The Iuka vidette. (Iuka, Miss.) 1894-1912, 1895-01-17
But Hard Times Did IL.

WOUlu DC aDOut inc ldSt load OF poles
with him. ] rode over to the Milligan
place that evenin and found a crowd Of
doctors and other people there wnitin
on Rams. The doctors was powerful
bad pestered about the case and called
on me for my opinions concernin the
situate
"All the medicine in the drugstore
and all the doctors in creation can't
save Rams Milligan, gentlemen says
in reSpondin back with my opinions
in the case. There is only one thing
In tins world that can save him. and
that is hard times. ! reckon he has
about run through with all of his
money, and if he comes out of this spell
dead busted and dog poor hard times
will save him
The crowd said was right about it.
They went on to work then and figger-
ed around till they found out that Rams
didn't have but about two hundred dol
lars left. and the doctors went to work
and made out their bills big enough to
cover the pile ana clean up the deck.
So when Rams come around to his ses-
ses and got on his feet oncst more he
was a standin candidate for the Poor
House Hard times had him and had
him dead to rights. He was now with
out home and without money and
without credit. Naturally of course he
then had to take up his bed and walk,
and hustle for his victuals and clothes.
One day durin the next week after
that Rams come creepiu over to my
house and tried TO borrow some money,
givir it in as his excuse that he want
ed to pull up stakes and go West. But
lowed right at that time if he could
git the money it would make but blame
little difference with him which way he
went-whether il was West or East or
North or South SO he got whisky
enough to take another spree. And
couldn't by no manner of means let him
have it. Hard times had him on risin
ground now and wanted him to stand
and take his medicine. So at last !
told him that ruther than to stand and
look on whilst he went to the Poor
House would give him work to do and
pay him regtar wages, providin he
would make a good hand and put in
full time. To be certainly it was pow
erful hurtin on Rams to come right
down to business and rock bottom and
roll up his sleeves and spit on his hands
and eat his bread in she sweat of his
face, but hard times was pinchin and
comm down on him like thousand of
bricks. and he had to come to taw In
less time than two weeks / had him
drivin yoke of steers and haulin rails
and fencin in a new ground and eatin
three square meals day. Hard times
made him work, and steady work give
him comm appetite to eat. For the
first few days he couldn't eat nothin
but a few light and fancy fixments, but
hard times and hard ticks soon got him
down to where he could eat plain grub
and a plenty of it-pone bread and fat
meat and kollard greens, and the like
of that. When croppin time come on
put him in behind the best mule on
the place, and at the close of the year
he didn't lock like the same man. He
had plenty of good blood and sound
flesh and hard muscle on his bones, and
an appetite In him as big as Il meetin
house. And what was more, he had
some clear money in his pocket. Hard
times had done the work that doctors
and medicine conldu't do. They had
cured bad case of gallopin consump-
ton and saved a promisin young man
from early death and ruination.
/ never have got any further news as
to whether Rams went to Congress or
not, but when he left and went out
West that fail he made me a promise
that he never would put in any more
complaints about hard times.
Too much good luck had give him a
mostrous clCst call. but his money
give out in the nick of time, and then
hard times to ok him up with jerk, as
it were and set him down strong and
sober and healthy man.
How Good Luck Killed Man.
Well, what was true concernin Rams
Milligan is tIne more or less, in one
shape or another, about hundreds and
thousands of other men. There is one
man in my recollection that went the
way Rams started and never did stop
till he run plum ont to the end of his
rope. That was Pleas Dabney, which
the same good killed him before hard
times got fair, square chance at him.
Pleas Dabney was shoemaker by
trade, and he always managed so as to
make good Twin for himself by steady
work at the bench. But when he was
thirty-fve years old some of his kim
folks died and left him pile of money.
Up 10 then he had always led n sober
life, but right away Immediately after
that he went head foremost into a gen
eral round of wild and wicked ways,
and in five years he was knocked ont
and done up and laid out in fine shape
to ride on his back and take the lead in
a second-class funeral procession.
Somehow it come to pass that | was
with Pleas durin his last few renainin
days on this earth. ] was there when
the doctors come in and told him that
the jig was up and he was Il gone Cos
lin, or words to that extent, And |
never can live long enough TO forget
what the poor devil then turned over
and said to me:
ut is perfectly all right. anyhow,
Rufe," says he, 'and nothin more than
] expected. When a man lives his time
out in this world he ought to be ready
and willin to go. Accordin to my con-
tiggeration time is about up with me on
general principles. You know the Bible
gives man three score and ten, which
is seventy years to live. ] amt but
little turned forty if you go by the
usual count, but have lived my time
out jest the same. | lived thirty-five
years at a reglar steady gait. But since
] come into that money, Rufe, which
was five years ago. ] have lived at least
thirty-hve years, and maybe forty My
time is up. The doctors say so, and !
had already figgered it out that way.
But want you to understand Rufe,
there Amt no kick comm from me-
That very night Pleas Dabney laid