Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1904-08-08

DuL Sne'd never come nigh Whar l was
at Then heard she was tryin' to git
a pension through congress. Her hus-
band had claimed to be Union man,
an that he was forced into the Con-
federate ranks, whar he fit an was
killed, an somebody told 'er she was
entitled to pension. Old Trabue tuck
mp the claim an writ on about 1t to
Washington, an one day he happened
to tell me that he had had final de-
cision an that she couldn't git it an
that he hated to have to tell 'er the
outcome. Then I got him to pretend
to her that the pension was allowed,
an paid the SIS month. I've been
dom it fer twenty year now, an 1t
has kept 'er from sufferin', but I'm in
mortal dread O. her flndin' out whar
the money comes from an sellin' her,
place to repay it. She's still in good
health over thar in the mountains
About once year, generally In the
fall, she comes in town, but she shirks
meetin' me. Somehow always breathe
freer when she's gone out o. town.
The sight Of 'er fetches 1T all back
wuss than anything else I've tried to
find out what she thinks about 1t now,
but she never mentions the subject to
a soul. I've suffered the torments Of
the damned. I made public confess
sion In meetin', as well as could, to
show my contrition without implicatin'
Hank Williams, but It didn't do a speck
o. good All the members swarmed
round me and patted me on the back
an said / was nigh the throne, but
Their pats jest seemed to beat my guilt
deeper in. was afeard o. the slight
est sound at night or my shadow in
daytime an was always countin' on
bein' tuck Off by disease. One mornin',
in Shawn, I noticed little red spot
on my cheek an tuck 1t fer a cancer.
was shore then that the Lord intend
ed to make me die q slow, loathsome
death, an all at once felt weak at the
knees an couldn't hardly stand My
wife come an found me. didn't tell
her about my cancer, an she thought
was jest sick from some'n' I'd eat,
an when the doctor come was afeard
to tell i'm about the sore place. He
left some medicine, an I made out like
tuck ii, but th'owed it away After
that I'd make point to stop an talk
to i'm every day to see Of he'd notice
my face am speak Of II, but he didn't.
i've started mp to bis Office fifty times
an backed out, jest beca'se couldn't
bear to be told that it was q cancer.
Howeomever, one day, when It was
more in6amed than ever, went TO his
office as weak as sick kitten, feelin'
Jest like man ,goin' to the scaffold.
went In an set down am waited fer
i'm to git through with somebody else,
an when he turned to me said, doc,
want You to take look at my face
He put on his specks an examined it;
then he laughed an said: TIL bet dol
lar you thought it was cancer Folks
nowadays is more anxious TO raise can
GERS an they are good taters.' But
amt itY / axed i'm. NO. said he, 1t
hafn't nothin' o. the sort Ef you'll
quit rubin 1t every minute in the day
an stop tMnkin' about 1t, it'll so away
in week felt as light as feather
when left him. but It wasn't twenty
four hours fore had some other all
ment
ri was always lookin' fer the Lord
to show designs agin me. Fer one
thing, no children CONE to me n Mar
tina. an interpreted that as meanin
that, sence I'd put life out o. the world,
/ shouldn't fetch it in. Most married
folks worry when they hain't got SOME
offspring, but. 1t worried me powerful
never seed a happy child or proud
mother an father without feelin' the
Lords rebuke. Oh, George, George
I've led the most awful life that was
ever led by human bein', it seems to
mean / kept it all to myself, smilin
along with the rest, an tryin' to find
some loophole OF escape. Now here's
whar you come In. an you'll think 1t
odd, but I've started In to explain in
full, an I'm goin' to do 1t. You know
used to pass yore. pas place pretty
often, goin' to my river mill an farm,
an at the mill frequently seed you
comm on that swaybacked old mare,
a-straddle OF yore bag q shelled corn,
barefooted even In winter, with yore
hands an feet cracked with the cold
1t was common report about how bad
you was treated by yore daddy an
what awful character he had. May
be you remember the talk me N you
had, an how you told me how anxious
you was to git schoolin' an books
That was the fust day after my crime
that I got beam OF spiritual light 1t
come all over mo like fash that eff /
could take you out'n yore degradation
an raise you to respectable, useful
place In life / could atone in part for
what I'd done. Do you remember that
day. George?'
George Buckley started, raised his
eyes from the floor in sharp stare at
the haggard face before him and said:
Yes, sir, I remember that day"
''Well, couldn't git away from the
idea.g AS say, it was the fust bit of
light I'd had. The following winter
you remember my proposal Somehow
was even then afeard you'd refuse,
but you went off to school. An then
the weight and bitterness of my heart
seemed to lessen, for every report had
was glorious. You stood head; you
made the best speeches. you had the