Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-17
PART ONE
CHAPTER !.
On tho Labrador.

On tho Labrador.
Dictated by Mr.. Jesse Smith.
Don't you write anything down yet,
cause amt ready.
II wrote this yarn myself, I'd make
It good and red from tie % tip, claws
out, teeth bare, fur crawling with emu
tons. It wouldn't be dull, no, e evil
dence.
But then it's to please you. and
that's what I'm for.
So I proceeds to stroke the fur
smooth, lay the paws down soft, fold
up the smile, and purr. A sort Of
truthfulness steals over me. Coin to
be dull, too.
No. ! dunno how to begin. If this
yarn was rope. I'd coil it down be-
fore began to pay out. You lays the
end, 30, and flemish down, ring by ring
until the bight's coiled, smooth, ready
to fake of as it runs. I delayed a
lynching once to do just that, and re-
lieve the patients mind. 1t all went
OF 50 we'll!
When we kids were good, mother
she used to own we came of pedigree
stock; but when we're bad, seems we
took after father. You see mothers
,olk was the elect. sort Of born saved.
They allowed there'd be room il
Heaven for one hundred and forty-four
thousand just persons, mostly from
Nova Scotia, but when they took to
sorting the 2e;Shhors, they'd get ex-
elusive.
Anyway, mothers folk as a tribe, is
Eaillionaires in grace and pretty we'll
fixed in Nova Scotia. Then she's found
out, secretly married among the goats.
Her names scratched out of the fam
lily Bible, with a strong hint to the
Lord to scratch her entry from the
Book Of Life. She's married sailor
man. before the mast, Liveyere from
the Labrador. man without dollar,
suspected Of being Episcopalian.
In them days the Labrador amt
laid out exactly to suit mother. She's
taties in the cellar. cows in the barn,
barter store round the corner, mails,
church, school, and Jail right handy,
30 she can enjoy the ungodly getting
Of their inst deserts. But in our time
the Labrador was just Gods country,
all rocks, ice, and sea, to put the fear
into proud hearts-no need Of teach
ers. It kills of the weaklings-no
need Of doctors. A school to raise
men-no need Of preachers. The law
was work or starve"-no place for
lawyers. It's police, and court, and
hangman all complete. fire and hail.
snow and vapors. wind and storm full
filling His word.
Fathers homo was an overturned
schooner, turfed In. and he was surely
proud Of having a bigger place than
any other Liveyere on the coast. There
was the hold overhead for slowing
winter fish, and room downstairs for
tho family, the team Of seven husky
dogs, and even a cord or two Of fire.
wood. We kids used to play at New
fnlanders up in the hold, when the
winter storms were tearing the tops
OF the hills, and the Eskimo devil
howled blue shrieks outside. The hus.
HES makes wolf songs all about the
fewness Of fsh, and we'd hear mother
give father piece of her mind. That's
about the first / remember, but all
what mother thought about poor IA
Their took years and years to say.
I used to be kind OF sorry for father
You gee he worked the bones through
his hide, Turing all winter and fish
anG summers, and what he earned het
get in truck from the company. Al
No Lveyeres owed to the Hudson Bay
but father worked hardest and hs
owed most, hundreds and hundreds O.
skins. The company trusted him
There wasn't man on the coas
moro trusted than he was, with moth
or TO feed, and six kids, besides sever
huskies. and fathers aunt, Thessa
lonika, Q widow with four children
and . tumor, living down to Las
Hope beyond the Rocks.
There was secrets about father, ant
II mother ever found out! You see
he looked like a white man, curl.
1aller hair same as me, and he wa!
fearful strong. But in his inside
don't ever tell!-he was partly small
bog same's me, and the other half o
~ 0IUD-0OQL 0V0I IoL Ou!-Wdb noun
taineer injun. seen his three broth
81, the finest fellers you ever-yes
0coteh half-bEeeds-and mother neve
knoW.
Thar's mo On fathers knee, Will
ny nose in his buckskin shirt, ant
Ovoa to this day the wood smoke IL
emp brings back the wuff, whersa
Ou1nmers his boots smelt hshy. VIVA
y happened first or Afterwards is al
nixed up. but there's the smoke smell
and sister Maggie lying In the bunk
IN white and frose.
Ihor0s nsh smell. and Polly WIN
used to wallop me with slipper
lying white and froxe. And yet
4 knew she couldn't get froze in sum
49,.
Then there's smoke smell, and bi
Tounny, bigger nor father, throwing
- Mood. I said he'd catch it iron
Hoahae for messing the door, bu
1lkhsf Just huxged me. telling me T.
nhnt up. axed him II Tommy wa
DotnG 70 get froEe, too. Then fathe
" A0oA ne that Tommy was going ava
y ~ where tho milk came ont Of q COW
= eYee int shove the can opener int
:. 49, eev so-and the milk pours out
1ho1o candy pals Of milk. And there
49, -hANh e. ~poon fblo~a ..