The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1920-06-04

was In semi-darkness. When our
eyes became accustomed to the half
light. we noticed An old man sitting
on q rocker as near to the stove as
he could get. muffed in an ovsrcoat
and scarf around his neck, his feet
In heavy goloshes and q cap with ear
flaps pulled down we'll on his head.
What 10 the matter with Mr. Hen
son." asked the commandant!
!. "Oh. I've been sick. I've been. awful
sick. Got the asthma" came In
feeble tones from the depth OF the
old mans muffier. 1t seemed.
Are you cold" / asked. because
there was a pleasant fire In the stove
and the room was not cold.
The old man nodded, and before he
could speak. for his heavy breathing.
the old woman broke In:
Now pa. don't you talk. you'll just
get q coughing SPELL" Then turning
to US. she continued:
He Is real weak from the asthma,
and ! try to keep him warm, 80 he
won't get any worse. He had to give
up his work In February because he
got such chills when he went out and
he couldn't get warm all day.
Where did he work." asked the
commandant
Il ran an elevator interposed the
old man before his wife could answer
for him. But l had to give II up be-
cause l got so cold all the time. Same
way last year. had to give up work
until summer came. and then went
back and they took me on again"
do you have a doctor come in?"
asked the commandant.
mo wouldn't have a doctor. They
take ell your money and don't do you
any good. Leastways. the last one I
had didn't do anything and he charged
me three dollars to come out here.
And my daughter-in-law. she works
In the Van Camp factory and she got
q boil on her finger and she had the
doctor and he charged her four dol
lars to como out and lance 1t. There
she had to pay all that money to the
doctor and stay home from work too
Ito be there when he came. No,
wouldn't have any doctor"
Now pa. you shouldn't talk like
that" admonished the old woman.
Some doctors are all yigat." The
lold man relapsed into silence.
Worries Because He Cannot Work.
"You see, he Is getting old now"
said the old woman. turning to US.
He is seventy-three. We have had q
lot OF trouble. He worries because
he can't wor'1 now. OF course, we
m.ss his S1% week. but always say
that we don't want what the Lord isn't
willing for us to have. And II the
Lord isn't willing for US to have that
money, We don't want IT,"
That is right agreed the COM
mandant.
How many are there OF you here?"
asked, noticing an array of post
card photographs on the faded yell
low oak dresser, that was the prin-
cipal article of furniture in the
room.
We'll, my son is with us now. and
his two children. He is fortythree.
His wife died a year ago. and the
children were having a bad time, so
he asked me TO let him come and
live with US. | am getting old to
take care of children, I'm seventy
TWO myself, but ii seems as ii there
wasn't any other way. The one lit
tie girl goes to school now, and
have lot of trouble getting her
ready.
"A teacher from the kindergarten
came the other day and told me
ought to send the little boy to kind
ergarten, but | told her | am too old
to be getting both of them ready to
go out on the same day | didn't
want TO tell her We only had clothes
enough for one to wear outside. /
would like them to have the compan-
ionship OF other children, that the
teacher talked about, but II Is all /
can do TO get Ruth ready for school
OF a morning. told ner that poor
peoples children can't do like rich
people"
What is ii that you need for
them" asked Miss Benton
Need Warm Clothes.
Stockings. mostly, and under
wear" answered the woman. Seems
IL | can't get enough stockings for
them. Ruth has two pairs now, and
wash them out and mend them
levery day. but ii is all l can do to do
that. Seems as If they make stock
ings nowadays from paper. They get
holes in them as soon as they put
them on"
What is your son doing?" was the
commandants next question.
He works at the factory AM gets
SIS a week" answered the voluble
old woman. You see when the old
man was bringing sl4 week and my