People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-08-26

him speak Of her, and if anyone men,
toned her name in his presence it
seemed to disquiet him. 1t appeared to
me that any remembrance of her was
extremely unpleasant to him, though
why it should be | was unable to COM
prehend, for I'm sure she was a most
excellent woman and loving wife. Such
was the impression l gained of her from
our old colored cook, Aunt Mary, who
had known her from childhood up to the
day OF her death.
Oar neber libed a better oman an
what yo' ma was" Aunt Mary said to
me time and again, san der neber will
lib better oman if de worp STAINS a
millyun yahs. She was de kindes'
hearted an de best-natured creatur eber
l knowed, an if cher der was a Chris
tian pusson on dis yearth she was dat
pusson."
As | grew up l tried to discover from
Aunt Mary some information regarding
my mothers married life, but on that
point she was singularly reticent. She
was ready at all times to sing the
praises of misses Marg'et," but not a
word had she to say regarding her mar
riage to my father and the short life
they lived together. Once when per-
severingly pressed her for an answer
to the question, whether or not my
mother was happy wife, she said:
faint de place OBJ a ole no count
niggah like me to be tellin' tales an
mixin' my CAB long O. odder folks
business. Yo' mudder's done dead an
gone, chile, an I'll warrant she's happy
now, ease eff anybody eber went to
jine de fol- of de Lamb she sho'ly did"
That was the extent of my informa-
ton, but vague as it was it served to
impress me more firmly with the belief
that my mothers marriage was an I'M
happy one, and that my father never
loved her. My impression may have
been false, but it seems to me even now
that if my father really loved the
mother he must have had some love for
the child.
My stepmother was never kind to me.
She never addressed me except to scold
or find fault, and besides burdening me
with work beyond my years and
strength she often beat me most cruelty
on the least provocation. l soon came
to fear her so much that sight of her
was sufficient to set me trembling from
head to foot. think she found real en-
joyment in seeing me suffer, for when
she turned her little black eyes on me
and saw me quaking with fear a
thin, wan smile played over her sharp
face, the nearest approach to pleased
expression ever saw in her features.
As my fear of her grew from week to
week her loathing and hatred of me in
creased in equal proportion, and before
| had known her year / learned to
think that she would not only be glad
to see me dead, but would willingly end
my existence with her own hands if she
dared do it. | suppose ! judged my
stepmother too harshly, but was only
child, and she had made such an i'm
preston on my mind, and l was not to
blame for entertaining it.
My father was exceedingly fond of
my stepmother, and he never tired,
seemingly, Of trying to please her. He
strove to crafty every wish she ex-
pressed, and, besides catering to her de-
sires himself, he plainly held to the idea
that every one else should find it a
pleasure to do so, too. He appeared to
be very happy with her, and often, in
my childish way, l wondered how he
could be, when l saw so little in her
that was calculated to call forth love or
admiration.