The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-04-23
The Dark Hour.

r rs no use, Becky" said the
little lame cobbleT, dropping
~ his head upon his hands and
8 looking, as he felt the per
sonitication of dispair. "Iye Of
Tended the Lord, somehow, and he
won't let me have a chance to keep
a home over your heads. l know
I'm not all 1 ought to be, and I'm
punished"
Becky went across the room and
patted her husband on the back,
''Now don't take on, Nick, don't, "
she said. "That can't be, for He as
knows all knows how good you are.
Better times III come. They're sure
to; and you'll be rewarded for all
your patience yet. The darkest
hour is just before day
The cobbler shook his head.
'I've gin up hope, Becky" he
said, ''what with the rent and bill
for medicine. 1t was like me to get
sick just at the worst, and no work
coming in; and the new shop with
gilt sign tempting folks from our
shabby basement even for the mend
ing of their old shoes. I'm crushed
down. Why, you are as thin and
white as a ghost. You haven't tast-
ed meat this week, Becky"
''No more have you," said Becky.
"But la, why there is folks thinks
meat unhuls Ome. Wegetarians,
Nick, they call 'em; where I lived
out once I saw one"
"Dld he say bread was unhul-
some, toe?" asked Nick. "Oh, gal,
l wish I'd left ys living out at ser
vice, resy, bright and happy! bat 1
meant to do better, 1 did. If I was
an able bodied man I'd work some
how and somewhere, but it's the
last or nothing with me. Becky,
why didn't you take Tim Rolf, the
wheelwright, and send the little
limping cobbler about his bIsi-
ness?"
Il don't like Tim" said Becky,
"and 1 just knew how nice and CO.
sey we'd be together. Never quar-
rel, Nick. And how we used to 90
to Hoboken and have lemonade in
the garden and come home arter
dark an afternoon, and how we used
to go to church Sunday morning in
clothes as good as any ones"
Used" sighed poor Nick.
''Why, it can't be all up HILL"
said Becky. Il haven't time to go
out gallivanting now, but la, 1 don't
miss it. We're steady married folks
now, you know"
"Ob, Beckyw said the cobbier,
"yon try to keep up heart, but you
know it's come to starving"
They locked at each other, and
then Becky put her arms about her
husband, She did not weep upon his
bosom; she was so big and strong
and he so small and frail that it on
Iy seemed natural to reverse mat
ters. She hugged him mp to her
shoulder and covered his head over
with her apron, and put her cheek
down outside the bundle thus made
and smoothed and patted him as If
he had been q baby. But she cried,
too, and ths apr0n was wet through
in no time,
1t was a bad state of things. No
money, no food, no fire and winter
at it's coolest; the chrildren sent to
school breakfastless for the sake of
the warmth and comfort of the
schoolhouse; no work to be had ;the
little cebbler as helpless as man
could we'll be, except at his trade,
and Becky's Eashipg stopped, for
heaven only knew now long, by a
great felon in the palm OF her right
hand.
But Becky loved the queer little
mortal she had married SO well that
she stopped crying first and picked
up his head and patted it, and kiss
ed him between the eyes-great,
frightened light blue eyes, that
seemed made for crying.
you stay home and mind the
place." she said. I'm going out
while. Perhaps there'll be a bit of
luck-who knowsp
She put on her bonnet and shawl.
such a thin Kttle shawl, which
had been used for an ironing cloth,
and had an iron shaped scorch be
tween the shOulders-and took up
basket.
The cobbler looked at her.
Becky he said, hoarsely,
"Beckyr'
She knew just what he meant.
"The little children, Nick" 1t
won't seem like begging when it's
for them.
Then the door shut behind her,
and poor Nick limped after her, as
though to stop her, then paused
and fairly flung himself down upon
the floor, wishing he were under the
ground beneath it.
"God forgive the man that mar
ries a woman to starve her." he sob
bed. "Why, if I'd known it would
have come to this I'd never have
courted her. It's time 1 was dead"
Perhaps, being q strange, impul-
sive little fellow, there might have
been tragic end to this scene but
that children came in from school
and began to cry,partly at the sight
of their PROSTATE father, partly be
cause of hanger and Nick forgot
himself to do what he could for
| them.
He had no dinner, but had a
great deal of love to give them, and
some pieces of red kid. Only the
youngest chewed the kid. And the
fact that mother" and the basket
were gone together impressed them
with a hope of provisions.
Meanwhile, Becky had gone a
begging. 1t would be horrible, no
doubt, she thought, to take food
from strangers; but she found there
was one thing even more horrible
not to take it.
Door after door was slammed in
her face. Once dog was set at her
or she thought so.
Of.EesNno1 hayCo,S boI J..