Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-25

authority and her loud voice and well.de
fined muscle.
He spoke little at home now, but he st'l
paid frequent visits to his neighbors, and
he remained firm in the Adam, like ides
that Elizabeth had been the root of all
evil in his life.
Eyes, Ben's letting the place run down
pretty bad" he confessed to neigbbor
who had preached the subject. "Ben's
early trainin wasn't right. z'beth, she
let him do bout as he pleased. Liz beth
never had no notions Of how boy should
be trained. He'd a come out all right il
I'd managed him from the start. :"
Strange to say, he never was known to
speak one dispsraging word of Abby, Ben's
second wife. Her harshness and neglect
were matters of common discussion in the
neighborhood, but the old man, who had
been so bitter and Just toward his own wife
and Edith, seemed to feel curious respect
for this Amazon who had subjugstsd him.
Or, perhaps, he remembered how eager he
had been for the marriage, and his pride
kept him silent. Certain it is that he bore
her neglect, and later her abuse, with no
word of complaint, and even spoke of her
sometimes with praise.
"She's brave one, Abby is, he would
say. "She amt afraid of nothin' or no.
body. Eff she'd a been man, she'd
made noise in the world"
Ben drank more and more, and Abby
dressed and drove in like ratio. The farm
ran down and debts accumulated, and
Abby refused to pay with her money, and
the old man saw the savings of long life
r IL - ol .oI
People said it was turning his brain, for
he talked constantly of his poverty, often
walking the streets in animated converse
with himself. And at length he fell i'll
again, and was wildly delirious for weeks
1t was high fever, and when it left him
he was totally blind, and quite helpless.
He needed constant care and attention.
He could not be left alone even for an
hour Ben was seldom at home, and Abby
rebelled at the confinement and restraint
it imposed upon her. Hired help refused
to take the burden of the care of the trou-
blesome old man without increased wages,
and Ben could not and Abby would not
incur this added expense. Servants gave
warning Ben drank more deeply, and
prolonged his absences from home, and
Abby finally carried out resolve which
had at first caused even her hard heart
some twinges.
She made an application to the keeper
of the county poor to admit her husbands
father to the department of the incurably
insane, which was adjacent to the Poor
House.
"He's crazy" she said, lust as crazy
as can be. We can't do anything with
him. He needs strong man to look
after him. Ben's never at home, and
he has everything to look after, any.
way, and can't be broken of his rest,
and the old man talks and cries
half the night. I'm not able to take care
of him-I seem to be breaking down N.Y.
self, with all l have to endure, and besides
it isn't safe to have him in the house. l
think he's getting worse all the time. He'd
be better of, and we all would, if he was in
the care OF the county"
The authorities looked into the matter,
dy's statements were true. 1t was quite
evident that the old man would be better
off in the County. house than he was in the
home of his only son. So he was taken
away, and Abby had her freedom at last.
"We are going to take you where you
will have medical treatment and care it
is your daughters request, they told him
in answer to his trembling inquiries.
ooh yes, yes-Abby thinks I'll get my
sight back, suppose, if I'm doctored up.
Well, may be SO, but Pm pooty old-pooty
old for the doctors to patch up. But Abby
has powerful mind to plan things
powerful mind. 'Liz'beth never would
thought of sending me away z'beth
was 80 easy like. Abby ought to been
man, she had. She'd flung things"
So he babbled on ss they carried him to
the Poor-house.
1t was November, and the holidays
were close at hand. Thanksgiving,
Christmas, New Year. Abby meant to
enjoy them, and invited all Ter relatives to
a time of general feasting and merry
making.
u feel as if great nightmare were
lifted off my heart and brain. now the old
man has gone, she said. 81 He will be so
much better off, and get SO much more
skillful treatment, you know, in place
like that. They are very kind in that in
stitution, and 80 clean, and nice, and he
will have plenty of company to keep him
from being lonesome. We have been all
through it, during the last year, or else
we never should have sent him there.
1t is really an excellent home for him.
".
1t was Just year later when delicate,
sweet-faced woman was shown through the
wards of that excellent home for the
poor and unfortunate. She walked with
nervous haste, and her eyes glanced from
room to room, and from face to face, as if
seeking, yet dreading, some object.
Presently the attendant pushed open a
partly closed door. which led into a small
close room, ventilated only by one high,
narrow window.
This is the room, l believe, he said,
and the lady stepped in-and paused The
air was close and impure, and almost
stifed her.
On the opposite side of the room she saw
a large crib witn a cover or lid which could
be closed and locked when necessary, but
which was raised now In this crib upon a
hard mattress and soiled pillows, lay the
emaciatsd form OF an old man. He turned
his sightless eyes toward the door as he
heard the sound of footsteps.
"What is wanted" he asked feebly /;
{" does anybody want me? Has anybody
come for me? ?"
go, father, father !" cried the woman in
a voice choked with sobs. Don't you
know me? 1t is land have come to
take you awaY-to take you away home
with me. Will you go?"
A glow of delight shone over the old
mans wasted face, like the last rays of the
sunlight over winter landscape. He half
arose upon his elbow, and leaned forward
as if trying to see the speaker.
"Why, it's Abby, it's Abby, come at
last p he said. You called me father,
didn't you-and you was crying, and it
made your voice sound kind o strange and
broken like. But you must be Abby come
to take me home. On, 1 thought you'd
come at last, Abby. 1t seems long, long
time since l came away. And you've never
been to see me no, nor Ben, either. But
you've come at last, Abby-you've come at
last. Let me take YOUR hand, daughter,