The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1899-01-11

dren and helped to nurse his gooa
old mother, the tears came in my
wife's eyes and after she was gone
our little grandchild asked me II l
couldn't do something for Pat. l
never said anything, but 1 sat still
and looked into our comfortable FIRE
and ruminated. My folks had al
ready made up a bundle Ct food and
clothing and placing a half-dollar III
her hard told her to cheer up bandit the
major would see what be could 90.
That meant me, and my wife
thinks that I can do anything she
wants me to do. I went down town
after dinner to see the judge-Judge
Fife, a just and humane man. When
I told him tie little story, he said:
swell, major, do you draw up a peti-
ton for Pats pardon and 1 will sign
it. H has been punished enough.
Get him out and make a Christmas
Gift of him TO his wife and children.
/ fear it will not be a very good one,
but if they want him, they should
have him. Pats ofense did not in
volve malice aforethought or moral
turpitude, and there are worse men
at liberty. Yes, I will cheerfully
sign a petition for his pardon"
And so I drew up and he signed it
and Colonel Maddox, the solicitor,
signed it and so did the clerk and
the sheriff and I took the train next
morning and went down and inter
viewed the governor and his heart
was touched and he said: "Take
this to the board of pardons and if
you talk to them like you have to me
they will grant this pardon at once
and then bring it to me and l will
sign it and you car take Pat home
with you and make your Christmas
gift" But, alas! The board did not
meet that day. Only General Evans
was there and there was some red
tape in the way and [ did not get
Pat out and have got to 60 back
again and my wife is disappointed.
Nevertheless, I will get him unfet-
tered and unstriped Before this is
read by yonr readers and will make
poverty smile once more. See if [
don't. The tear-eyed wife and chill
dren shall be happy at Christmas,
even tho Pat isen't much account, as
the nabors say. His wife never made
a complaint against him, but apollo
gized for him and said: Pat is
mighty good to help around with his
mother and the children" One rainy
night I saw Bill Apps wife in Rome,
FIVE miles from her home, hunting
around for her husband and as she
went from n saloon to another she
inquired in q timid, humble voice:
us my William in here?" When she
found him she led him home and
bathed his face and put him to bed.
She said to me once: my William
is a mighty good little man, but you
know he has his failings." Oh! these
.1essed, faithful. patient, long suffer
ing women. What would men do
without them, and what would be-
come of the children? Pats wife
said that the two little boys made
enough picking cotton to keep them
in bread and wood, but the weather
had been awful hard on them and
| their secondhand clothes we're ali to
pieces from the. briers and cookie
burs and she had patched them and
patched them till there was nothing
left to patch. She is comely wo-
man and her face was clean and her
hair brashed and her common clothes
were put on in a woman-like manner
John Hilburn says: "Major, she is
a good woman and is always at work
at something and never complains.
She never had to beg before, and she
wouldn't do it now if she could get
work. And Pat will work, too, when
he can get it, but none of US can get
it regular these hard times"
While I was Illuminating I couldn't
help thinking about the difference
between that woman's home and
ours so far as concerns the comforts
of life. What a difference between
children and those of our married
daughters and those of u nabors
vino are already feasting upon Christ
mas and wear good, warm clothes
and sleep in good beds and are happy
all the day. My own happy child
hood is a blessed memory to me and
it grieves me to hear Of little inno-
cent children suffering for the neces-
saries and comforts of life. Thought