The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-09-10
A Delinquent Subscriber.
ny EMMA BENIN ETT.

1t was the late afternoon Of O sultry
July day. The heat was intense. anu
ell the doors and windows OF John
Danes little unpainted farmhouse
house did say? Had you asked any
one Of the inhabitants for IL radius OF
twenty miles round. who IL was that
lived in the old-fashioned, tumbl,
down structure that stood ON the
poorest, most Improbable piece OF
land in the county, the answer would
have come prompt and unaniuous,
"Matildy Dame" 1t Was a..n.St
twenty, years ago now, since John
fade out OF the minds of his neighbors,
as an actual existence. Matildy could
have told you the exact date.
Twenty years ago, come The 2lst OF
August, since John got his stroke"
Perhaps they had exhausted their
sympathy upon him that fatal day so
long ago. Sympathy seems ever to
partake of the evanescent nature of
the springtime blossom called suddenly
into being, beautiful and tender while
it lasts, but soon to die John Danes
pale face at the window, or his shrunk-
en- form in the wheeled chair, drawn
out on the narrow little porch, had
grown to be as familiar a sight to the
passing farmers as Bill Jenkins wind
mill-which was something of q nine
days wonder few years beforehand
elicited little more thought of pity.
Since the sun had slanted low enough
in the heavens to keep it from shining
under cover Of the porch into Johns
eyes, Matildy had drawn him out in
his wheeled chair. He sat there with
closed eyes and head resting back.
His face was calm with that enforced
calmness that years of helplessness
had worn there. He was an old man
now, past seventy, yet, despite the
living death OF the last twenty years,
he was almost childlike in his repOse.
Matildy came briskly around the
corner of the house, milk-pail in hand.
I'm a-goin, to get the chores done
early tonight, If yon want anything,
Just rap with this stick. l shan't be
gone only a few minutes, anyhow"
John nodded and half opened his
eyes to gaze admiringly after her, as
she vanished at the end of the porch.
He had never got over wondering at
her, that she was able to get along
without him. Matildy had been such q
clinging, dependent sort of q woman.
He didn't understand that the very
nature that clung to him then would
cling to him now. Matildy was sixty
five, but she was as smart and lively
as many woman of forty. Since her
husbands misfortune twenty years
before, she had supported the family,
making garden, doing the farm chores,
selling eggs and butter and cottage
cheese and driving to town during the
summer, and daily disposing of her
wares from house to house. 1t was
her activity that had kept them long
ago from the pOor-hOuse. Tonight
when she had finished the milking,
John heard her come in the back door
OF the house and begin setting the
table for supper.
Matildy," he called softly.
She was at the door in an instant.
How patient, how unwearying she had
always been with him
Amt it the night for the paper?"
he asked wistfully.
Lemme see yes, tis. Friday
You're too tired, amt you, and it's
too hot "-he began hesitatingly.
"No, amt too tired" she interrupt
ed, land it'll be cooler after supper.
I'll have you wipe the dishes so | can
get started sooner"
This WAS an innocent little fabrica-
tior of Matildy's to make him believe
he was doing her a great service. In
those first awful days, and weeks,
when he would wear himself out with
bemoaning his fate and great sobs
would break from him to see the hard
work that she did, and he helpless az
child at-her side, she would strive
to divert the flood of his despair by
saying:
"Now, see here, John Dame, none Of
this is going to do any good. Talks
cheap, any how, why don't you do some-
thing to help me instead of taking on
about things you can't help. just
take hold of this towel and wipe these
dishes," and she had wheeled his chair
up to the table In trice. John was
very clumsy at first, but 1t delighted
his soul to do something, and Matildy
had enlarged upon "the big help 1t
was "-she "didn't mind the washing,
but she always did hate to wipe dlshes''
until John had come to believe that
80 long as he wiped the dishes, the
rest of Matildys work was u compare
lively light matter. Now CLEAN OF
pleasure shot over his pale face, and he
again sank back and closed his eyes,
Poor John |" Matildy sighed to
herself. "The paper's about the only
pleasure he gets out Of life."
Yes, poor John and poor Matildy
Dear, loving unselfish old woman
She was tired, and 1T was so hot, anG
the walk to the post-office was o mile
and half over dusty country roads
1t hardly seemed to her that she could
drag her weary feet all the way there
But IL it would give John any pleasure
this had been the supreme object Ii
Matildy Danes life for twenty loni
years-is it likely that walk of
mile and half would deter her now
She hurried about the supper, an,
when they had dispatched 1t together
she hastily "picked up the dishes
and rinsed them through the no
water, while John seated at her side
dish-towel In hand, wiped them care
"1f I'd a thought about the paper,
che said reaectiyely, 81 might hay
sent byrFNred Thompson. / saw him
driving by with the bay colt long i
the afternoon, guess he was going {
mill"
Matildy, now II it's a-going TO b
too riaSh sor ye," The old man Inter
rupted an xiously-
"Oh, shucks !" and Matildy gail
tied the strings OF her checked sul
bonnet under her chin, and with
decisive nod at her better half, cam
and drew him out or the cool pore
again and then stepped off in sprightl
fashion down the country road.
wac his custom, John watched her |