The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-02-02

Iva MT agoin' to help about the cookin',
nor do anything else as long as they
was bound to support me; would you,
Miss Martin? told 'em they wouldn't
catch me payin' for my support and
dom enough besides to pay my way.
but | saw the time when was glad
to get up and see what the victuals was
made of. One night, after Mag and
Bill had been over to her uncle's all
day, they brought home a small pan of
sassage meat. Mag was as good as
pie to me. She went and cut off some
of the sassage and cooked me real
nice supper. | wondered what made
her do it, but l made up my mind that
her uncle had been talkin' to her for
usin' me so. l hadn't had anything
good in such long time, it seemed as
though | couldn't eat enough. | sat up
about half an hour after I'd eaten my
supper; but hadn't been to bed but a
few minutes before 1 began to feel sick.
| kept a CROWN worse, and never in
my life was so sick as was all that
night Yes, ma am, am sure of it.
She had put pizen in my victuals.
After that, done all possibly could,
apd used to eat only just enough to
keep body and soul together.
81 tell you, Miss Martin, I've seen
better times since l come out here to
live with my daughter. I've had plenty
to eat, and | amt afraid of being
pizened either. Yes, | made a good
swap, if Martha's man does sometimes
get pretty wranglesome. l gave him a
piece o. my mind this mornin', Miss
Martin. Don't you believe he went and
paid Bob Stilson twenty dollars for his
old cutter that amt worth ten! Dick,
SUI |, you ought to be complained of.
You look to the interests of other folks
before you do to your ia SUI Imily,'.
Now Dick, if you'll listen to me- SUI
/, Il can give you good advice He
said he guessed he knew his own bust
ness. Yes SUI l, you do know your
own business, and you tend to your own
business, too SUI |. Your business,
SUI /, . is to look to everybody's else S
interest and let your family suffer,
SUI l.
The old woman paused to take
breath, and Mrs. Martin once more led
her back to the subject on which she
started, by the question:
"Why did your son attempt to kill
himselfp''
"Why, after he'd got deed O the
land, then he want satisfied. He
wanted one of the cows. Week in and
week out he was continually teasin' me
to give him old White Face. One
night Mag was over to her uncle's;
Bub had gone to bed, and Bill and me
set out by the fire alone. Bill had
acted kind O. dumpish-like all the
eyenin'. He set bent over with his
face in his hands and his elbows restin'
on his knees. | knew what he was
thinkin' about, and expected every min
ute he would commence. The clock
had struck nine, and | was wonderin'
how much longer he was goin' to set
there, when, all at once, he straight
ened himself up, and began about the
COW.
SO Mother SUI he, I'm clean dis
couraged. Can't you afford to give me
one O the cows to start on?'
"' BILL SUI |, you'd better take the
clothes off my back for that wife of
yours My shoes stood by the side of
me, and took EN- up and handed 'em
toward him, and SUI L: Here's my
shoes-take them That maddened
him. He jumped up, pulled off his
coat, jerked his boots and put to bed. |
couldn't a slept if | had gone to bed,
and | thought | might as well sit up till
the fire burnt out. | should Judge that
| had set there about an hour when all
at once | heard William bound out O.
bed. In a minute he come out, lookin'
as I'd never seen him beforehand O.
wild-like-and put on his coat and
boots. Then he went to the mantel-
piece, took down his razor and put it
in his pocket. tell you, Miss Martin,
my heart come right up into my mouth
| jumped up and held the door, and
SUI |, William, what are you going to
do?'
There ant no use O my tryin' to
live any longer SUI he, and tried to
push me away from the door,
"Now there amt many men who can
handle William when he is himself, but
he was just as weak as kitten. Idon't
know how l done it, but got that razor
out of his pocket, and opened the door
and l slung it as far as / could stink it
out into the snow Then he got the
butcher-knife; but by that time Bub had
got up, and between us both we man.
aged to get that away from him. |
went into the but'ry and took all the
knives l could find and locked 'em up.
But there happened to be sharp case
knife layin on the table, and Bill got
hold O that, and got past Bub and put
for the woods as fast as he could 90. |
knew we couldn't do nothin' with him,
so told Bub to go and get Cal Corgan
to come. Cal and Bill had always been
great friends, and | knew Cal would
have some influence over him if any
body could.
"Corgan's folks lived not more'n
quarter of mile from us, but half an
hour passed and still Bub and Cal
didn't come. | tell you, Miss Martin,
that half hour o. waitin' was the fear
fullest time l ever knew. walked the
floor back and forth, back and forth, and
it seemed every minute as if l should
90 crazy. There was all the time be-
fore my eyes picture l couldn't shut
out-a picture of William a layin' out
there in the woods with his throat cut
from ear to ear, and the blood a runnin'
out onto the snow. At last | couldn't
stand it any longer. Iput my shawl