Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1901-07-13
4 Modern CorQeliu.

ditSI tHS ldSHloh ol thC INoihdh ma
tron.
Cornelia, mother of Oracle, wore a
garment which was flowing, but not
classic, after the fashion of the Null
berry Bend matron.
/ don't know what the Roman
Cornelia called her garment, but the
modern Cornelia spoke of hers as
"flammer-gssted, squee-geed Mother
Hubbard" and added the further in
formation that "a iver-eyed clerk
had touched her 90 cents for it when
as would have been hold-up."
The language of the modern Cor
nelia was also flowing, but not classi-
cal. Her statements needed very
free translation.
Therefore, when she told me that
her man was down on his luck, and
had gone up the river to find new
layout, drew my own conclusions.
Her man had been up the river be.
fore, only some of his neighbors had
termed it "up the spout" But that
was an immaterial difference of
phraseology. His absence lasted
anywhere from three months to
year, and it was generally under
stood by his friends that Bill was
doing time.
He sometimes came back from
these expeditions looking quite as if
time had been doing him.
~ always made polite pretense
of believing Cornelia's accounts OF
her husbands disappearances, for
soon saw that the accounts were
given quite as much for Gracie's
benefit as for mine. Then began my
respect for Cornelia.
Heaven save us from the people
who will stab you to the heart with
the brutal truth to save themselves
from single conscience prick!
The men and women who do the
big things of lite are those who are
strong enough to tell large and
beautiful untruth to save another
from shame and misery.
l had an instructive feeling that
Cornelia was capable of greater
things than fate had given her to do.
Perhaps her personal appearance
had something to do with this feel
ing, for she was big, handsome
creature. Those who had known
her when she was girl declared
that she was a sumner before she
married Bill.
But since the hand of the Lord had
sometimes been heavy on her. Like
wise the heavier hand of brutal
husband.
Heavy hands, whether they belong
to the Lord or to husbands, are apt
to be fatal to good looks.
Oracle shared her mothers good
looks, but not to the abuse of Bill.
However low his luck might sink,
and it sometimes reached the depth
of an artesian well, he never vented
his anger upon "the Kid"
The hardest heart has its soft spot,
and Oracle occupied the soft spot in
Bills heart.
She was enough to soften any
heart.
Such a pretty thing. with eyes
like the meadow voilets they had
never looked upon.
She had the gift of childish inno-
cence, too, a gift cruelty rare in
daughter of the tenements, where
the very babies are knowing and
sharp of wit.
Why not? Since they have been
born of grandparents and grand
parents who have been getting the
worst of lite's bargains for genera
tions.
had come to know the mother of
Oracle through my settlement work.
l could probably have made the ac-
quaintance of royalty with less
difficulty, for she was constitutional
ly opposed to settlement work.
"They come" she said, land ask
fool questions and look at each other
and say How curious and How in
teresting,' as if we were two-headed
snakes; now," and here she became
condescending, "you act like we was
folks, which we mostly is 'cept the
Maloney woman, and she's cats"
had seen the marks of fine pair
of claws on the face of the Maloney