The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-05-19

N LID By Jocks Edmiston was in
 bed when Eliph' Hewitt, the lit-
 N tie book agent, called at the
 farmhouse an dhis daughter was busy putting up strawberry jam. She was in no
 good temper, for a kettle of strawber- Ties had scorched while she had been ur
 stairs for minute to see By Jocks
 shufne off the mortal coil. and she hac
 just got another lot of stTawberries or the stove, and By Jocks" was yelling ldown the stairs for her to come up anc lhold his hand while he dropped off into
 the eternal.
 He was a chronic deceaser and got a
 dying spell every so often, but they didn'
 usually work out. He generally began to die about the time his daughter got her hands so full of work that 1t was a nuisance to have him dying, and he would Igo ahead and keep up the deathbed scene Euntil he got tired lying in bed, and then inc would get up and do a good days work
 and feel better.
 Now, I aint got no time to buy books nor vet to look at books,' she said sharp lly, i've got my hands full with these berries ana pa up stairs with one of them
 foolish dyin' spells of his. Just you go
 right along ana don't bother me-
 She wiped her heated face wltn her
 apron and plunged q wooden spoon into
 the kettle of berries. "Oh, pa. do be still for one minute, won't you?' she
 called. "You don't give me a minute E Irest I'll be up in plenty of time. You lie still and let me finish this job, and lIll come right up. Please dol''
 The quavering voice came down the
 stairs, calling Mary, come up and she
 wrung her hands.
 "Lard's sakes!" she moaned. "Iie wont be still till go up. l never see such a
 man! Just can't leave these, berries and then she saw the little book agent
 still standing with his face against the
 screen door. Would you mind goin' UT
 and keepin pa amused until l get these
 berries in the cans?" she asked. Try tc sell him book, or do anything you want to. so you keep him busy. I'm plumb E Ihothered to death, and every time he r yelIs down I git more nervous" She opened the screen door and the lit file book agent stepped carefully into the Kitchen.
 .'Right up them steps," she said, and he went as she directed.
 .By Jocks" was lying in bed with the covers drawn up to his neck and he raised his head and looked at Eliph Hewitt as ithe book agent entered.
 Come up to see me die?" he asked an xrily. ''Well, l guess it's about time Somebody was comin'. l never knew such . family as I've got. They don't care a cent. by jocks. whether l die all alone fnp here or not. Every time git a dyin .aspell they all go and git busy. man ecan't die like he ought to in such fam V ily. Every time l git ready to drop off and feel am goin they go to putin UT fruit or something, by jocks! And they been doin that way for the last thirty k wears. I'm gcttin' tired of it.'' ' s Elph' Hewitt smoothed his whskers sA Ath his neat little land and took the .aair that stood near the head of the ned He laid his sample on the floor al \ his feet on one side, and his hat on the }ther.
 "I'm a book agent" he said gently i.And my name is Hewitt; Eliph' Hewitt fl am selling to the leading citizens of I fhis section a work in one volume" "By Jocks" popped up his head and Locked at Eliph Hewitt with amazement