The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-26
[By G.. Walter Barr


/ knew her years ago. l remem-
Der her best as a home maker when
her husband was first an employe OF
rather large concern, as keokuk
business goes, and later the propr1e'
tor of a little business of his own.
She made most of her own clothes,
and many clothes for her children.
There were three or four children,
arriving at intervals of about two
years. Caring for the children, being
the housewife in the home where
economy was vital, and helping her
husband in the store on rush days,
kept her very busy. But she was al
ways joyously busy, in those days:
She made a home full of love and
brightness.
The children died after reaching
high school age, one at time, puC
one of them survived her husband
almost a year. This was a son, q
fine young man VINO at once prepared
to care for his mother-but he was
killed in one OF those accidents that
make talk for week and are now
forgotten except when old timers
reminisc.e in the cigar stores.
'~'''--' '.s><+
Gradually Fading From View.
CHEEKY ten years before, began to
show crow feet beside her eyes and
to nsrlessly. Husband
p / chs1a.t.n- " e,ss91N de, and~uAA
friends she had made seemed en-.
tirely inadequate in the absence or
her family-that long, lifetime 40.
sence that broke her spirit, but ola
not subdue her entirely.
She continued to conduct the little
store for some years, but she never
made a real living out of it-she was
more adapted to making real home
and rearing manly and wOmanly sons
and daughters than to selling mer-
chandise BUT somehow she scraped
along, often scraping the bottom OF
the flour bin and sugar bowl, no
doubt.
Those of us who knew her In the
old days rather lost sight of her
actually each and all of us had our
own affairs to bother with. and she
was never prone to intrude upon
anybody's attention.
Times Grip on the Joints.
When her neighbors decided that
she was really seriously sick and
telephoned for doctor, it developed
that she had been pottering around
for several months. The pain and
stiffness in her hands and knees mad
come on very gradually and she had
fought 1t for weeks in her little store
before she gave up.
Then she disposed Of the small
remnant Of the stock Of goods, paid
another months rent on the little
house in which she lived, and asked
the landlord to be easy with her If
she was delayed in paying rent the
succeeding month. She used UP the
last dollars and dimes buying few
kitchen.
One morning she awoke with some
fever, and she was still in bed when
a neighbor called for a chat. Before
noon, the doctor had been telephoned.
The Uncandid Doctor.
What the doctor told her and the
neighbors does not much matter; it
was mere common, doctor camouflage
for the bad news that among our
selves doctors disguise with lot OF
Greek derivatives of many syllables
and call prognosis.
What the doctor did, is the crux OF
this story of that little, fine old lady
of the old Keokuk. He went back to
his office and telephoned a woman up
in the first fundamentally only one
side of the conversation can be re-
ported-about this:
81 was called this morning to see
Mrs MINIMUM over at No. bumptydee
on South 'Steenth street. She's six
ty-seven years old and has rheuma-