Iron County register., 1893-03-16

Twar Lyddy Meeks as war a-tell-
In me. She war down to L. last
Thursday war q week. an war a-pass-
in Crabtree's house. dunno what for
she war mp that way nohow. She left
her team under the shed az the mill.
F1our's mighty high now; seem's like
hits a-raisin' the hull time. Mrs
Brown, hev you-uns ary match?
Ny pipes plum gone outi''
The requisite match having been
supplied once more dick providently
takes dozen, for emergencies), his
pipe Is relighted and the narration
goes on.
''As I war a-sayiu', Lyddy Meeka
war a-passin' Crabtree's house; an she
heerd loud talxin' an she looked in an
OF man Crabtree war a-chasiz' his wife
from one roam to tother. He had a big
stick in his hand an he war a. -beatin'
her right smart; an she war a-hollerin'
good an tryin' to git away from him.
When they see Lyddy a-peekin' they
slammed to the door. Hits q plum
shame. Hit is sou
We agreed with him; and asked if
anything had been done.
81 dunno. 1 wish I'd bin thar.
Lyddy war feared to go in. I'd mashed
his head soft! I would that"
But" interposed, there must be
some mistake. Don't you think SO? I
have always thought Mr.. Crabtree a
quiet, peaceable OLD man. He has al
ways seemed good to his wife; l can
hardly believe Mrs. Meek's story. She
might be mistaken"
''Lyddy Meeks see hit with her own
eyes. Hits true I reckon"
I'D think hit war true fur sure. eff
hit war the tother way" giggled
Becky.
"Wall. dunno" Put in Mrs. Walton,
who had not interrupted her lord be-
fore. ''Susan is mighty nigh broke
down; and the Lord only knows what
devilment q man won't be at, eft he
turns hisself locse!'
''Susan orto mash his head softv' re-
iterates Walton. He apparently is not
aware that / have heard how unkind
he is to his wife; although from her
size one would think she might be able
to hold a man like Dick in proper sub
lection. But, although a small man,
he is alert and wiry and would prob
ably come off victor in such an en-
counter. Why is it that the very idea
of a case of marital fisticuffs always
seems to excite more laughter than
tears? Sad and miserable it often
must be-to one, at least, of the par
ticipants; and not entirely devoid of
pitiable aspect to an observer, even
when they arc both insensible of the
hideous farce in which they Are taking
part.
Will,
repeated injunctions to ''come down
when You CAM" with freshly-lighted
pipes and good supply of matches.
my latest visitors climb into their
big wagon and drive away. They are
still "aimin' to go to town this evenin'!'
Just as the sun is going down,
Becky also departs, not forgetting the
pressing invitation to ''come down
when you cam,
The days drag their sultry hours
away. one by one. Everything is dry
ing up-would perish utterly, were it
not for the heavy dews which keep the
life in vegetation in a wonderful way.
We say: 1--WE never saw such a sum-
ner BEFORE" but we have! We are
spent with the heat, but the cool nights
revive us and give us courage to en-
counter the scorching days. Occasion
ally there floats to our ears more
rumors concerning the Crabtrees, cor
roborative of what "Lyddy MeeKs see
with her own eyes" And somehow all
of the accounts bear to each other a
wonderful likeness. We begin to think
that where there is SO much smoke,
there must be little fire!
But l notice at intervals that the
different stories are gradually assum-
ing greater dimensions, and they are
more tragic in the details. The men,
haps we did not have a full account Mt
first. Perhaps not.
The color of Mrs Crabtree's gown is
now given, with Its skirt torn faom
the waist" Her bleeding wounds"
manifestly need attention. Her moaps,
when ''she hollered right good" haunt
me. There is a great deal of talk; bat
nobody seems to make it their business
to investigate the matter. After all
that has been said, that does not seem
to be entirely just to the parties con-
cerned. Withal, there is placid. in
different way with everybody that
completely mystifies one.
No one seems to take the affair seri-
ously to heart The talk goes ON and
they seem greatly to enjoy it. Are
they all utterly heartless? 1 cannot
decide, for they are generally. SO kind
when one is in need of help. But how
they do tear ones good name to shreds.
Mrs. Angin tells all of her friends
Mrs. Walton tells all of hers, and each
in his or her turn performs similar
duty. 1t is case OF geometrical pro-
gression.
There are some immediate. unpleas-
ant results. Charlie Crabtree, a young
man of good looks and good heart, gets
a most emphatic and decided 'mitten"
from his sweethea art, Miss Ionic Swal- |
low, without in the least knowing |
what it is all about; and he is very |
much bewildered and discomposed |
thereby. There begin to lie sundry !
threats of violence, also. But these |
proceed mostly from men whose own |
homes are not beyond reproach.
s.Less turn loose and hang him."
cries one of al idle group of loungers.
But the bystanders jeer him derisiveiy. |
There are also few-a very few-dis-
senting voices; and there lacks a lead
era fact which explains much inac-
ton in other cases besides this!
hear of Mrs Crabtree as confined to
her bed with no one to nurse her but
her cruel husband; and / heroically re-
solve to go and take care of the poor
- al I