The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-04-22
AN EXPERIMENT

perfect realization of the defect on the |
part of the man himself. He had
habit of throwing off little gems of
thought like that.
You mean that conviction of sin |
must come before repentance" said |
the patriarch, whose weakness was |
telling people what they meant. THAT |
reminds me of an old neighbor of mine |
back in Iowa" he continued Did |
ever tell you about Zephaniah Com
stock?"
Yes" answered a chorus of listen
ers. The commission man added.
Very often
Then I'll tell it to you again for
fear you might forget" said the patri
arch. "Zephaniah Comstock. as l said.
/ was neighbor of ours; that is to say.
there were only three farms between
us. He was one of these men whose
mouths seem to be drawn across their
faces in a straight line with a fine
nibbed pen, and he had what you might
call the financial nose.
He was wealthy for those days and
by the community's standard of wealth,
and there wasn't betterappointed
farm or fatter and better-cared-for
stock than his in three counties, but
he was about as stingy mean as they
ever make 'em to his womenfolk
They didn't have decent dud to their
names hardly, let alone any sort Of
convenience for making the housework
easy or anything to make the house at
tractive. There were just the two OF
'em-Mrs. Comstock and her daughter
Sarah-and they did the cooking.
churning. ironing. washing, baking and
sewing for the whole layout, including
four small kids and two hired men.
But If Mrs. Comstock wanted patent
churn, dress pattern, bolt of sheet
ing or anything beyond the barest ne
cessties, it was like pulling teeth to
get EN- out of Zephaniah. Those
women Just logged it from early till
late with makeshifts and worn-out ma
terials, but if there was any late i'm
proved farm machinery on the market
or a new food for cattle Zephaniah
wasn't happy till he got it.
, 1T had gone on that way for years,
when certain Mrs. Waterman
stopped off there one morning and
) stayed to dinner. She was an old
;. schoolmate of Mrs. Comstock' $ and
had just moved into our section of the
@ country. Well she naturally expected
that there would be what they call a
q company dinner. but there wasn't
= | fnt fri a n
and boiled greens and all the dessert
|, was squash pic. This was set out on
X All old, frayed redand white checkercd
v tablecloth. and there wasn't a piece OF
plated ware on the table. 1t seems tt
me that Mrs. Comstock wept about Il
= on her old friends bosom when tn,
J. men had gone out to the fields again
Is She said that Zephaniah wasn't sting.
at heart, but that he didn't quite real
W ize how the house looked, being as h.
20 never visited
or Mrs. Waterman went away witt
to the firm intention Of bringing Zepha
N nah to realization of his cussedness
4, She brought the matter up under tn
head of general business at the sewin
n. a discussion over it and the result O
Ill 1t was that Mrs. Waterman made
is second visit b Mrs. Comstock.
er She got there about two o'cloc
)u and found Mrs. Comstock over he
tubs. AS soon as she had got he
I breath she impaired the cheering II
~ formation that the whole blessed sew
I In nj In To hrna in, he
ly about supper time with its husband
as a little surprise party. Mrs. Con
stock turned pale and fell back int
", rocking chair-a thing she didn
oil. often do.
ne my dear. there isn't thing to Ell
vd in the house. except just what we a
ways have she said. Not SO niue
I as a glass OF jell or anything. Not
to decent white tablecloth, even. Zeph
nd niah always says he doesn't believe
~, fxings and foolishness and
SIX Cheer up says Mrs. Waterman,
know Just what to do. | was all fixe
mt for some company that didn't con
today and I'll just drive back and brir
Sc over what I've got and a few disht
take me more than an hour
1T didn't, for the reason she had e
ar all packed and ready. AS soon as 81
es got back she turned up her dress ski
n and rolled up her sleeves and pitche
in, and by the time the surprise part
to arrived supper was ready for EN-.
is THAT table was a sight. 1t groane
Tho sewinp eirclp had bppn huSy ar
to there were seventeen different kinC
OF pies, cakes and preserves; all
OF the gayest and most glittering CHR
ad and glass dishes. There were two
IT. the fanciest lamps blazing their ligl
Is. over cold sliced ham, beef, chicken al
Mt heaven knows what; there were de
or GRATED plates. snowy damask napkin
re and tablecloth there were pickles al
We beaten biscuit and balls of butter al
shining silver. IL was about as gauC
and mountaineering a show as ev
on happened And just as they were 8
ting down Zephaniah came in from Il
ell field in his shirt sleeves. II he didr
| come to realization of his shortcol
lu- ings them"
re- Reformed. did he?" said the col
mission man.
Reformed nothing" said the pat
Mt arch. HE just sat down and ate like
| hog"
His Lack.
How did your Young friend 81
coed in his efforts to be a polio