Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-11-28

her from time TO time from the far
west, and others which were the
fruits OF her own industry.
AT Pittsburg she bought through
ticket to Denver, Colorado.
Its long, tiresome trip for one of
your years" remarked the conductor,
who had assisted her.
"Yes, reckon it be, - she returned;
but thar be worse things to endure
in this life than long trips on kyars-
then l be mighty sprylike fur tol'ble
ole woman
You have friends out there?'
Yes; be goin' ter Jack"
And you're going all aloney' he
asked sympathizingly.
''Ther Lord, He be with me" she
responded with one of her dear old
motherly smiles.
He did not leave her until he had
seen her seated on the right train;
then he went home to his young wife
and baby, and, with tears in his man
ly eyes, told of the old lady who was
travelling all the long distance from
the Pennsylvania mountains to some
wild place in the far away west.
AT Chicago a roughly clad, but
kindly natured, elderly westerner, Si-
las Carrick by name, boarded the
train for Denver He became inter
ested at once in the little old fashion
ed woman, who reminded him in so
many ways of his own mother, long
since laid TO rest in hillside burying
ground of New England.
After travelling a short time Silas
Carrick, seeing her look sad, said TO
her:
Il guess, mother, we be fur from
yer ole home, and ther change makes
yer feel sorter lonesome like"
well, ther change has kinder up
sot me-" she admitted. so diffrunt
frum ther mountings whar l was
raised in Pennsylvania. l never reck-
oned on Jacks bein' so fur off,
jack" Silas Carrick asked.
Yes, Jack-Jack Tompkins-he's
my youngest, an l be goin' out ter
him" she answered.
What does he foller fur livin' in
Colerader?' Silas questioned.
He use ter herd sheep fur man
erbout ther gulches and sich places,
an done tol'ble well like out thar"
she said But it's been two years
since | heerd frum Jack myself,
though Peter got letter frum him
long this summer. So l be sure as
Jacks well; but Peter never showed
me ther letter, an don know zactly
whar ter find my boy"
AN who's Peter?n asked the good
hearted, if inquisitive, Silas
Peter? wy, he's my Oldest boy.
Peter an Jack be all ther childrun /
have livin'. Peter lives in Pennsyl
vany, an he's married an got fami
ly. 1t donTt seem as | orto tell yer
my family troubles, but / reckon
travelin' so fur tergether makes us
not strangers to each other; then
talkin' over a body's worries kinder
gins relief"
"Yer kin trust me, mother" said
the big westerner.
Peter was ther oldest o. ther boys
| raised, an allus mite bossy like
ter pore Jack. Jack was all Of doz-
Ell years younger'n Peter, an he was
allus full O life an go, an jest a wee
bit wild, with nothing very bad
erbout him. His hearts a big one an
in ther right place, an | believe ther
Lord O. all will rescue my Jack yit. |
hain't lost my faith none.
We'll, when Peter got married an
come ter live with Jack an me he
went ter bossin' Jack more'n he, so
high strung like, would bear. So he
ups an runs away out west. an ther
furst thing | knowed he wrote as he
was tendin' critters on ranch in Col
Grader.
Then l gin in ter Peters persuad-
ing an made my property over ter
him, with ther understandin' a. he
was ter keep NE an keer fur Inc
durin' my natural life. But he
growed greedy an graspin', an !
reckon tired O. me, though ther good
Lord knows as | was spry in doin'
enough ter arm my eatin' an close.
An Peters wife was a dreadful.
scoldin' woman, an was Overbearin
toward me.
Then ther childurn went ter school,
which / was mighty proud Of. But
they'd come home an make speeches
on 10y quare talk thet hurt me sore.
80 it wore on till ther worry got
erway with me, an threated right
out ter Peters wife as would run of
an work somewhars by ther days
work. But she snapped out as Id
better try runnin' erway ef | wanted
ter git myself shut in ther insane
house fur added old women. Then
Peter an her talked so much erbout
doin' me thet way ef | complained
any more that / jest held my peace.
l was jest waitin' my time, an when
they was all gone frum ther farm ter
a doin's | run of With few traps an
started fur ther west an jack" and
as she closed her simple recital she
leaned back and wept softly.
Silas Carrick fumbled nervously in
his pocket for his big, blue cotton
handkerchief, which he vigorously
used. When Mrs. Tompkins had
ceased her crying Silas asked: