Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-07-22
FAREWELL to the DOBSONS


In every community, no matter how
democratic, one family, at least, is
considered beneath the social level.
Their lower rank does not come from
any difference Of wealth, intellect OF
morality, but is due, almost entirely,
to the general shiftlessness Of the
neglected family. Often the iudg-
ment Of the neighborhood is just, but
IL is not always so.
Mrs. Dobson once said, "How do
they know? We never had ary chance
here in Nebraska. We were rs good
40 the best where we come from, and
I'm sure I've worked hard enough to
be somebody; but what can woman
do with seven children, and man as
lazy as the Platte river?"
Mr.. Dobson looked up with good.
natured grin, but said nothing. APP
parently. he took no more notice of
his wife, who went of TO spread her
meagre washing on the gum-weeds.
He tilted his rude chair back against
the trunk Of a giant cottonwood, and
looked over the landscape with lazy
enjoyment. From his position, he
could see down long yistas OF dark,
shining, blue-green corn-stalks and
beyond them the Platte.
"Meanest, dirtiest water I ever
saw" he thought, obviously. "Taint
no good to anybody. Don't fetch
down any mill power; can't tote any
trade boats; isn't ever two days alike,
it's 80 shifty aud sneaking AS lazy
as the Platte. Well! wellp'
He sighed, and glanced sheepishly
at his wife, who was shaking out the
last tatteyed garment OF the washing.
He watched her uneasily moment,
and then his eyes wandered vaguely
to the far-off purple bluffs across the
rives; but what he saw was q distance
of years instead OF miles.
"Abner, "called his wife, plaintively,
'just look at me. Ireckon Mrs. Bar
nard hasn't got any such sand-burs as
we have. She don't get pricked to
pieces when she goes to spread her
washing. ! do wish you'd" but she
stopped hopelessly.
"Mis' Barnard don't have to spread
her washing" corrected Abner, dog
gedly; shes got yards and yards of
clothes-line and pins and baskets and
q machine.
Melvina Dobson glanced at her hus-
band anxiously. Never before had he
seemed uneasy or envious. II reckon
Mis- Barnard has her drawbacks, "she
admitted, generously.
''Yes," answered her husband,
modify, "and Barnard amt no more
willing than I'd be il 1 was him. His
paw left him money, and mine didn't.
/ know one thing, though, il / was
Barnard, Mis- Barnard wouldn't wash,
il she did have machine. I'd sell
the pigs first"
Melvina looked at him gratefully.
81 know it, Abner," she answered,
soothingly, ''yOu always have been
good to me. II there amt money
enough for both, you always want me
have it. reckon faint your fault
that we are so poor; / don't care for
myself, but the children"
She broke off suddenly, and went
in to get the scanty dinner. Abner
took down his rusty hoe, and passed
reluctantly into the neglected-patch
He was working with great delibera.
ton when his half.grown daughter
passed, without speaking.
''Sallie," he called.
The girl seemed not to hear him.
She held her head with an air of
offended dignity, and looked neither
to the right nor to the left. A second
call from her father brought her to q
defiant pause.
81 say" he called, lazily, "what
ails your Have done anything?"
"Reckon not" she answered; sui
lcnly.
"And your nav don't seem natural.
Is she ailingP"
The girl looked him full in the face,
and her eyes were not pleasant ooh,
maw," she answered, sharply, why,
NAV is kind of worn out with church
socials and things, NAV is. It's most
made her sick, sewing on her new silk
dress and doing up her hair. And
now there's the party at Sansen's.
''Sansen'sp"
''Yes, when they move into the new
house. Everybody has been asked,
even Mis- jenkins, cepting maw,- Nav
has such fine clothes aud 10 SO stuck
up,Athat she wasn't bid.
Abner turned the hoe in his hands,
and watched potato-b travel calm
II from one hill to another. Some.
thing In his attitude touched the
child. Suddenly she lost her look OF
defiance, and said brokenly:
"xaw couldn't 60 anyway, she's
got nothin' to wear. Her old gray