The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-08-27

thing. You're The moat puhctual man
ever suw.
Instead Of looking ploascd 1T this
commitment, As had expected him to,
his cointcnahcc always iohs "'iu s"o'
and wearing an expression as OF vague
lrrrur. became longer, sadder ana stlll
more terrified looking. TWAS a winter
evening and he and | and tho old house
keeper were sitting about tho open
fireplace Of the great, rOOmy Kitchen
i'm that democratic fashion so universal
in American farm life.
He took his pipo from his mouth,
turned it upside down and emptied 1T
into the ashes by knocking it against
the chimney piece before he answered.
"Yes," said he, then, glancing at
Mrs. Simmons and discovering that
she was sound; asleep and snoring.
Yes, had u lesson on boin' punctual
onct that ! low will last me u life
time"
"So?" said I, "Was it anything
YOU wouldn't mind telling about? ,"
Reub put his pipe in his pocket
before he answered.
"l don't mind tellin' you, Mr.. Fern
ley. Men have q sort OF understanding
OF one another, an some streaks that
is pretty much alike. reckon so's't
they know how to sympathize with each
mons would go right on slcepin.' She
nor no other woman, | reckon, would
have very much use for me after
hearin' it,"
This reused my interest and piqued
my curiosity. | lay back in the big
Shaker rocking chair and settled my
self into q com Portable position for
listening as said: Now, forge ahead,
Reub."
He frowncd at the fire for SO long u
time before proceeding that | began
to fear he had thought better OF it, and
| should lose his story. Presently,
however, he withdrew his gaze and
bent it upon me. "Therc's some
things that comes hard to tell It's like
livin 'em over again; an [ wouldn't
tell you this tonight If twernt, |
fancy, that the lesson may do you some
good at second hand. I've took notice,
now and then, that yon ain't none too
punctual at dOin' things on time your
sclf."
He looked at me hard for a minute,
but us | did not deny the ilnpeach.
mcnt, he presently continued
want you to know MIR. k'ernley, that l
uin't half-witted, to begin with. Pm
all here but sometime sOmethin
comes up agin' fcllcr an stuns him,
an he never feels like he used to, to
himself any more nor pears the same
way to other folks. That's what's
happened nc, an it all came along Of
not dUin the thing that Ort TO be done,
at the time when I'd ort to "a done it.
" / used to have u farm of my own
that Is TO say, it was partly mine, an
was workin' the other half on shares
for the owner. Not " big place like
like this 'crC one Cf yOurn, but u snug
IA ~ a n
an everything was swingin' along
PROSPEROUS like: for | wascn't never lazy
nobody couidn'C never say that about
lsCuh BrOwniicld. | was always a.
workin' like nil mailer. Couldn't rest
nohow. When I'd set down to the
rblc I'd bn Il tattooin' On the cloth On
the edishcs, or mcthin'.-cOuldn't kccl
tie qul6EGst hEG t'pAh Ahtp g folks s waarf tin on' Vt
credit for that | was made that way
Only, as sec it now. I'm one o then
meant in the prayer book, wherc't says
they've dOnc that which they ort moi
and left undOne that which they ort tt
have done.
"Wcll, | had tho best little won ar
fora wife in all my part O the country
| use to think she nagged too much
had good reason to nag. Bless me,
wonder how us fellows would take
the cVcrlastin' procrastinatin. An
my baby. 1t was the cutest little
crcctur' you ever seen. ~ boy toe
called i'm Rouh, after me. Twas
big Reub and little Rcub. Just go,
so he could talk little; say papa
an mamma, an 'by-by" An tOddle
everywhere! Why, that young ur
must "a trudgcd nigh on to fifty mile &
day on them study little fat feet O
oh ~
cunnin'cs Of any baby you ever seen
and show them four front teeth, twt
in his upper gum an two underneath
all sawed on the edges. J used to tickle
his toes sometimes to make him laugh
just to see how Gurus they lookcd--jus
four of 'em to be seen.
Yves what you'd call q happy family
that is, If anybody ever is real, down
right out-and-out happy in this world
Sometimes think the ministers has
the right of it when they say faint in
tended we sh'd be so happy here tina
VIC want to stay on cverlasting!y ~
"Trude an her name was Gertrude
but | called her 'Trude-lOvcd eacl
other amazinly. Didn't neither of Vi
never wantnobody else, an we'd dice
for each other any minnit Of the day
but she would nag when there was
loose hinge to be fixed or a broker
blind to be mended, or II weatherstriE
she wanted put on; an | lowed II
goin' to do it, an let it run on kinder
koerless-like, an mover did do it, afte
all An when she'd talk about i
awhile, an cried, an fused, an go
mad over it an called nc a heartlcss
feller, then I'd get my back up an tel
her lowed to do it when got gool
an. ready. We always made it W
aftcrward an cried an kissed, an cacl
one always took the whole blame Of i
to ourselves ; an went an did tho vcr,
same thing right over again. llumat
natur' Is queer like.
"Well, We had an outdoor cistcrr
on the place, that hadn't no pump il
it. Use to draw the water up wi,h
tin bucket an IL clothes line, an thcr
kivor over the place with boart
kivcr. Most times ! drew the water
mysclf~whcn | WAS about-but there
was many u time wasn't, whom Trudt
had to do it. Womcn's backs arc sOr
ter weak ntl .irs. %cnnrly, an 'TrlulC
KEEP complalnin' about wanLin' a pulGI
in the cistern. I lowed to get one