The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-19
TIE EVENING STORY
His NIother-in-L.ax.
(By Claudine Sisson.)

At the age of twenty-three, when
Moses Smith was married, he was
! spoken of as a hustler. AS a carpen-
ter by trade, he was at work early and
late. Two years later he fell of sca1-
! fold and hurt his back. He was petted
and pitied and sympathized with, and,
although after six weeks of loafing, the
doctor pronounced Moses as good as
new, the carpenter had lost his hustle
His wife dreaded that he might inJure
himself by going to work too soon and
she started dressmaking to support
them while he loafed.
Moses Smiths mother-in-law lived
in another state. She heard how
things were going, but it was year
before she came on. She found Moses
growing fat and his wife growing lean.
1t didn't take the old lady over a week
to size things up. In her time she had
known of several lame-backed men
and foolish wives. With the doctor to
back her, she announced that her
daughter must go away and rest for
month to prevent nervous break
down. She would remain to keep
house for Moses.
The lame-backed man didn't like it
at all. 1t meant an overturning of his
pleasant program. He doubted II
there would be any more tea and
toast and poor Moses!'' for him. He
was overruled, however, and the morn
ing his wife started away he went
down TO Cne village pOSlOIlICe anu IOOh
his old seat on the veranda and hoped
for the best. At noon he returned
home to meet with a surprise. No
fire-no dinner. In reply to his look
of bewilderment the lady with the iron
jaw replied:
you didn't cut any wood, and so
there's no dinner"
But 1 can't raise the axe with this
lame back"
Then you won't have to raise knife
or fork!''
Moses went back to the grocery and
filled up on raw turnip. He went
home to supper. but there was no sup
per- No wood-nO supper. He went
out and sat down under a lilac bushs
and his eyes filled with tears. He was
in the habit of going to bed at 9 and
getting up at the same hour next
morning. His going to bed on this oc-
casion was according to program, but
he was aroused at o'clock by dash
of water in his face. He had been
called twice in vain.
Moses, the axe and the woodpile!"
said the mother-in-law as he came
down stairs with a scowl on his brow.
you know I'm cripple" he an
swered
mo wood-no breakfast
He went slowly out and bent to
pick up the axe and straighten up with
a groan and his hand to his back.
ITS a erik in the back" said the
woman. I'm glad to find it out. I've
tackled fourteen different criks and
cured each and every one. If I can
cure you then Nelly will be very happy
when she returns. Come along out to
the srnokehouse."
But what's the smokehouse going
to do for a man whose spinal cord
is all knotted up?"
Treatment, Moses-treatment Just
step inside"
He stepped, and the door was closed
on him and locked. He found cot, a
jug of water and loaf of bread He
kicked on the door and called out to
know what it all meant, and was told
to cuddle down and take treatme ent for
the cure of general laziness. drink,
crick in the back and lying abed in the
morning. He was warned that any ex
ira emotion on his part would make
the erik worse, and told that there was
no objection to his sleeping all day. |
Moses was foolish enough to kick and
shout until a score of villagers came
running to see what the matter was.
TO one and all the mother-in-law an
swered
.'Moses has had erik in the back
for year past, and I've set out to cure |
it I hope to meet with great success.
In fact, don't think his wife will have
to do dressmaking when she comes |
back. Thanks for calling. Come |
again.
During the first day Moses thought |
and slept Dy turns, ana now ana Lnen
shed tears. In few hours his life /
had changed over and his peace and
comfort had departed.
At sundown more bread and water. !
He yelled and kicked and again he
was warned to suppress his emotions.
He demanded better fare, but was an |
swered that until his erik got so that |
he could use the axe there would be no /
cooking. On the second night he seri- |
ously thought of suicide, and he smiled /
jOyously as he cOnjured up mental /
picture of the mother-in-law opening |
the door in the morning and finding |
him stark and stiff in death. But sue
cessfully to commit suicide one must |
have omething more than a jug of !
water and a loaf of bread at hand. /
Moses couldn't choke himself with
either.
Breakfast was the same old bill of
fare, and the woman still had her
iron jaw There was no conversation.
Moses nibbled and slipped and thought.
An hour before noon he called out and /
when asked what he wanted he very |
replied:
Mother, I believe that erik is bet
ter
ITS too soon, Moses-it's too soon"
Maybe. If I was very careful. I
could split a few sticks of wood to get
dinner with
Il wouldn't have you try it for the
world. my dear son-in-1aw. You have
been in dreadful bad shape for a year.
Any undue exertion might finish you.
You shall have a raw tomato to help
out your dinner. as that goes with the
treatment. If it wasn't half a mile to
the nearest saloon I'd ask you to have
a glass of beer with me-"
Moses didn't have such a lame back
that he couldn't understand sarcasm,