Woman's chronicle. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1888-1???, 1889-07-20

of his seventeen children | kept it though; l
never could bear to part with it,"
sWeL," drawing a long breath-ssword came
the next year to Jem's mother that her boy and
mine was drowned, and | never shall forget how
we stole out together one dark night and made
little mound with our own hands, and we called it
Jem's grave, though, laws me it weren't any big
ger than babys. My Jem never could have laid
in it, he was six feet hight an inch Time passed
got to be sixteen, but | never felt Young any
more. The counting between Jem and me and
then his death had made matters worse between us
and our neighbors and feyther laid all the blame
upon me, so when [ met Luke, though he was so
much older, kinder felt he took an interest in
me, and so l told him how unhappy was and he
proposed to marry me without asking feyther, as
Luke said he thought he would refuse him too, so
we ran away. OH l know it was wrong but |
have been punished Ma am. Feyther and mother
never saw me again. Mother died first and then
feyther, and when Luke found out | had nothing
left me (the farm went to the ohers) he got tired
and said we'd best try our fortune here in the new
country. faint been much of a fortune. We'd
one baby after another, and plenty of hard work
Luke was never lazy, but he weren't strong, and |
was, so | saved and | scrimped until | began to
lay penny by me, though to tell the truth we
often went hungry; then | heard of the Savin's
Fund and wasn't proud when took my first five
in you see, they don't give interest on less. l
am most afraid you won't believe me, Ma am; ba-
bies, hard times and all, | saved up enough to go
into the building society, and now l part own
house; though with sigh, ''I need not say |,
because Luke has it in his name; he said as how,
though had saved the money, it wouldn't look
mannish for him to let me own the house; and we
have COWS and a pig and chickens; they are all
kinder mortgaged but | am paying off as fast as |
can, but it do take work, tell you. You see we
sell milk, and Luke carries around so he has to be
dressed up. l bought white jacket secondhand,
Ma'am at the pawn-shop, and made him white
apron like the honey man wears. guess you have
seen him, only did not ask him to wear the white
cap. Well" with little laugh-"because |
knew he wouldn't; and then | black his shoes to
have all regular, and so l starts him off every
morning and evening; first time he saw the clothes
he says: well, woman, you be silly! but says,
IF you don't look clean and trim, Luke, people
won't buy milk So, what with cleaning The
stable for him, and doing jobs for him. | get him
to wear the clothes He was getting on real we'll
JuoV uololo lhio ldou Dapy was pOlH you ste we
only got six children now, guess the good Master
thought we'd too many for our little house. Well,
as | said, we was getting on, when got para
lytic, and for awhile l couldn't get around, one
foot was quite useless; then little Tommy GOT
burned, and things got upset, and the baby came
| was ten weeks IN my room, and one day heard
Luke tell the nurse that he was tired of having a
sick woman in the house, so l sent her away and
tried to do for myself So one morning went out
to the pump to draw water when l s'pose the
turning the handle of the pump was too much for
me; anyway neighbor woman hearing the baby
crying, came to see what was the matter and found
me almost dead, lying quite still with my eyes
tight shut. She screamed for help, and they came
and carried me in and some kind lady said must
be sent away, and somehow it was managed to
send me here. l am quite lady with flowers and
attentions and regular nurse, to say nothing of