The Elbert County tribune., 1914-01-09
PART ONE
CHAPTER /.
On the Labrador.


Dictated by Mr.. Jesse Smith.
Don't you write anything down yet.
cause ! amt ready.
II I wrote this yarn myself. I'd make
Il good and red from tip to tip. claws
out. teeth bare. fur crawling with emo
tons. II wouldn't be dull. no. or evi-
dence.
But then it's to please you. and
that's what I'm for.
So ] 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 II this
jarn was a rope. I'd coil 1t down be-
fore began to pay out You lays the
end. so. and flemish down, ring by ring
until the bight's coiled. smooth, ready
to flake on as It runs. delayed
iynching once to do Just that. and re-
iieve the patients mind. 1t all went
on so weill
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
folk was the elect. sort OF born saved.
They allowed there'd be room In
Heaven for one hundred and forty-four
thousand Just persons. mostly from
Nova Scotia, but when they took to
sorting the neighbors. they'd get ex-
elusive.
Anyway. mothers folk as u tribe. is
mnlionafres in grace and pretty well
dxed 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. n 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
used to luxury--coal In the lean-to.,
taties In the cellar, cows In the barn.
barter store round the corner, mails.
church. school. and Jail right handy,
90 she can enjoy the ungodly getting
Of their just 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 each.
ers. 1t 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
nlling His word.
Fathers home was an overturned
achooner. turfed in. and he was surely
proud of having bigger place than
any other Liveyere on the coast There
was the hold overhead for slowing
winter fish. and room downstairs for
the family, the team OF seven husky
dogs. and even a cord or two Of fire.
wood We kids used tG play at New
rnlanders up In the hold, when the
winter storms were tearing the tops
on the hills, and the Eskimo devil
howled blue shrieks outside. The hus-
kies makes wolf songs all about the
fewness of fish. and we'd hear mother
give father piece of her mind That's
about the first l remember, but all
what mother thought about poor ia
ther took years and years to say.
/ used to be kind OF sorry for father.
You see he worked the bones thrt ugh
his hide. furring all winter and fish
ing summers. and what he earned he'd
get In truck from the company. All
us Liveyeres owed to the Hudson Bay.
but father worked hardest and he
owed most. hundreds and hundreds of
skins. The company trusted him.
There wasn't man on the coast
more trusted than he was. with moth
er to feed. and six kids. besides seven
huskies. and fathers aunt, Thessa-
fonika. widow with four chilcren
and tumor. living down to Last
Hope beyond the Rocks
There was secrets about father, and
If mother ever found out! You see.
he looked like white man. curly
yaller hair same as me. and he was
fearful strong. But in his inside
don't ever tell!--he was partly small
boy same's me. and the other half OF
him-dont ever let on!--was noun
taineer injun. | seen his three broth
ers, the finest fellers you ever-yes.
Scotch half-breeds-and mother never
knew.
Thar's me on fathers knee, with
my nose In his buckskin shirt. and
oven to this day the wood smoke in
camp brings back the wuff. whereas
summers his boots smelt fishy. What
happened first or afterwards Is all
mixed up. but there's the smoke smell
Il and sister Maggie lying in the bunk,
all white and froze.
There's fish smell. and Polly who
used to wallop me with slipper
lying white and froze. And yet
knew she couldn't get froze In sum
mer.
Then there's smoke smell. and big
Tommy. bigger nor father. throwing