Sharp County record., 1888-05-17
the severe

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woman stood before me, arms a-kimbo,
and the children completed the circle
around the table.
From fur?' queried the woman
as starter.
From Bristol" "
Hear 'em say any thing about moP'
Il don't think so. :"
You orter, fer Pm known all over
the State rs the distressedest woman
in it,
"And hain't we distressed, tooP' in
dignantly demanded the children, in
chorus.
"Of course, but I'm the distressed
est, being a wife and mother"
ANY particular causeP" asked.
MORON ten milIyon particular
causes, stranger! No human being will
ever know what l have suffered in body
and mind"
And we We suffered, too!' chorused
the children.
Yes, some, but nothing in compare
son. I've had tooth-ache, ear-ache,
pleurisy, quinsy chills, fever jaun-
dice and bilious fever and through the
hull of it there has not been one hu-
man being to feel sorry for me. "
rs it possible!
"And haven't a relashun as will
sneak to me, on account of my mar
rying Ezekiel, and if was dying to-
morrow not one of EN- would come to
lay me out for my cotfin!
That is indeed sad. "
Stranger, them is the first kind
words I've heard for twenty years,
and you must-must--!'
And nam is bellering, too!'
shouted the children, as she held her
apron to her eyes.
Presently Ezekiel came creeping in,
trying to 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 pizen
yerself n dozen times over?'
"And we want to die, toO!' howled
the children.
Stranger, said the wife, as she
began to clear up the table, take a
good look at that thing over there as
calls hisself u man. You'll never sci
eyes on such an onery, shiftless, good
for-nothing specimen of manhood.
He hain't fit fur bears to chaw on!'
Give it back to her, pap!' shouted
the oldest girl.
stranger, replied Z,kiel 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 | am the down troddenest mourn
fullest man in Tennessee. I've either
got to hang myself or go on in this
way"
Don't you believe him!' appealed
the wife. ''It's all owing to him, ant
,stm Proro- II. II any BODY IS down
troddenest it's me!'
They dasn't pull ha'r and claw
observed the girl to me in strict con
fidence.
was about to try and effect re
Cancellation when the teamster re
turned, having hired q vehicle ;
couple of miles away, and as left tht
house z ,kiel left with me.
mo you don Il" 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, Zokie
began:
Stranger, Pm sorry we hadn'
sunthin' better; but as | told you a
the start, L m the mournfuleSt, down
troddenest" -
Don't you believe him. stranger,
interrupted the wife. IF any body
has suffered more'n another it's
They dasn't fight!' 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 be {
manr-M QUAD in Detroit Free
Press.
SENSIBLE ECONOMY.