The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-10-04
7 He Dilleys seemed born to
misfortune. How much of
the I'll luck" that so stead

the Ill luck" that so stead
fly attended them was due to
their own shiftlessness and lack of
common sense is not for me to say;
but no one could deny that the Dill
leys were indolent and improvident,
nor that they appeared to be childishly
Ignorant Of the value Of money. When
they had money, which was seldom,
they spent It so foolishly that It was
difficult for their friends to sympa-
thize with them when they were pen
niless and their cupboard and pantry
were bare.
Their tastes ran so largely to jewelry
that Mr. Dilley had been known to
pay SO for a glass and brass breastpin
and "ear-bobs" for Mrs Dilley when
she sorely needed shoes, and her best
gown was q faded calico. Likewise
Mrs. Dilley had been known to pay
50 for an imitation diamond and pearl
ring for Mr.. Dilley's great unwashed
hand when he was almost barefooted,
and on one occasion she presented
him with a big gold "bosom-pin" for
his shirt front when he had hardly
whole shirt to pin it to. .,--..
b Next to this uncurbed fondness for
jewelry, the Dilley taste ran largely to
family photographs and plush albums,
with mirrors and embroidered flowers
on the lids thereof Nothing seemed
to give them greater pleasure than to
''set for their pictures in a group
with the baby on Mrs. Dilley's ample
lap, Terminus, the next in size be-
tween his fathers patched knees, and
Antoinette, Claudia, Reginald and
Perciyal gracefully grouped around
their parents.
1t was 'like the Dilley luck" the
neighbors said, when poor Mrs. Dill
ley's garments caught fire when she
was boiling soap in her back yard,
and the result was that the six Dilley
children were motherless within a
week
The remembrance Of this tragedy
was still heavy upon their hearts when
poor Mr.. Dilley was brought home
dead, having been killed by a tree he
had felled In the woods near his home.
"And there those six poor younguns
were orphans, and not a change of
clothes to their backs nor hardly any
food in the house." said the next neigh
Dor of the Dilleys, who told this tale
to me, "and not a cent for the future
and not one of them old enough to
earn any money but Claudia. the old.
est girl, and she only fifteenw
The question what could or should
be done with the Dilleys afforded food
for prolonged discussion. The imme
diate wants of the children were will
ingly provided for, and they remained
in the shabby little house in which
they had lived. Claudia knew Of but
one relative of her fathers to whom
she could write regarding his death
This relative was her fathers brother
John Dilley, who lived in the Fal
West. He had not been heard from
for several years, but Claudia knew
his address, and she felt that 1t woulC
be proper for her to inform her Uncle
John of his brothers death.
Ten days after Claudia's pathetic
little letter had gone on it's way on
over the Western plains, this philoso
phical and well-meant reply came t,
her from her warm-hearted Western
uncle, whose ignorance Of gramma
and photography were more thai
atoned for by his generosity:
''My Deer Neese:-I got your lette
saying that your Father was dec
We've all got to go some time. If h
wasn't prepared he ought to hav
been. He was good-hearted l wa
not surprised to hear that he didn'
leave no property. A body can't yer
well leave what a body never ha(
Your father wasn't one of the account
lative kind. 1t wasn't in him to b
that way, and I guess he couldn
help it.
Il amt been able to lay up a graf
amount and I've six children OF m
Oun to fetch up, but you are my on
brothers children, and your AuT
Mary and me are willing to do wins
we can for you. IKE got a big far
out here, and room for all of you
you can get here. But money is scare
and / amt got any to send you.
'If you kin sell your furniture an
things, and get money to come on wit
wen make you all welcome and gi1
you plenty to eat and enough to WEI
and some schoolin', and do the best Y
can by you. Let me know when 70
viii start, and III drive to town
meet you. SO no more now from