The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1884-01-31
"Who prepares the kindling wood
g. bnr Srao %,

Il used to, and would now, II
she would treat me decent"
! eWho builds her fires in the
morning p
q always did, but now my rheu
matism is bad, and then I won't
anyway, she treats me so mean
'What else did you used to do
for her that you don't do now p
81 used TO take her clothes home,
and do lots Of things, but I won't
do a thing for her now
"Will you do as I advise %
81 will, if it is anything l can
do"
"If you will do what I advise, 1
agree to help you through with
your troubles
"If you viii help me to fetch her
down I will do everything
/ 81 am afraid you will not have
courage
aDon't be afraid, I will do all
you say
go home, prepare a large guam
tity Of kindlings, get up tomorrow
morning early, build the fire, keep
it going, think over all the things
: t,you used to 90 for her, and do
every one Of them just as well as
you can. Keep it up two days and
then come again. You see we
must have powerful proof that she
is unreasonable and cruel, and that
/ you do everything for her.
I waited for Matt's return with
much curiosity, When he came
again, a few, days later, was
struck with his puzzled and. en-
barrassed manner. He was almost
disinclined to conversation, which
was in strong contrast with his
volubility in our previous interview.
I saw the situation, and simply
said to him, after learning that he
had kept his promise:
! "NoW l WISH you to 60 On In
I this way, do everything you can
think of for her, and tomorrow
morning, after you have got the
| fire built, say to her:
! "sAmanda / have not done for
you what 1 ought to do, and I am
| sorry. You have done a great deal
of hard work for me, and / don t
ask you to do it any longer. l
have got the rheumatism, am get
I ting old, and won't stay in your
way another day You must say
it just as lovingly as you can, for
yon know we must be able to show
that while you are affectionate. and
do everything for her comfort and
happiness, she is cruel and hard.
1 just as you are coming away, say
to her: Amanda, if you get sick
at any time, and you will let me
come, I viii do all / can for you
Now if you will do all this very
heartily, and she is still hard and
cruel, we shall have a good case
| against her.
4 Poor Matt seemed less talkative
than in our previous interviews,
and / thought I understood it. But
! ] pretended not to see, and urged
him to go on gently, lovingly. He
promised, and disappeared. The
next evening he did not come, but
I met him in the street a few days
| later and was ar,ased with his en-
barrassment. I Urged him to step
into my carriagc, and on the way
to my Office he told me that he had
not come to sec me as he had
tpromised, because he was too busy,
etc.--the usual fibs.
1 laughed, and selling his hand,
said: ssCome now, Matt, tell me
all about it,
Thus challenged, he said:
/ "Well, Boss, the truth is, before
I got through saying what you told
me to say, Amanda put her big
arms around me and took me right
Into her lap, and ever sense she has
treated me like / was her real hus-
! band. Boss, I was never SO happy
in all my life, and my rheumatism
all gone. But, Boss, l must go
home right away, cause I am
&c sS5Sshe will want something"
--Tisss, s-sj,,s q os..sss or two later, Matt