The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-05-04
abb Of Personal History.

i FeCOFaS OF TUG proceedings OF the
Board of Supervisors of this coun,
]ty,. the following item: Jesse
May and child, temporary relief,
one month, $16.00.'s !.
Obersvant, if not suspicious
persons, had begun to cogitate anc
wonder why such permanent repe,
tition ola temporary necessity.
From month to month as The
years have dragged their slow
Lengths along since 1890 surely
Jesse Mays has grown old OF
died perhaps, and the ''child'' has
maturedl
who is Jesse May and child2a
a man exclaimed irritably as he
felt his fat pocketbook and grudg-
ingly paid his taxes, mumbling
out something about forty dollars
more or less a month going for
temporary relief Send 'em
to the poor house that's their
place. /" The cold finger Of the
law points that way, indeed, and
those who so contend have the
law for it. But we are only tell
ing the pathetic story of Jesse
May and child.
Fourteen years, next August,
a stalwart, handsome young far,
mer wooed and won maiden fair,
with a heart as true as the dire
exigencies of human life could
possibly demand. The sunshine
of joy beamed through the bright
windows of their little home and
like nesting birds they lowered,
and warbled of days and fuller
joys to come.
On the 23rd of August, 1891,
wee. birding fluttered in to
share the warmth of the home nest
and the heart of the lover throb-
bed with the added joy of father
hood; the sweetest story ever
heard foated out on the morning
breeze, redoIent with the perfume
of honey suckle and the fragrant
odor of the pines. The grand
mother, still young in years,
clasped the little one to her breast
and life seemed at full tide.
Six days later as the young
father was attending his duties
about the place, he was thrown by
a mule and was rendered helpless
thereby, his body being paralyzed
from his waist down. The young
wife and mothers couch became
his resting place; and she emerged
from the pangs and joys of moth
erhood to take up the burden of
life alone, except for the.advice
and thoughtful planning the pros
trate husband could give.
And he9 Strong, brave, ener-
getic, ambitious, be was bound by
chains that could not be broken,
even by the demons of rebellion
and resistance that at first ragged
within his soul. At length, when
the Fathers will began to put to
flight the human side and Mot
as | will, but as Thou wilt" came
in gentle whispers over the trou-
bled waters, the strong man lay
there in the shade and shadow
watching the Child" grow into
young womanhood, and counting
the steps of the busy young moth
er who smiled to think that she
could serve him she had vowed to
love and honor through all time.
The particulars of this service
are enough to wrench heart Of
stone.
Thus the years passed by,sand
last week when Hon. q. p. Jones
President of the Board of Super
visors, and Road Commissioner
Montgomery went to investigate
the case with a view to finding
out all there is to find concerning
the doings of the Board and the
duties pertaining thereto, as is
the Presidents bounden duty,
they found. out near Adams
Camp Ground, cosy country
home, with comfortable appoint
ments and some adornments. The
faithful hands of the mother, and
her mother, had labored assiduous-
~ and there was corn and meat
and to spare. These two noble
women had raised six bales of cot
ton the past season; and, through
the courtesy or Christian benevo-
lence of a merchant of Summit
they had become the owners of
forty acres Of land in their own
right. The Child" was found to
be a girl of about thirteen years,
while MRS. May is now but 35
and her mother still active and in
reasonable health.
And Jesse May, = 1.-The strong
young man who had suffered a
living death thirteen long years!
There was hush and stiffness
about the place that no pain nor
poverty nor suffering could bring,
and there were sobs and tears and
muffied footsteps. Jesse May
lay deadl In the home that Love
had crowned and glorified above
all affection and sorrow, the rosy
checked bride of fourteen years
ago lifted her living face pale and
wan as her lover husbands dead,
and said in broken accents, No
wife could miss her husband more
than u this widowed wife in
life or death.
The pleading item Of Jesse
May and childn will no more APP
pear upon the books. Death has
erased it.