The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1907-12-06

In one of the children he'd fell or got
hurt someway. But when 1 got there
him an Elmlry Stone was havin' it hot
and heavy; seemed as If she'd sold his
onion bed an pocketed the money an
my oh my! what story he he'd to tell |;
how he'd worked like slave all sum-
mer an milked, an raised calves that
she sed wouldn't live, an took care of
the chikens an run the farm besides,
an how she'd sold everything an kept
the money; an how he hadn't he'd a
cent to spend; an how he wasn't going
to stand 1t any longer.
An she was standin there a holdin'
out paper to me tellin' me to read it
An sez to her, Didn't you promise
that things 'ud go on jest as they did
when Mary Emily was there?" An
sez she, "Well, amt they goin' on jest
the sameT
An l set down an Jest looked at
her. / allowed she'd gone crazy. But
she jest looked back at me. An sez /,
DO you mean to say you hev done jest
like Mary Emily usted to do?" An she
give me such a scornful look. "MeP
she sez, "me? well, 1 allow I'm not
fool. didn't say who was goin' to be
the Mary Emily, did II Henry John
alwus allowed that Mary Emily ought
to be glad to work like a niger day in
an day out an never see a red cent,
an when she wanted callker dri >s she
could come beggin' to him one Of the
dollars she'd worked as hard as him
to earn. Sold yer onions an put the
money in my pocket, did II" sez she,
turnin' to Henry John. "Well, you kin
jest imagine you're Mary Emily an I'm
you. Lots an lots of times you done
that to her an she wouldn't ask for
cent An when she died folks he'd to
bring things to lay her out in. Well,
you've bin Mary Emily for nigh onto a
year now, how do you like it?"
Henry John jest stood there lookin'
like he was goin' to fall over in a fit,
an I was dumb. AS fur that dreadful
woman she went upstairs an come
down again with her bonnet on, an as
she went out the door she looked at
Henry John, an sez she, you've had
your lesson, see you don't forget it."
Well l went home to talk things over
with Caleb an sez he, after I'd told
him what she sed, sez he, "Well, she's
holy terror, but she's about right there
Henry Johns only gettin' back what
he give"
An sez I, eyes, the mills Of the gods
hev bin grindin' away an the meal isn't
to his likin. You mind that lecture,
don't you"
An sez he, "What lecturer Jest like
man, wasn't it?
An some folks sed Almiry Stone he'd
made a small fortune out Of the place
that year, an some sed it served Hen
ry John jest right, whilst there was
some allowed she did 1t because she
saw he was gltten that close an mean
somethin' had to be done to open his
eyes.
AS for me, I never could Jest make it |
out to my satisfaction, but there's one
thing 1 can say, 1t done him a power
Of good When he married again there
wasn't a better dressed nor a happier
woman in Nubeh than Henry Johns
wife. You see he alwus was a good
man, but he didn't think; no, he jest
didn't think. l allow it's all for the
best; but when go apast Mary Emily
in Nubeh churchyard l say to myself,
"If only" But there. Them that sleeps
under the green quilt need no heart
salve. An that's more than can be sed
Of the livin'.-Pittsburg Christian Ad-
vocate.