The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-09-04

"An' don't blame yen, neider, not
bit. Sit down, miss IF l had expect
ed you, | would ha' tidied up some.
But de misery has in my head keeps
me behindhanded somehow"
"You don't look strong" Belle SAID.
81 hope your husband is living takes
care of you" -,
0sNo, miss, dat he don't. He are lib
bin. too; but de pore critter don't do
muffin fur me desc days Seems Ike /
has hard work to git along"
Belle looked around her The cabin
consisted of one small room, with a
smaller lean-to shed attached. There
was one bed, one table, one chair with a
back, another chair without back, a
stove; on the stove "A corn-cake was
frying. :,
81 works out by de day an de half
day, an | makes little dat ar way.
Yistiday was tux sick, an spent all
my change fur pills. So to-day we has
to 90 widout meat
@Your husband ought to do something
for you," Belle said, ponderlngly.
"Where is hep"
ssHe war good husban' ter me fur
twelve years; I'd nebber AK fur no bet
ter. But Jest var lately, miss, he
hab gone an desaTted me, an dat'S
de fac"
GLOW long ago7"
"Jest var lately. Bout de time you
got married, miss. We ibbed in de
town den. We neber wanted fur muffin,
me nor de chillen- Den | foun' out he
war a-foolin' roun' arter anoder woman.
She war one OBJ yer bright gals wild sas-
sy ways. nebber could bar her DE
fust knew he war off wid her. Dey
went down to Ole pint Comfort, an he
TUX ter shuckin' oysters | seed a man
from dar, an he tell me my husban'
done make lots oh money, but ne nebbeI
send me none. | sOnt him one word
arter anOder, tryin' ter persuade him ter
come back. But nebber hab laid eyes
on him sencc. Once he wrote me 4 let
ter
"Oh, did hep That seemed good
SIGN to Belle. The miserable man hadn't
forgotten his family altogether.
- Yes. He wrote ter me an de chill
len rale pitiful like"
This sounded odd to Belle. 1t struck
her that the pitiful rhetoric should have
come from the other side. "Pitiful?
she repeated.
Yes. He say he done married her,
but he hab not Glib us up yit. Yer see,
him an me we nebber was not presackly
married. We nebber go befo' de par
son. We only jest tux out de license, SC
ter speak" ....
Milly evidently considered this inaccu-
racy of slight moment as affecting the
question.
why on earth were you never mar
riedP" Belle asked, quite impatiently.
1--WE allays laid out ter be, him an
me; but somehow we nebber named dc
day. One an anoder oh de chillen wuc
be sick-I's had sight OBJ chillen;
has buried six. An has had sickness:
myself, de misery in my head, off an
on, all de time. So, as | says, we was
nebber presackly married" .
"You poor thing, you were never
married at ALL Belle said.
"Dat's what he keeps a-tellin' oh m'
now, MISS" agreed MilH. Yes, hi
write rale pitiful like. He say she
de waller wOman-tuk de wally OBJ him.
s;Took what ?-the value of him?"
ayes, miss, OATS wOt he say. Sh'
tux de wally oh him."
al don't understand.
"She got de upper han Ob him.
"OhI" Apparently, got the adyan
tage of him was intended. "Then dc
you suppose he was really married Il
her." ..... ...
"Oh yes, miss, I heerd all about
! from dis var frien' oh mine dat wen
down to Ole Pint. He seed her astrut
tin a-roun' wild all her weddin' finer,
on. Dressed ter death, he say-all he
close on, an her trunk a-settin' QUITO
doo's airin', as de sayin' is
! Meanwhile Milly's children stoo'
around, open-eyed and Open-mouthed
| Certainly they could not be accused o
wearing too many clothes, poor things
One scanty garment for each girl, tw
as scanty for the boy, completed thei
toilets. "Dey misses DER pap" poo
! Milly sighed. "Twelve years he don
/ lib wild me, fust an last, an a good hus
! ban he war ter me. No woman nee,
wish better. He treated me well 4
long as he stayed on wild me-"
but don't You mean to do any thing
Can't you force him to come back, or a
least to support the children, or to civ
you money now and then?" Belle cried
L" No, miss, can't do muffin. | Sc
one lawyer about it. But he tell me
has no law on my side. Him an me W
never went befo' de parsOn. We ha
orter ben more pertickler."
This seemed sad tale to Belle. toll
as il was with the most entire simplicity
and with frequent reiteration of It's fey
facts. Milly told the story, moreover
rs calmly as though it had eoncerne
some other person. She betrayed n
resentment, no bitterness. She neithe
aSSailed fate, nor upbraided the ma
who had deserted her. This was har
world. These things would happier
Her troubles did not affect her manner,
however. She now changed the CONVEX
sation, and inquired for Bellies pa an
ma, and for her husband. Then Bell
incurred the children's names. BY tina
time the rain had stopped, and Belle rt
ouested Peter to bring her horse around
Peter had tied the mare under the thic
shade of trees. Milly wiped the dam
saddle with her apron, brought forth tn
one whole chair, and Belle prepared t
mount. "Call again, miss" Milly sale
as her visitor smiled a farewell.
That evening, one or twoviSitorS cam
in. Belle, who had talent for MARIA
ing, related the tale of the deserte
mother and children she had seen tn;
day.
t" If the thing had happened in Cal
fOrnia, - one of the party said, "Nlill
would have been considered the LEG;
wife. There cohabitation for the shor