The Indianapolis journal., 1903-10-04

OF THE
T . w N

An lUuldldpDlS young WODldn whose VIII
ters are spent in Texas. where her father
has thousands Of cattle and acres Of grass
20 feed them on, always brings North with
her fund OF interesting stories from the
Lone Star State "The greatest case OF
woman's devotion TO the memory OF a dead
husband | know off, said she, lis to be
found big ranch in the foothills of
the Sierre Madre mountains. She is a
sweet-faced English woman who is living
life OF sacrifice away from her friends
because her husband lies buried in that
country Captain Follett and wife came to
Texas from England and settled on a big
ranch The captain was successful and
made money His wife. a refined and cul-
turec woman. endured the early privations
because she was with her husband and be-
cause he was doing well. After years of
hard work. when they had gathered about
them great droves Of cattle and had built
themselves luxurious home. the husband
was taken suddenly Ill and died. His wife.
instead OF having him buried in a cemetery.
had him laid in the ground in the yard
in front of their home. The little mound
that marks his resting place is still there.
Friends came TO the assistance OF the wife
and gave her advice and all the assistance
she settled down to living again. absolutely
alone and unprotected. She keeps no help
on the ranch, as none is needed except
when ii is necessary to brand her cattle or
when they are taken TO market. On these
occasions she calls in the neighbors. But
she has no one living in the house with her
and prefers TO be alone with her dead
lying there In the yard. Her home is fur
ar,I
her library and magazines. People visiting
her home could scarcely believe from the
interior that they were in the very heart
OF the cattle country far from civilization.
She plays the piano exquisitely and all the
best class Of music finds its way into her
ranchhouse. People passing that way late
at night are often astonished TO hear the
sound of a piano, played with expert hands.
coming from the house. She is intensely
loyal TO her husbands memory. On the
piano at the moment of his death was
white duck helmet which he wore on the
plains 1t lay where he cast it the last day
he wore IT, II he's never been moved from
the piano and the devoted wife will not let
st be moved. In the rear OF the house is
a little gate that hangs about half way
open Captain Follett, the last trip he
made through this gate before his illness.
left IL open and his wife has never allowed
ft TO be closed. II hangs there to-day just
as IL did when he passed through it the
last time Mrs. Follett is always glad to
have people come and see her for a short
call, but she will not hear to any one stay
ing with her for the sake of keeping her
company. She prefers to be alone out there
IN the great solitude. living out her life
within few feet of his grave and waiting
TO join him in the great beyond. That's
what call devotion and faithfulness to the
memory of loved one"
III went TO see Uncle Toms Cabin this
eek" said man the other day. for the
irst time in good many years. l well
can the last time I saw it played before
: this. II was at Lafayette on the occasion
of big football day at the college The
Purdue fellows had made a winning and
that night were in a hilarious state. They
bought the whole lower floor of the opera
house and went in a body to see Uncle
Tom I'll never forget that night, and
guess the performers on the stage won't,
either The students cut up outrageously.
One OF their playful tricks was worked at
the expense of the company during the
great ice scene. They called and whistled
and snapped their fingers at the hounds and
finally the dogs, instead OF pursuing Eliza
across the ice as they should have done,
came down into the audience and rubbed
their noses against the legs of the stu
dents The dogs were really having bet
ter time with the boys than they would
on the stage. and were inclined to remain
A member of the company finally came
down and took them back When the tear
1uI scenes between Little Eva and Uncle
Tom took place those students set up such
a howl apparently Of grieD that the cur
tain had to be run down. 1 doubt if the
great drama was ever staged under more
embarrassing circumstances
DR.. Carter, chief clerk in the Office of the
Indianapolis Board Of Health. was strug-
Cling over the name of street in a birth
return He had tried to make IL OUT for
fifteen minutes. and now. he was examin-
ing IL with a microscope.
IT don't like to cast any reflection on the
doctors" said DIR. Carter. "but I'll have to
admit that good many OF them do write
an awfully poor hand. Now. the other day
q name came in here which no one in the
Office could read. Looked at in one way it
seemed to be one thing. looked at in another.
and. in short. it wasn't really anything You
see that delayed things a good deal here.
for we try to make a record of these re-
turns as fast they come in. We had to
hunt that doctor up and have him trans
late the name for US. That Is only one in
stance OF the continuous trouble we have
from bad writing on the death and birth
returns. Most people can write fairly legi-
ble hand IL they will take the time. II their
writing indicates anything a good many
physicians I'm this city are mighty busy.
But that isn't all. The same diseases are
sent In here on these returns spelled in sew
eral different ways. And We have to stop
and look up the term in a medical diction-
ary. That takes time. too. and the doctors
aren't the only people who are busy. by any
means
''Oh. yes. a banker has the easiest time
Imaginable. that is. If you don't mean what
you say" said the president of a Washing
ton-street bank "A lot OF people seem TO
think that a banker hasn't anything else
To do except sign his name TO a few dozen
checks and put his %. X on a few papers,
and smoke few good cigars and go home to
his dinner. Lyman j. Gage former secre-
tary of the treasury. used 10 sit in the front
Office OF his bank in Chicago for hours at a
time, seemingly not doing a bit OF work.