The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-03-18
Bought o Coffin for His wife Before
Her Death.

~ ava AA1 WIG DeIOr6
Her Death.
Roanoke, Va, March 8.-Sometime
ago a farm RS wife in Floyd county
who had been i'll for mauyweeks grew
suddenly worse. The family was
small, consist ng Of two little children
and the farm house itself occupied a
lonesome, out-of-the-way spot, in a
rugged mountain country, a good many
miles distant from the nearest country
village. For weeks the roads had been
IN an almost impossible condition from
the effects Of the oontin ued heavy
fall of snow and rain and the only Wis
itor to the sick woman was the county
doctor as he wenthis weary rounds.
The husband, JEFF Hackett, a native
of n of the upper counties of South
Carolina, had drifted to Virginia 35
years ago, and ever since locating in
Floyd county had been aman known
throughout the section for his mean
ness and niggardly habits, and al
though by such methods he had amass-
ed a comfortable sum Of money, few
ever saw the color Of it, and the nu-
merous visits Of the doctor to his sick
wife were viewed with increased alarm,
as indications Of o good-sized medical
bill grew more apparent. Just as the
serious turn in the women's condition
came about, the miserly husband hit
on the happy idea, as it seemed to
him. of killing two birds With one
stone. He had to come to Roanoke the
following day to attend to some. busi-
ness, and to get fresh supply Of
them expensive drugs" Just be-
fore his departure the faithful doctor
arrived to pay g visit to the sick wife.
Haokett called the physician to one
side and questioned him closely as to
the prospects IF his wife's early death.
he explained that bad as the roads
were, they were liable to become much
worse, and that if he could bring back
o coffin next day, much inconvenience
and probable delay in the funeral, etc..
could be saved, should'his wife expire.
The medical man assured him it was |
his opinion that his wife could not
last .~wentv-fnmg honra: and that she |
would in all probability be dead when
he returned from the city. The next
dey, bright aud early, the farmer babe
the sick woman good bye, and started
his long drive to Roanoke. On ar
here he purchased the necessary
drugs, and then sought an undertak-
ing establishment, where he bought-a
moderate priced cof6n. Congratula-
ting himself on his foresight, he plod-
ded homeward and no sooner was he in
sight of h.s home, when the children
awaiting his return, esyied the signif-
icant looking ossket. Running into
the house, the little ones notified their
sick mother, Who was apparently in q
very weak state, Of what their father |
had brought back from. the city. The !
wife guessed the truth at once and
summoning her now miserable hus-
band to her bedside, she raised her
self by main force and despite her !
showered upon him the Walls
OF her pent-up wrath. A new resolu-
ton flashed in her eyes. She vowed
her husband would:be the worst disap-
pointed man in the country, and
should have the coffin for his own use.
So rapidly did she regain her strength
that inside Of ten days che was boss
ing the house as Of old, and making
her parsimonious helpmeet's life a
burden. So much did the experience
weigh on the latter''s mind :aat he fell
illiand five days afterwards was taken
20 the little country ohurckyard in the
receptacle purchased by
himself for his better and siroBger half.
Special TO Columbia State.
woman asks q man advice so /
that later on she can tell him how lie /