The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-21
HOW SALLIE VENT
70 THE EVIL.
writ special fur the. Times, by Katie
Harris Nurse)

'em, an 1Ord knows tnh 81" never
bin no "Houry beds" for these bones to
take rest on
That ar line o. that hymn-tune has
alters kind O. puzzled me; l can't fur
the life o. me, sec how folks could want
noury beds. i reckon they must calk late
on whitenin' thar sheets with the Hour.
but it do seem TO me that If my sheets
got that dirty. Ia make out to sleep on
the tick, or go visitin' long enough to
git 'em washed, and not waste my Hour
tryin' to cover up the dirt.
Well, as | were sayin'. times was ter
rible hard. Twarnt many OF us at our
house; me an my sister Salhe-she were
younger'n were. an sight likelier-look-
in',-an' my sister Safiies Ave cnlllun;
them was all, but IL were a tough pun
fur jus us 10 git sumthin' to eat ana
fire TO warm by.
We had'n' alters been so poor. My sister
Saliie's husban he did a good business
rs long as ne lived a shoveiin' coal; an
he may be Il keepin' at the same work
whar he's gone, fur all / know seems
like hear somebody say onct that iolks
in the other worl' JUS KEEP on a dom o
the same kind o. work they did here.
blieve I'd keer to go to Heaven, IL I've
got To 90 on a fryin' O. meat. an a wash
IN o dirty close, and dirtier cniilern.
An think o. dirty chilluns noses when
they catches cold What pleasure would
thar be in a wipin' o. them through all
etarnity, fur ever an ever. Nor, sir. III
they gifts thar, too, an has to have colds,
they mus JUS larn TO tuck their heads
under Their wings like the chickens an
other fowls O. the ar do.
But ! mus go back to whar ! lef'
sister Sallies husban' a shOveliin coal.
Long as he lived we had enough an
some over. an when he died he lef enough
money to git mournin' fur sister Sallie an
the oldest gal, an TO have seven hacks at
the funeral. / tended to evything fur
sister Sallie. an we had bout as good
time ~ can be had at n funeral. / got
a trottin' funeral cause twas cheaper
an then it's a sight nicer TO trot right
along; faint hart SO tryin' on the nerves.
An when I bought the veil l were po-
ticular to cit real thick one, so when
sister Sallle stopped a wearin' Of H. she
could make 1t into a body or somethin'
serviceable; an in case she didn' want
TO cry at the funeral, her face would be
hid. an she needn', an If things went
TO. please her, she could smile easy 10
herself an wouldn' nobody have a chance
to say nothin' bout it. It's nothin' like
fo'sight.
Well. we had such a fine time at the
funeral. an gittin o the mourners
fixed up that it took all O. our money;
so, arter we'd eat up ey'ything we had in
the house, we had to begin an sell the
furniture. We begun 70 mourn then, sho'
'nough mcurnin'!
I recollec' the fus' thing we sol were
the siittoon. cause We could make out
10 spit I'm the fire. We sol so many things
ttat presn'y We had TO move cause we
didn' have no more to sell; an arter We
onct begun TO move, we had a spell OF II
that larsted fur quite while.
Bime-by ! got a job O. scrubbin' 10
do. an arter folks found out / could
clean zip thar dirt, things went easier
with us; but sister Sallie would be clean
tuokered out by time she got done with
them five chillun. so she warnt fifteen fur
no other work. She us'to git mighty
blue bout It, an say her heart were broke
an the like O that, but | alters thought
'twere her back, an not her heart that
hurt her.
Well. one day while were out washin
o. some winders. I hear the ladies talkin'
bout the times bein' so hard. an one o.
EN- says. says she; "My husban's bust
ness hasn' mounted to anything fur the
parst six months. III l didn' git well-paid
| fur my stories l don know how we'd
/ live"
"Yes.' says the other enc. saws she:
II cit enough fur my column in the
| Globe 20 keep me in good close"
Now, thinks / 10 myself that's JUS
| What sister Sallie can DO; write a story.
| SO turned round as fas' and got through
my job as quick as ever could. an
| then when went IN 80 sit my pay. I
made BOZ to arsk the lady how stories
! had TO be writ
-, Way she says, says She; write JUS
Ike YOU talk"
'Yes'm,' says 7. an I didn' know no
more'n / did befo'; but how do you DO a
story arter it's Writ"
Why" she says. says she; you JUS
sen 1t to the editor Of a paper or maya
zine, an II they like II they'll print IT:
an maybe they'll SEN you some money.
| an maybe they won't"
thanked her an was goin' down the
steps, when she calls out TO me:
BE sho to sen the editor stamp, or
you won't never hear from him."
l dldn know nothin' bout stamps, an
what she said kind o. muddled me any
how; but got over It befo' / got home.
an when | sot out To unfoP my plan 80
sister Sallie, my spirits riz with ev'y
word tell they was fair a soarin'. an /
elocuted Ike anything befo' We're
| through,
why. sister Sallie." 7 says says /:
jus think on it, All you've got TO DO is to
set down with a pencil an a piece o.
paper, an IL wont take you no time 10
| make our fortunel Don't you recollec'
bout the woman that b'lieved thar was
money I'm chickens. an went an bought
ten hens; an how, when she got back
| home she JUS took piece o paper an a
| pencil, an went right 10 work an got
the money out o. them chickens IN less'n
no time? An don't you hear, any time.
bout folks Twin on paper: Why, hear
them ladies to-day a sayin' as how most
| ey'y body had TO live on paper now-a-
days; an specially them what live in
big houses, an war fine close. I'm a
good min to try If we can't do II too,
You JUS git me your hes veil an bonnet
an hep me to fix up so they'll think I'm
us to it, an I'll go right up town an see
If can't git some. Itll be sight CHEAP.
er'n payin' fur meal an meat"
Sister Sallie got the bonnet an veil an
her dress she wore 10 the funeraf.-she
were a sayin o. that to be buried in an
/ could'n make her blieve 'twould be
out o style in q new piace-an arter col
all rugged up to suit us. started on my
errant.
| Wei, ] walked tell / come to a ra'a'
nice. big store, an l thought I'd better try
thar fus'; so / hep up my head, an give
| myself "A little shake an q wriggle. like
! see the fine dressed wimmen do. an
went up TO a mighty fire lookin' mar
Wat was stardin' at the door, an say.
10 i'm, says !:
| "HaVe Won got any )aper 70 snar'1