The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1951-06-22
LITTLE BOY SICK
AND CAN'T EAT AT
CATFISH CORNER
Because The Kind Aunt Who
Promised A New Suit
Was Killed
By MISS PINKIE PERRY

found him moaning and clutcnlng
the earth on the new made grave
of his aunt Padrona Sunday night
in Gar Greek, when he didn't come
home and search was made for
him.
Little Pat was seven years old
on Fathers day, but it was sad
day for him. All his life he had
gone ragged, and often without
enough to eat because his father
had deserted his mother, and she
was sickly and unable to work.
But good Aunt Padrona Potter
whom he dimly remembered when
she joyously romped with him
three years ago was coming home
Saturday, and she had written: II
am not feeling well and want to
see the old scenes of my childhood
before die. don't know if anyone
will want to see me, but ! am COM
ing home. / am going to buy little
Pat the finest suit of clothes in
Cascader Combs store"
Little Pat was overjoyed when
his mother read him the letter.
Sometimes his mother would men
ton how beautiful Aunt Padrona
used to be, but not often. Where
she lived and what she did was
neved discussed.
But he remembered that Aunt
Padrona was good to him, and gave
him sweets and romped with him
in the yard and along the creek
bank, and taught him how to catch
fish and crabs.
And how often he had longed for
her comforting presence during the
weeks last fall, when first starting
to school, the rude children laughed
at his ragged clothes that were
long out of date. But the clothes
were all his mother could get for
him. and he could not understand
why other children with better
clothes should Singer and point
toward him and make his life
miserable. How hard it was for
him to keep his mind on his studies
when he was homesick and blue as
only a little friendless and nearly
homeless boy can be.
They were long days indeed last
week while he awaited the coming
of Aunt Padrona. 1t seemed that
night would never come, and after
bedtime he would lay awake wait
ing for another day to begin. When
Saturday morning came, there was
a new light in his eyes, and ne
romped joyously about the house
and out in the yard. "This is the
day / get my new suit" he said.
"Aunt Padrona is coming home"
Aunt Padrona had told the truth
in one respect. She was coming
home. That afternoon she came
home in a hearse because she had
been killed in the wreck of an auto
mobile in which she was hitch
hiking to Catfish Corner.
Who can appraise the sadness
and the desolation that weighted
the heart and soul of this little
ragged boy? The hunger he oft
times endured had added not so
much to his misery as the need
for a nice suit of clothes to hold
I'D his pride, and fend off the
ridicuIe of thoughtless and older
children. Aunt Padrona, it seemed,
was the only person save his moth
er who had thought kindly of him
and was able to make his cherished
dream of a new suit come true.
But while Aunt Padrona lay in
her cheap coffin in the cherries
home, few came to call, with kind
words, and there was few flowers.
IT'S true there was Aunt Cornie
Copie Cooper, at least hundred
years old who hobbled up the road
on her cane, and remarked so
firmly for her age, how thoughtful
and kind a girl Padrona had al
ways been, and how she used to
seem so happy when doing good
deeds for old people and little
children. She remembered how full
of life and fun Padrona had been,
and how unkind words of neigh
bors who might have helped her
instead, caused her to go away
from home to seek a job.
For Aunt Padrona had not been
blessed as little girl; her father
was dead, and her mother had to
wash clothes to earn living, and
her brother, Pats daddy, was
wastrel, and did not help his peo-
pie, nor did he properly support
his own wife, and his little boy
Pat.
So while Aunt Padrona lay in
her cheap coffin, awaiting her
burial on Sunday, the day Pat was
to wear the new suit, some of the
most heightened families of Catfish
Corner in session for one reason
or another discussed the poor woni-
an and the coming funeral. How
could one who had thought SO kind
ly Of old people and little children