The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1904-03-09
A PREJUDICED VIEW
(Original.1

. 10 Deu the FARMER ana | sat together
chatting about the dull winters In the
country and the want of means OF
amusement, especially for the older
people. l asked him If he liked to
read.
"Waal, stranger" he said, "I reckon
do like to read ef kin git tho books.
For long time l had nothin' but
Shakespeare and the Bible But last
winter l got a historical book about
them kings and queens Of England. 1
was Interested in one of 'em, king
called Henry VIII. That king was the
only man 1 ever read or heered about
that got ahead of six wimmen, all his
wives, and didn't hev to kill more'n
two Of 'em neither"
HE was a monster" protested.
"Waal. now, stranger, hain't 30
sartin about that. l don't know that
he was quite eXcusable In the matter of
his first wife, the Spanish woman; but,
ye see, man to git ahead Of six VIM
min has got to be mighty sharp. If 1
remember right, Henry he'd married his
brothers widder which is contrary to
Scripture, and after livin' with her
twenty years his conscience troubled
him. 1t may be thet he hadnt orter
married her In the first Glacc but it
makes good deal Of difference wheth-
er woman's young and amiablc or
old and spiteful. No, think, under
the circumstances, Henry was excusa.
bic tor gittin' tender conscience Mt
the right time. Most peoples con
sciences pricks 'em ut the wrong time.
Henry's come in remarkable handy"
"Hou surely don't approve of his be-
heading Anne Bocyn. his second wifc?"
"Waal, now, | hain't so surtin about
that neither. Henry's conscience was
very tender one and. as said afore,
always pricked him at o convenient
time. When his first wife died. he
wanted to show her every mark of re-
spec and ordered his court to put on
black. Anne Boleyn showed what kind
or woman she was when she ordered
her Wlmmen to wear yaller That made
Henry mad. 1t was a convenient time
to be mad. He was gittin ready for
his next wife. l reckon cf he hadn't
been King and wise as sarpint be-
sides he'd never "a done what he did
with the hull six on 'cm."
His third wife" remarked "Jane
seymour, was. believe. the only one
of the six who died natural death
while married to him. The next, Anne
of Cleves. he divorced"
THE Clcves woman was the ONLY
sensible one o the lot, the onlv one
that come any ways near gittin' even
with the king. When he said, You git.
she was very much pleased to go This
wounded the king sorcly. a man don't
like to be taken ut his word by wom-
an. no matter how onruly she is"
What do YOU think of the case Of
Katherine lIoward?"
"Lemme see. What did she do?
There's so many of 'em forgit."
"As mere child she had been led
into several indiscrctions, including n
sort of marriage with low bred fol
low who afterward turned pirate. AS
soon as she married the king all those
who had led her astray"-
Il remember now. They all turned
office seekers, and the queen had 10
give 'cm situations or they'd blow on
her. Waal. now. l don't sec nov Hen
ry could "a done any different. He
wouldn't believe notlin' ag'In her TIL
the hull thing was out. Katherine was
one o them mlddlc-o -tho-road VIM
min. She might "a lived ef she'd only
given in. Sho wouldn't own up to her
first marriage. The king couldn't Git
nulmcnt OF his marriage OH any 9TH
er ground, so he had to chop her head
or. She done that Henry didn't. You
see, stranger, there's q Dccm!!mrity