The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-02-22
His
Mother
BY cLxUDINe sIss0N

BY ClxUDlNE SISS ON
At the age of twenty-three, when
Moses Smith was married, he was
spoken Of as q hustler. Az Q car
penter by trade, he was at work early
and late. Two years later he fell on
. scaffold and hurt his back. He was
petted and pitied and sympathized
with. and. although after six weeks
Of loanng. the doctor pronounced
Moses as good as new, the carpenter
had lost his hustle. His wife dreaded
that he might injure himself by 60
ing 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 1t was year
before she came on. She found
Moses growing fat and his wife grow
Ing 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
hest for month to prevent a nervous
breakdown. She would remain to
keep house for Moses.
The lame-backed man didn't like 1t
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
morning his wife started away he
went down to the village postofiice
and took his old seat on the veranda
and hoped for the best. At noon he
returned home to meet with sur
prise. 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 l can't raise the AZ 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 supper. No wood-no supper. He
went out and sat down under a lilac
bush, 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 occasion was according to
program, but he was aroused at =
o'clock by a dash Of water In his face.
He had been called twice in vain.
Moses, the AK and the woodpile!"
said the mother-in-law as he came
down stairs with a scowl on his brow.
you know I'm a cripple" he An.
swered.
mo wood-no breakfast"
He went slowly out and bent to
pick up the az and Strengthened up
with a groan and his hand to his
back.
TITS q erik in the back" said the
woman. I'm glad to flnd 1t out.
I've tackled fourteen different criks
and cured each and every one. II
can cure you then Nelly will be very
happy when she returns. Come along
out to the smokehouse."
But what's the smokehouse going
to do for a man whose spinal cord 10
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
.alled out to know what 1t all meant,
and was told to cuddle down and
take treatment Tor the cure Of gen.
eral laziness, drink, erik In the
back and lying abed In the morning.
He was warned that any extra emo
ton on his part would make the erik
worse, and told that there was no OBJ
lection to his sleeping all day. Moses
was foolish enough to kick and shout
until q score of villagers came run.
ming to see what the matter was. To
one and all the mother-in-law an
swered:
moses has had a erik In the back
Tor q year past. and I've set out to
cure II. 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 by turns. and now and then
shed tears. In few hours his life
had changed over and his peace and
comfort had departed.
At shutdown more bread and water
He yelled and kicked and again he
was warned to suppress his emotions
He demanded better fare. but was
answered that until his erik got SO
that he could use the AK there would
be no cooking. On the second night
he seriously thought Of suicide, and
he smiled joyously as he conjured ur
a mental picture of the mother-in
law opened the door in the morning
and finding him stark and stiff In
death. But successfully to commit
suicide one must have something
more than a jug of water and 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 on,
and when asked what he wanted hs
! very humbly replied:
| Mother, I believe that erik is bet
ter"
| ITS too soon, Moses-it's to<