Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican): Or, Uncle Tom's Cabin Up to DateHood, W. I. (William I.)
General
Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican): Or, Uncle Tom's Cabin Up to Date
Hood, W. I. (William I.)
Gold; Interest; Money; Paper money -- United States; Populism
We talked of little Jane; of how we loved her, and how she used to love
us. We talked of when she died, and how it nearly killed us; and then we
both jist cried as though our hearts would break. We talked of how hard
we had worked to try to git along in the world, and how our plans had
failed.
Arter we had talked a good long while, and cried, and felt like cryin,
Jobe he moved his chair over near to mine, and took my hand in his, and
says:
[Illustration: “He drawed me over in his arms and kissed me.”]
“Betsy, weve had our little differences. I know sometimes I have been
tryin. Ive had so much to trouble me that at times I was peevish. But,
Betsy, I want you to look over all my failins. You have been a good
woman. You have done your dooty, and more than your dooty. It nearly
breaks my heart to go so far away and leave you behind; but we have to
give up the old farm, Betsy, we have to give up the old farm, and I must
find some place to go to, and something to do. We must live,
Betsy,—_we—must—live_,—and I must find something to do, _to live_. I
hope to be able to find work, and have you to come to where I am before
long.
“I surely can find something to do some place. I heerd Jonas Warner,
that rich man in town, tell a feller the other day that anybody could
find work that wanted to work. God knows, Betsy, I want to work, and if
Mr. Warner is right, I surely can find somebody willin to give me
something to do.”
We dident sleep much that nite. Jobe wanted to ketch the five o’clock
train on the C., L. & W. Railroad, and was afraid of oversleepin
hisself. He had to git up airly so as to git to town in time to ketch
it.
[Illustration: “He was wipin his eyes and blowin his nose as he went
towards town.”]
That mornin I had his clothes done up in a neat bundle. I had washed and
ironed all his clothes the day before, so he would have enough to do him
till I could go to him.
He dident eat much breakfast. He said he “dident feel hungry.” When he
got ready to start he come up to the winder where I was a standin, and,
seem that I was choked up, my eyes full of tears, he drawed me over in
his arms and kissed me; then, turnin, walked out of the door without
sayin a word. The moon was a shinin bright, and I stood a lookin at him
as far as I could see him. He was wipin his eyes and blowin his nose as
he went towards town.
When he was gone from my view I still stood a lookin for some time, then
sot down and cried, and kept a cryin every little bit all mornin.
Everything seemed so lonesome like. Wherever I looked it seemed I could
see poor Jobe a standin there lookin sad like.
He said he would rite as soon as he found work. I am lookin for a letter
every day.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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