The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-05-10
A FAMILY AFFAIR


with a smash. and after spending ten
minutes III solemn thought the driver
said
well. I'll have TO get the consarned
thing down 10 Tompkinsville tor repairs
and you'd bette stay all night at yon
cabin"
perhaps they can't accommodate me-
There's no perhaps about 1t Folks as
has got a house are bound TO keep folks
as has broke down.
| went over TO the cabin. which was
rude log structure. and the only one with
In four miles The woman saw mo com
ing and stood In the open door Her hus-
band saw me coming and sat down on
log The five or six children saw me
coming. and arranged themselves along
the opening in the brush fence which an
swered for gat3 AS | came up ap-
preached the man and explained the nat
ure of the accident and asked to stay all
night
stranger, If it depended on me. I'd say
YES. he replied as he crossed his legs and
tried to put ON an injured look. But 1t
don't depend on me, don't amount to
shucks around ycre no mo.
Now. Ezekiel. what dye talk like that
fur" demanded the barefooted wife as she
came down 70 the log Who's said you
wasn't bossl Who's tried to take the
lead over your
you hev, an right afore the children
too You said | wasn't fifteen TO drive
hogs
"Shoo. Zekiell you began it by saying ]
was cxtrayagant.
"Oh, yes. | begun I'll | allus begin
everything Nobody else never begins
nuthn'. and nobody else is never to
blamer"
But this ere stranger wants to stay
all night It's comm night and we can't
say no.
well. | calkerlate he kin stay
month ago could hev taken him by the
hand and told him to make my house his
home. but now hain't got no more rights
around yere I'm only sighpher now.
The wife took my sachel into the cabin
I
offered him a cigar AT the same time the
seven children came and stood in q row
before Us. and called out as in one voice
The fcllcr has dun gin pap cigarI'
Yes. children. said the old man. as he
scratched match on his starboard
quarter and lit the weed, pap has got a
cigar It's the fust choorin thing that
has como to him fur twenty-one years
and its proof that he baint quite forgot
ten bv all the world What are We
standin' here lookin att Whars yer man
nersl"
"Ilant got nonei" called three of them
at once
NO s'pose not, aud | can't blame ye
not q bit Children as come up without
any father can't be s'pected to hev man
ners Whar ye fran. stranger2"
bristol"
Right smart huddle, I've heard, but
I've never bin thar Hear EN- say any
thing about met'
No
"No2 Well. ! spose they've heard Of
stranger I'm the man who had forty two
blcs on his bsrsS i'll one winter
"You didl'
Yes. and never got the least sympa
thy from my family I've also had rheu
matism lung fever. lame back. fever sore
consumption and yaler fever Not one of
the family shed tear o."
is it possible?"
And broke my leg. lost a 5000 mule
by pizen. he'd my barn burn up lost a
farm on mortgage and buried two chill
dren"
"Well. you have suffered"
Suffered? Stranger excuse these tears;
but yours are the first kind words I've
heard since the war closed.
Pap is bellering maj" shouted the
children. as they ran for the house. and
tho woman presently rushed out and
said
"Now thar. Ezekiel. you git. and you,
thar. stranger, come in to smack
Didn't tell yoi sol" exclaimed Ezekiel
as he made bolt for the woods. I'm the
discouragedest. downtroddenest, unfor
tunatest man In all creation. and I'm 60
ing 10 hang myself
You dassn't. and you know you
dass'n'tl" shouted the wife.
"You dass'n't hang nuthing, added the
children
While was eating smack" the woman
stood before me. arms akimbo. and the
children completed the circle around the
table
Prom furS' queried the woman as 9
starter
From Bristol"
Hear EN- say anything about mel"
II don't think SO.
"You orter, fer I'm known all over the
state as the distressedest woman In IT.
And hain't we distressed. teoS" indig
nantly demanded the children In. chorus
"Of course. but I'm the distressedest
being wife and mother
ANY particular causef' | asked
"Moren ten millyon particular causes
stranger No human being will evel
know what | have suffered in body and
mind
A