The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-01-29

~ Hk"~ ~ Mas the poOr-fnru
wagon rafting along over the frozer
streets and in il was Nancy Gregg ans
her Few poor belongings-an old bed
stead . rocking-cha;r. q bundle Of bed
ding. a h~air-covered trunk and 4 pin,
table.
Ezra Bates. the keeper Of the aims
house. was driving. and By his side sat
poor old Nancy. a picture Of humilia,
ton and despair.
~ was still very cold. and the old
woman was bundled as she had been
the day before: but to-day a black
Grape veil was thrown over her bowed
hea. and no one could Z the tears
running down her cheeks. or note the
tremulous quiver Of her hin lips
As the wagon passed Mrs Knapp's
house, Nancy's old friend Mary came
running u a shawl thrown hastily
over her head. TO speaL a word Of com
fort and cheer. do you seee- said
Mrs Gregg, touching the dingy Grape
OF her veil. lin in mournin' for Nancy
Gregg Her useless old body still cum
bers the earth. but her heart and her
spirit are dead I'm going 70 her fu-
neral
Time was when Mrs Gregg had not
known the need Of a dollar. and when
a husband and sons had stood between
her and want She had seen them die
one By one, and a few years later had
seen the savings they had left her
swept away in q moment by the failure
Of the business in which they were in
vested
For years she had led a hand.to-
mouth existence. supporting herself by
weaving rag-carpets. piecing quilts.
knitting stockings. and even going out
by the day in house-cleaning tines
Blu she no longer had the strength
required for the work Of weaving car
pets her sight had failed her. and her
sewing days were done. She could not
support herself BY knitting. and at last
there was nothing left for hert to do but
70 be supported at the expense Of the
town.
From the time Of her arrival At the
poor-farm. Mrs. Gregg seemed to be =
woman without hope. and yet there
were times when she felt that the
shame Of being a pauper might be
taken from her.
Those times We're when she took
from her old hair covered trunk a worn
leather wallet OF a kind not often seen
now.
The wallet contained nothing but a
small piece of writing paper. yellow
with age. and almost ready 70 fall 4
pieces along the where il had
been folded and unfoldcd again and
again.
The poorer old Nancy had become.
the oftener had she taken this limp
and folded bit Of paper from the purse
that was oncc her husbands. and the
oftener had she read and reread what
was written on il. And this was what
She always read:
'One year from date. for value received I
promise 20 pay 10 Jason T. Gregg the sum ~
one Thousand dollars. with Interest NJ elrht per
cent. FRASK NJ WARE
The note was dated January 10. 1855.
and il WAS on the tenth day Of January.
ISIS. that Mrs Gregg in the secrecy Of
her cold and cherries little bedroom at
the poorhouse. took out this note and
read il for perhaps the t.iousandth
time.
II don't know why I don't throw
this into the fire she said ITS out
lawed long ago. and Frank Ware. even
II he's living. has roved that he j. not
the man 70 pay anything he isn't forced
10 pay
I've hoped for years that ! might
finally get something from this note.
given for money my husband and l
earned and saved dollar BY dollar. but
it's no use 20 hope so any longer. I've
written 10 Frank Ware again and
an | tried 20 collect il BY law
before il ran out; but he had nothing
20 nay Il with then. and now. when he
could. he won't pay IL.
1--WE heard that he has got proper.
IL now. and I think he ought to pay |
me at least enough 10 keep me from I
being what I've no need TO be il l had
Own
II might as well burn the note and
hoping for what can never be-
nj. I'll send it to Frank Ware and tell
him lin on the town as a pauper. an
can keep the note an put il where
It'll remind him OF my shame and of
his dishonesty every time he looks It
Filled with this new determination.
Inc vent to Mrs. Bates and asked for
material
II haven't written : letter for three
u four years" she said. and never