Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1915-02-19
CHAPTER X-Continued.

i told yer / never could stand 1t
mere amongst all these drafted women
folks" Abe would declare. Its all
your fault that l didn't go to the poor
house in peace"
Il notice yew didn't raise no objec-
lions until yew'd lived here a year."
Angy would %retort; but ignoring this
remark. he would go on:
TITS Brother Abe this an
Brother Abe that. as eff l had thirty
wives a-pesterin' me instid of one. /
cant kill a fly but it's Brother Abe,
femme bury him fer yew.' Do yer all
think be a baby" demanded the old
gentleman with slaring eye. Il guess
I'm able ter do somethin' fer myself
once In a while. l hain't 30 old as some
folks might think" he continued with
superb tuccnSistenoe. 81 be a mere
chOd compared with that air plagued
Nancy Smith"
1t took very little to exhaust Angys
ability for this style of repartee, and
she would rejoip with tender but mis-
taken efforts to soothe and comfort
him:
Thar, thar, father! Don't git OK.
cited now. Seems ter me ye re a
leetle bit feverish. Ef only yew'd take
this here tansy tea"
Abraham would give one exasper-
+ated glance at the tin cup and mutter
into the depths of his beard:
"Tansy tea an old women! Old
women an tansy tea! Tansy tea be
Nurned!"
Abe failed perceptibly during the
ummer, grew feebler as the autumn
winds blew In, and by November he
took to his bed and the physician of
the home, a little whinet of a pompous
idiot. vas called to attend him. The
doctor. determined at the start to
make a severe case of the old mans
affiction in order that he might have
the greater glory In the end, be 1t good
pr bad, looked very grave over Abra-
hams tongue and pulse, prescribed
medicine for every half hour, and laid
Especial stress upon the necessity Of
keeping the patient in bed.
"Humbug!" growled the secretly
terrified invalid, and in an excess of
bravado took his black silk necktie
from where 1t hung on the bedpost and
lied 1t In q bow-knot around the collar
of his pink-striped nightshirt. 10 that
be would be in proper shape to receive
any Of the sisters. Then he lay very
still, his eyes closed. as they came tip
toeing in and out. Their tongues we're
on gentle tiptoe too. although not 90
gentle but that he could hear them ad.
wishing: One. q good. stir mustard
plaster" one. an "onion poultics;" an
other, a Spanish blister" while Aunt
Nancy stopped short Of nothing less
than "old-fashioned bleeding" Abe
lay very still and wondered II they
meant to kill him. He was probably
going to die anyhow. so why torment
him. Only when he was dead, he
hoped that they would think more
kindly OF him. And 30 surrounded yet
alone, the old man fought his secret
terror until mercifully he went 70
sleep.
When he awoke there were the sis
tiers again; and day after day they
spent their combined efforts In keeping
him on his back and forcing him to
take his medicine, the only a%ppreciable
geod resulting therefrom being the
fact that with his tax upon their devo-
ton the old ladies anne once more to
regard Abe as the most precious pos
session Of the Home.
What eff he should def" they whis-
pered among themselves, repentsnt
enough Of their late condemnation of
him and already desolate at the
thought OF his leaving this little haven
with them for the great haven" over
there; and the whisper reaching the
sickroom. Abe's fever would rise, while
no could never lift his lashes except to