The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-08-18

company, looking often from one to
the other as if she recognized them
all, or was trying to recall their
faces. When the game of cards was
started she became very restless,
would hitch uneasily about in her
seat, take up the hem of her faded
apron and nervously bite the threads.
Once or twice l thought she wiped
her eyes under her Shaker bonnet"
but could not tell She acted so
strangely, l became more interested
in her than in the players, and
watched her closely. She got up
after time and tottered forward,
holding on to the seats as she passed.
She brushed against Judge in
passing, but he had become inter-
ested in the game and did not notice
her. Reaching the water tank at
last, she drank cup of water and
took a seat near the door, with her
back to the players. But she did
not long remain there rising again
with difficulty, she tottered back to-
wards her former seat, but reaching
the players. she passed directly in
front of them, and now, greatly ex-
cited, threw back her bonnet from
her face, and then looked around the
company. Her action at once ar
rested their attention, and pausing
in their play, they all looked up in
quiringly.
Gazing directly into the face of
Judge, she said in tremulous
voice: "Do you know me, Judge
-m
"No, mother, I don't remember
YOU" said the Judge, pleasantly.
Where have we met ?"
"My name is Smith," said she, II
was with my poor boy, three days
off and on, in the court room in
Oshkosh, when he was tried for-tor
for robbing somebody, and you
are the same man that sent him to
prison for ten years, and he died
there last June"
All faces were now sobered, and
the passengers began to gather
around and stand up all over the car
to listen and see what was going on.
She did not give the Judge time to
answer her, but becoming more and
more excited, she went on, "He was
a good boy, if you did send him to
Jail. He helped us to clear the farm,
and when father was took sick and
' died Ss dons III she wcrF, and W ~
was Citing along right smart, till he
took to going to town, and got to
playing keards and drinking, and
then, somehow, he didn't like to work
after that, but used to stay out often
till most mornin', and then he'd sleep
so late, and I couldn't wake him
when l knowed he'd been out SO late
the night afore. And then the farm
kinder run down, and then we lost
the team one of 'em got killed
when he'd been to town one awful
cold night. He staid late and l
'spose they had got cold standin' out,
and got skeered and broke loose and
run most home, but run agin the
fence and stake run into one of 'em
and when we found it the next
morning it was dead and the other
was standing under the shed. And
So after awhile he coaxed me to let
him sell the farm and buy house
and lot in the village, and he'd work
at carpenters work. And SO did,
as he wouldn't DO nothin' on the farm.
But he grew worse than ever, and
after awhile he couldn't git any work
and wouldn't do anything but gam
BILE and drink all the time. / used to
do everything could to get him to
quit and be good, industrious boy
agin, but he used to get mad after
awhile, and once he struck me, and
then in the morning l found he had
got what little money there was left
on the farm, and had run off. After
that l got along as we'll as could,
cleaning house for folks and washing,
but 1 didn't hear nothing OF him for
four or five years but when he got
arrested and was took up to Oshkosh
tor trial, he writ to me-"
BY this time there was not a dry
eye in the car and the cards had dis
appeared. The old lady herself was
weeping silently and speaking in
snatches. But, recovering herself,
she went on:
"But what could lido? l sold the
house and lot to get money to hire a
lawyer, and l believe he is here
somewhere" looking around. "Oh,
yes, there he is, MIR. -" pointing to
I.awvnr mhO bod nn+ lion no IF