St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1888-06-23
% r~ Tfrtl.
w. G. KENTZEL, Editor

woman 6tOOO OeIOfO ME, arms AKIN 90.
and the children completed the circle
around the table.
Prom fur?' queried tie woman.
. as starter
'FroM Bristol"
Hear 'em say any thing about me?''
Il don't think So"
"You orter. fer I'm known all over
tho. State as the distressedest woman
in it,"
'.And hain't wc distressed. tooe' in.
dignantly demanded the children. in
chorus
'Of course. but I'm the distressed.
cst. being wife and mother"
'Any particular cause2" asked.
'.More'n ten millyon particular
causes. stranger! No human being will
ever know what have suffered in body
and mind"
'.And we've suffered too!" chorused
the children.
''Yes. some. but nothing in compari.
son. I've had tooth-ache. car-ache.
pleurisy. quinsy chills fever. jam.
dice and bilious fever and through the
hull of it there has not been one hu.
man being to feel sorry for me-"
rs il possible!"
'.And haven't a relashun as will
speak to me. on account of my mar.
rying Zekiel and if l was dying to.
morrow not one of 'em would come to
lay me out for my coffin!'
THAT is indeed sad"
Stranger, them is tho first kind
words I've heard for twenty years.
and you must-must--!"
':And mann is bellcring. tcor'
shouted the children. as she held her
apron to her eyes.
Presently Ezekiel came creeping in.
trying 10 look careless and Indifferent
but he had scarcely entered the door
when the wife jumped up and said:
Didn't say you dassn't hang yer.
self"
''And hain't you threatened to pizer
yersclf dozen times over?"
''And we want to die. tool" howled
the children.
Stranger. said tho wife. rs she
began to clear up. the table. ''take a
good look at that thing over there as
calls hisself man. You'll never set
eyes on such an merry. shiftless good.
for.nothing specimen Of manhood.
He hain't lit fur bears to chaw on!'
Give it back to her. pap! shouted
the oldest girl.
stranger. replied Ezekiel as he
spit out the bark he was chewing.
you hain't blind. You kin see as
we'll as me. and you kin now realize
why l am the down troddenest. mourn.
fullest man in Tennessee. I've either
got to hang myself or 60 on in this
way"
Don't You believe him." appealed
the wife. Its all owing to him. and
l kin prove it II any body is down
troddenest it's meT' .,-.-
They dasp't pull ha'r and claw"
observed the girl to me in strict con.
fidence.
Twas about to try and effect . 70.
conciliation when the teamster re-
turned. having hired n vehicle .
couple of miles away. and rs / left the
house Ezekiel left with me. ..
mo you don t"' exclaimed the wife.
"You want to take advantage Of me.
but you can't"
She put ON her bonnet and walked
out with us and the six children
brought up the tail-end of the process
sion. As got into the vehicle. Zckiel
began: .ss t<--.
Stranger. I'm sorry we hadn't
sunthin' better; but as told You at
the start I'm the mournfulest. down.
troddenest" -.
Don't yon believe him. stranger"
interrupted the wife. If any body
has suffered more'n another: it's
They dasn't ightr yelled the chill
dren.
And as we moved away over the
rocky road Ezekiel made another bolt
for the woods to hang himself
and the children were clapping their
hands and shouting:
Come back here. pap and he
man!'-A Qwad. in Detroit Free
Press