The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1885-08-22
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q Domestic scspein Tennes5oe-lTIow AMI
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q Domestic Scene in TeunessGo-7IIow aBis-
used Woman Vindicato1 Herself
We we're winding down one Of the
mountain roads Of Tennessee In a cart
drawn by mule, The land was barren,
the cabins no better than novels sDd It
was query how people Ua3e bare
living or were content 20 stay. By and
by We came to q turn In the road where
there vss trough to water horses and
cabin Of settler The cabin vas the
poorest Of all and nothing around it
indicated that the owner made any
attempt 10 cultivate tie soil. Wereach-
cd the place ivst IN time 10 witness q
tableau, A woman, poorly dressed and
her face bearing the look Of cne who
had seen much worry and suffering,
stood near the trough and q satchel
filed With clothing sat on the ground
beside her, Five feet away stood her
husband, burly, tough-facod noun
tainocr, and be held Z switch in his
hand, Neither minded US as we drove
up and It was full minute before the
husband said:
MARY, I'll wollop yel'
"Jlin, ye dasn'tr she replied.
"Mary, you can't leaYe me nobowp
'Jim, I'm gwine to do It. I've starved
an suffered till I'm clean gone. I'm
going home"
Mary, If you don't take up that
sstchel and march in I'll wollop ye good
and stoutp
There were two Of US besides the
driver The woman looked up and
scanned our faces, as if to judge how far
she might count on cur help, and the
driver said;
"Tain't rulable for stranger TO mix In,
Mary; and Jim's got knife and would
kill somebody, Better go in"
''Neyerl' she hi5sed,
"If you don't" said the husband, as
he came 4 step nearer, III make the fur
fly. Take thatl"
With swish lie brought tho switch
down across her shoulders and raised it
again She stood stock for a minute
and looked him in the eye, and then
walked into the hoyel,
"Rayther psart, but the CAD will cure
her" grinuel the husband, as he drew
the switch through his fingers
His triumph was short lived. IN sixty
seconds Mary reappoarel, She had tie
moun,ainccr's heavy ride in her hand,
and as she came ont she raised It on a
line with the mans heart,
"Jim, want you gitP
"No-or
"Sartiup
"Shoo! Can't do itp
Clinkl Cllnk!
"NIory, what yer gwinc ter do?"
"Kill sc Ike wolf in yer tracks If ye
don't walk away"
"Thar tof'
Nobody keers. Go sumvhar'--lccep
goin'-- don't never come Dackl Hurry
up, fur Pm going down on the stagep
Bc looked into her eyes and saw the
change. Poverty and brutality had
come to an end, Love had turned 10
disgust, and in place OF fear was such
bravery as he would not have Looked for
for in man ON the road. He saw
shoot in her eyes, but he still hesi.
tatod.
MARY, drop that ri1eW he whispered.
"Jim, git # you are here when I've
finished counting twenty I kill you a.
sure as there is God in heavenp
He began backing away. When ht
! had gone twenty feet he turned and
walked. When he had gone one hundred
he halted, wheeled about ard, after q
long time, muttcred; "Wan, by gosh
Mary, let's make upw
keep a-gittin', Jim," she replied, as
she still covered him with the rifle.
In five minutes he was out of sight uT
the road. The woman placed the gun
and satchel in the cart, walked into the
hoYol to be gone two minutes and when
she came back to the cart and took q
seat with us flames we're creeping
through a hundred creyices between the
dry logs. Without word she climted
in and only once during the tive-mila
ride did she utter Q weEd, At bend
in the road she looked back at pyramid
Of smoke and fame wrought bY her
hands and said, as if to herself;
Jim didn't knoW Mary; jim didn' Il"
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