and peeled and ate Of the boiled po-
tatoes with a relish. saving: II would
want nothing better than this-nObOdy
co1ld wish for better breakfast She
smiled and winked faster 10 break the tea :
that were gathering.
Tins life lasted for years The robust
farmer ate Of his salt pork. and boiled po-
tztoes- and beans. and pork gravy. and
with ms abundant outdoor exeI Else his
health was excellent. His little wife grew
thinner and thinner children came TO her.
AID she nursed them. and her life grew
weaker and smaller. for she had no vitality
10 spare to them.
She was starving TO death. All through
the long summers, day after day, the same
strong food. scarcely varied AT all. was hers
TO eat or let alone-1o turn from in dis
gust-while her husband ate il with a rel
ish, and laughed, and called her " whimsi-
cal" Fat pork. potatoes, fried mush, mo-
lasses. boiled beans. eggs fried in grease
everything that nature loaths in the sum-
mer time. was placed before the exacting
husband three times day the whole year
round.
When the poor. feeble. nursing mother
sat ar the table. Disguised with the food
before her. sickened with the smell. he
called il " iirst-rate," and ate enough for
both.
Friends rallied the little woman on her
emaciated appearance. and playfuily
pinched the blue. bony arms. and laugh
ingly slid their plump hands down over
her jutting shoulder-blades. Her smile
was always the same. placid. and pitiful,
and patient. There was but little susie
nance for herself and baby In the cup Of
Tea and the bit of fine -four bread and but
ter that she ate. when she ate AZ all.
II she said: :. wish we had some good.
new beefor mutton, the broaa-shOu.drred
farmer husband laughed. and thought he
had said a witty thing. when he replied:
Nothing 10 kill Nothing in good order
tor Dutchering. unless we iii one OF the
hofEe<.''
Hi< fine sheep grazed upon the green
hillssles. his sleek calves ran in the mea-
dow and orchard. and his shiny cattle
browsed in the shady woods and came
down the path 10 the brook TO drink Of it,
cool waters.
Nothing 70 kill and the little wife. the
mother Of his puny children. starving to
death for lack of the food that contained
nntriment for her wasted little body, nu-
triment to repair the lax muscles, the soft.
fsbby flesh, and the thin. watery blood.
Starving 10 death-giying Of her own
impoverished life 10 her children. when
the food she pined fer lay in the sight Of
her DIOR every day.
The end drew nigh. The summers
heat was intolerable. She could keep step
no longer to the urgent demand of what
she dcemcd duty. She sought the coolest
corner Of the old house, and smiled and
hay down and folded her hands and the
sweet Angel Of Peace made it, abiding
place within that low. quiet. darkened
pcm- Thrice a day her cup Of tea and bit
G bread were carried TO her.
Starving 10 death-but so gradually that
twas not hard or painful. Thrice in the
quietnde Of that little haven of rest she e.
Aycd to fashion an infants tiny white
slip, but she soon wearied. and the needle
lxy IN her attenuated fingers for many
minutcs before the work was resumed.
Al last the needle lay still with the itches
on it-af last.
Her smile was seraphic when she looked
down upon the new life-claimant that lay
beside her. Shadows. both OF them. The
mothers weight would not exceed seventy
pounds, and the babe. the tiny. beautiful
whine checked baby. weighed only two
pounds and a half Both little lives faded
away gradually and they were laid in one
cofhn- II was a sad sight. Friends
mcurncd the going out Of the home-light.
md called II dispensation Of Providence,
and the preacher comforted the bereft hus-
hand and spoke divine words of condo
hence 90 the little children.
An, me. IL the letter Of the law had been
ful6llesl the coroner would have held an
inquest over the emaciated bodies Of the
defrsn<ied mother and babe.
Better, though. for the blunted sensi.
bslifics Of poor humanity, that the truth be
nof told; better to wear Grape and bonn
nnne and to 90 amounting. than TO ex.
pose the reality. Better to let greed have
mse-so cover and smother and trick on,
with sof-handed delusion the fatal truth.
AZ WIS not pleasenf ar avrecxhle