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 Copyrighted 1916. 
 BY M. rVIcD. COBB. 
 
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INDEX. 
 
 TITLES OF ALL HER WORKS. 
 
 (Copyrighted by M. McT). Cobb, 1916. 
 The i\Ierry Masqneraders. 
 Win For Wilson and Peace. 
 Rally For Wilson. 
 Sayings. 
 
 The Prodigal Girl. 
 Minnie's Mistake. 
 The Sneer, My Dear. 
 0, Ye Bitter Winds. 
 The Soldier Boy and His Lock of Gray. 
 Life's Last Token. 
 Did She Do Right To Marry? 
 ..The Trials of a Widow. 
 ...••'Ungrateful Woman. 
 
 How Bertha and Bela Were Educated. 
 
 Did You Care? 
 
 The Very Poor. 
 
 The Story of a Good Woman. 
 
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 Copyrighted 1916, 
 BY M. McD. COBB. 
 
 
 
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THE MERRY MASQUERADERS. 
 
 (M. McD. Cobb, Author, May, 11)1(3. 
 
 Jack and his sister Flossie. 
 
 Arthur and his sisters Marie and Chira. 
 
 Tightwad and his sister. 
 
 Marie and Tightwad were sweethearts. 
 
 Jack and Flossie visit Marie and Clara to invite thein to go 
 masquerading. They accept the invitation. Jack and Flos- 
 sie leave, asking them to call by that night and join them 
 at their house, before visiting Tightwad and his sister. After 
 they leave Marie gets busy — goes shopping and buys three 
 masks, also some large flowered curtam goods to make her 
 brother Arthur's suit to wear that night, while ]\larie and 
 Clara wore suits belonging to their brother. Later they 
 are dressed up ready to go — they get on street car and get 
 off at Jack's and his sister's house. They have music and 
 dancing and entertain friends who Avere there, tho tlie mas- 
 queraders were a surprise to them. They decide to call on 
 Mr. Tightwad and his sister, which they did. It was a sur- 
 prise to them also, but they enjoyed music and dancing, and 
 as they left Mr. Tightwad's house, Marie forgets herself 
 and kisses Mr. Tightwad's sister good-bye, not thinking 
 about her clothes being a mans. Mrs. Tightwad (his 
 mother) said Maria was no gentleman (which was too true) 
 and Mr. Tightwad 's sister was terrified, thinking a man had 
 kissed her. Tightwad followed them, saying he was going 
 .1^o;find out who the fresh kid was and give him a thrashing, 
 ^i^orie — in disguised voice told him to go on back home and 
 they would settle it next day. Tightwad would not give in. 
 i\larie ran, but he follov/ed her to her own door, when she 
 unmasked and told him she v/ould never forgive him or go 
 with him any more, and that she would get even with him. 
 He begged forgiveness. She went into the house slamming 
 the door in his face, while he stands out there. Tightwad 
 married later, so did Marie to a Mtr. Griffin and this is how 
 she got even ten years later. ^ 
 
 0CI.A4313O4 
 
 MAY 31 1916 
 
Mrs. (jii'ill'iii, (a coiorcd white woman) and lier daughter 
 Elsie. 
 
 Mr. Tightwad, Mrs. Grili'in's iormer beau. 
 "~ Mrs. McDonald, music teacher. 
 
 Arthur McDonald, Mrs. Griliin's brother.* 
 
 Aunt Tildy, the cook. 
 
 The maid at Mr. McDonald's — Jane. 
 
 Mrs. Griffin's husband leaves home for an auto lido. LIrs. 
 Griffin plans to visit Mrs. McDonald's studio in disguise to 
 see how her daughter Elsie was progressing in music. Mrs. 
 Griffin phones to Mrs. McDonald and tells of her plan to 
 visit her studio, saying she would be disguised as an old 
 colored woman. Mrs. McD. answ^ers phone. Mrs. Grittm 
 phones her brother Arthur McD. and tells of her plans to 
 visit his home that P. M. in disguise. Mrs. G. after finish- 
 ing her phoning tells her cook, Tildy, she wanted to borrov\^ 
 one of her dresses and old ffy bonnet. She goes home, bring- 
 ing clothes back in basket, gives them to Mrs. G. and hopes 
 they'll fit her. 
 
 Mrs. Griffin tells Tildy to go get all the eggs in the 
 nests. Mrs. G. dresses in cook's dress and bonnet and blacks 
 her face and hands, and Tildy comes in with about a dozen 
 eggs. Mrs. Griffin tells Tildy to go get some cotton seed 
 to fill the basket with. Mrs. G. has basket most full of cot- 
 ton seed and puts the eggs on top so as to look like a basket 
 full of eggs. Then Mrs. G. puts on bonnet, pulling it low 
 over her eyes she looks in the mirror once more then tells 
 Tildy if Mr. Griffin should come before her return to tell 
 him to join her at her brother's A. MbDonald. 
 
 Out Mrs. Griffin goes looking like an old darkey for 
 sure. She struts like a proud old coon till she met by 
 chance her old beau, Mr. Tightwad, just leaving his home, 
 looking around at Mrs. G. and she fearing he might recog- 
 nize her. She w^alks mighty lame in one foot. Mr. Tight- 
 wad says auntie, how much do you want for those eggs if I 
 take the whole basketfuU. Mrs. G. says anything boss — a 
 little sumthin' to eat will do. Mr. T. tells auntie (Mrs. G.) 
 to wait at the gait and he will go in and see if there's any- 
 thing to eat left from dinner. Mrs. G. (after Mr. Tightwad 
 
gets out of sight) — slveedaddles as fast as she eaii ru]i down 
 tlie street and around the corner, vrhen an old colored man 
 made goo goo eyes at her and walked up to her and says to 
 Mrs. G. where are you going with those eggs. Mrs. G. takes 
 an egg and chunked him with it, saying its none of your busi- 
 ness. About that time she w^as near the studio. Mrs. G. 
 knocks at studio. Mrs. McD. comes to door. ]\Irs. G. bows 
 gracefully and asked Mrs. Mc. D. if she didn't want to hiiy 
 her basket of eggs. Mrs. McD. says she does not today. 
 I\Irs. G. asked Mrs. McD. to let that little girl play some 
 and she would dance for her. Mrs. j\IcD. tells Elsie to 
 play a piece for the colored woman, which she does, and 
 said it shore was good music — thank you little Miss — and 
 says good bye. 
 
 Mr. Tightwad comes out of his house and looks up the 
 street — having a i:)late of something to give Auntie. He 
 looks again and wonders where Auntie got to. He sees her 
 afar off and she was crossing the street nearly in front of 
 Mr. McDonald's house, and walks up pretty fast to catch 
 her. Mr. Griffin comes riding in auto nearly running over 
 ]Mrs. Griffin. He thought she v.-as a colored woman. Mr. 
 Griffin gets out of auto to go in Mr. McDonald's house and 
 spoke to Auntie. i\Ir. Tightwad walks up to Mr. Griff'in 
 and spoke about the eggs and asked her to wait and he 
 would see her later. Mr. TightAvad and Mr. Griffin go on in 
 Mr. McDonald's house and into the parlor to visit and play 
 cards with some vistiors who had gone to spend the P. M. 
 Mrs. (Tildy) G. rings door bell. The maid goes to the door 
 and knowing about the disguise tells Mrs. Griffin to come 
 into the tea room w^here they w^ere serving hot chocolate. 
 
 ^ Mr. McDonald tells his company this is old Aunt Tildy and 
 'cAn out dance any coon in town and Mrs. McD. asked Aunt 
 
 ''Tildy (Mrs. G.) to dance some for them and show them if its 
 so. Aunt Tildy (Mrs. G.) dances like a real coon. When 
 she stops Mrs. McD. pours her a cup of hot chocolate. Aunt 
 Tildy drinks it — smacks her lips and says that sho' am 
 good coffee. Mr. Tightwad asked (Mrs. G.) Aunt Tildy 
 if she had sold those eggs. She says no honey< — ^wait till I 
 come in Avith the eggs. Mrs. G. goes out, Avashes up and 
 
dresses in evening dress, takes basket of eggs in the parlor 
 and says to Mr. Tightwad, there are the eggs and the same 
 woman who danced like a coon, I will make you a present 
 of them. All looked surprised. Mrs. G. said it Avas a joke. 
 Mr. Tightwad exits — has important business to attend to 
 at once. Meets her next day and dodges her. 
 
 The End. 
 
WIN FOR WILSON AND PEACE. 
 
 In view of the lateness of the hour, 
 I shall omit questions of the day, 
 As time strengthens friendships power. 
 When lost in darkness we greet the day 
 When Woodrow Wilson always right and never wrong, 
 Rules vdth might, till the voice of God 
 Bears record of Peace restored. 
 For we need him, we need him. 
 We '11 take him by the hand ; 
 No weapon formed against him 
 Will ever pierce his hand. 
 Peace shall thy officers be 
 'Till brass turns to gold — 
 To bring our brothers home and peace to ^Mexico, 
 For we need him, we need him. 
 We'll take him by the hand; 
 No weapons formed against him 
 Shall ever reach our happy land. 
 
 For he that overcometh shall rule with might}^ hand. 
 Then make bare thine arm, extend the reign of Peace 
 And make our scattered remnant an inspiration 
 Never to cease : And let your votes be for Wilson, 
 ^iever.to eea^e: And let your votes be f or Wilse*i 
 And Peace ! Peace ! Peace ! 
 For we need him, we need him, 
 We '11 take him by the hand ; 
 No weapon formed against him 
 Shall ever pierce his hand. 
 
RALLY FOR WILSON. 
 
 Every time I go away, 
 
 You can hear the good folk say : 
 
 We don't want any Bull Moose or Teddy Bear. 
 
 Ybu'd better look ahead and prepare, 
 
 Than look back and regret. 
 
 All our neighbors are young married folk — 
 
 I sometimes think with great regret, 
 
 What might have been but isn't yet. 
 
 We want to live to see the day, 
 
 All our boys will work as well as play ; 
 
 For foodstuffs so high, we must grow, 
 
 Alore plump spring chickens for Woodrow. 
 
SAYINGS. 
 
 If you ever get caught in a matrimonial noose 
 
 Don't blame me. Haven't you any close relations? 
 
 * * * 
 
 Sweetheart of mine, won't you be mine? 
 
 I've decided to propose in the summer time. 
 
 * * * 
 
 I'll be yours since you suggested it, but if I don't turn 
 out to be all you expected of me, 
 You'll have to blame yourself. 
 
 * *: * 
 
 Matrimony sho am de proper life for folks. 
 My husband keeps plenty chickens on hand. 
 
 But I'm mighty skeered he's gwine ter get ketched ai it, 
 
 * # «: 
 
 If you want to rise in this world and make a name for 
 yourself 
 
 Go sit on a tack, and if you don't rise again you're a dead 
 one. 
 
 If you build your nest near a hornets nest, don't blame 
 
 me if you get stung, but show me. 
 
 * « ^ 
 
 If you don't want to be shocked in this world shut your 
 eyes, stop your ears and don't sit on a live wire. 
 For if you do, you'll never rise again. 
 
 10 s 
 
THE PRODIGAL aiRL. 
 
 They picture his Father with pardoning power, 
 
 His welcome to the Prodigal son, i 
 
 But what about the Prodigal girl? 
 
 She may return, but he shuts the door in her face, 
 
 Her sins are not forgiven, society scoffs at her name. 
 
 Like Father, like son, he only inherited his shame 
 
 And if you're no angel yourself, the poor girl isn't to 
 
 blame. 
 
 Then open wide the bolted door, judge not, be merciful 
 
 and just, 
 And when you meet Saint Peter at the Gate 
 Don't expect him to turn yon i^, 
 unless you have asked pardon for your sin, 
 Against your daughter, at your gate. 
 Don't let it be said with tears and sighs— 
 That the pardon came to late. 
 What if that voice you should hear no more 
 Saying, Father, dear Father, open the door, 
 Father, dear Father kiss me ere I go : 
 Little did I think when I returned to you 
 I wQVil^i fiftd a bolted dpor^ and no ho?ne, 
 
 n 
 
MINNIE'S MISTAKE. 
 
 The first mistake I ever made, the day that I was born, 
 
 I danced upon my papa's knee. 
 
 At four years old I walked on papa's toes, 
 
 Instead of walking on my own. 
 
 At six, I sat upon my papa's knee and pinched all who 
 tried to sit upon his lap. 
 
 At seven my papa takes a nap, 
 
 And with great big scissors, 1 did crap 
 
 Just one side of his mustache — and, 
 
 When he awoke and kissed me, it didn't feel so bad on 
 my face — but 
 
 When he looked into -the glass, and saw what 1 had done, 
 lie Avent and cut a great big switch. 
 
 But it didn't hurt my face — you bet — 
 For the next thing I knew he was! kissing me with some- 
 thing that never had any mustache. 
 
 He used a knife to cut it with, and when he started to 
 kiss me again, I didn't kiss much. 
 
 But I sure did run — you bet ! 
 
 12 
 
THE SNEER' MY DEAR. 
 
 There is not so much in what you say, my dear, 
 As in the way you say it. 
 There's many sneers ending with, My Dear, 
 If you could only understand them. 
 When you chunk a poor hungry dog my dear, 
 Pray don't chunk him with a bone. 
 If you have no meat to give, my dear, 
 Take a lesson from the dog and leave home. 
 And if your neighbor has no meat to give, 
 How would you like a bone? 
 When next you see a poor hungry dog 
 Plodding all alone, if you have nothing to give. 
 Just pat him on the head, give a word of cheer 
 For it won 't cost you half as much in the end. 
 God bless you ; And if you think the poor dog has gone 
 his length in sin, 
 
 And you should meet St. Peter and he lets You in. 
 
 Waste no time but go back and ask — 
 
 Why he let you In? He knows — yes. He knows. 
 
 He came into this world to save sinners. 
 
 And had you not been a sinner too, 
 
 He would not have saved you. 
 
 He saves by grace — as he has saved you 
 
 And not by aught that you can do. 
 
 Jesus saves, yes, Jesiis sayes. 
 
 13 
 
0, YE BITTER WINDS. 
 
 I dare to open mine eyes 
 
 Just for the merest peep : 
 
 The lids would not obey 
 
 My will to open them more. 
 
 The voice of love is calling us 
 
 From the wilderness; 
 
 Shall we go to meet it 
 
 With eyes cruely shut 
 
 Till our lips are frozen over? 
 
 We float in a heavenly vision, 
 
 While our friends ridicule and discredit us, 
 
 Stay at a distance and slander us — 
 
 Stay in the sunshine w^here its less trouble to be good 
 
 While under the clouds and shadows, 
 
 The fairest flowers grow, unwithered, 
 
 To deck the grave of dearest friend or foe. 
 
 Then, 0, ye friends and bitter winds, 
 
 Welcome the flowers, we are your friends 
 
 Till dust to dust — our journey ends. 
 
 14 
 
THE SOLDIER BOY AND HIS LOCK OF GRAY, 
 
 Picture a home with the ivy creeping round, 
 
 Picture the gioom when Jack is not around; 
 
 Weeping, sad and alone, hoping it won't be long 
 
 Before Jack's footsteps I hear upon 
 
 The doorsteps his boyhood knew. 
 
 Return to my arms, my brave sad heart : 
 
 You have carelessly wandered where I did not know. 
 
 Like a rose I'll still remain to die among the thorns. 
 
 The voice of dread — the pebbles may flow, 
 
 But with the courage that never dies, 
 
 Down the hilly rock strewn way, 
 
 May God's angels guide and bless you. 
 
 In your suit of gray. 
 I havei just received a letter, and Jack went on to say: 
 Mother, sister and sweetheart dear, bid your fears and 
 doubting cease. 
 
 Sweet peace has come, we do not feai^ the foe. 
 
 We are marching on to victory; we are marching homo. 
 
 We will rest where the steps of Jesusi end at his throne ; 
 
 For there's no place on earth like, Home, Sweet Home. 
 
 We'll never say good-bye again to go on foreign shore; 
 
 And tho' thrice lost and wounded in the fray, 
 
 Next to my heart I still wear^ — 
 
 Mother's little Lock of Grav. 
 
 fS 
 
LIFE'S LAST TOKEN. 
 
 Briefly, I will tell you the story of two loving hearts: 
 The odds were against us, the dice Avere loaded true; 
 We were chaff in the tempest. 
 To-night I am lonely,, sad and blue, 
 For I'm thinking sweetheart of you. 
 My one love who sleeps over the river 
 Far away, there in the graveyard they laid her, 
 Under the weeping willow and white stone. 
 She's resting, with the kiss of blessed peace i*ii3on her 
 brow. 
 
 Her parting smile, she wears it still, 
 
 It was her answer to my promise. 
 
 Bless her trusting soul, she had faith 
 
 That we shall meet again. 
 
 Among the flowers and the wildwood. 
 
 In a home among the stars. 
 
 Will she know me as she knew me - ' 
 
 In the days when we were young? 
 
 She promised and I will meet her 
 
 As Avhen we parted; and she shall know me 
 
 As she knew me, in the days when we were young. 
 
 When first her burning cheek fell limp against my own, 
 
 I kissed her in her shining hair, and spoke the words 
 
 That shall stand uiunoved against the wrath of Man: 
 
 ' ' I will be true ! ' ' — She is waiting for me. 
 
 And I am going home. 
 
 16 
 
DID SHE DO RIGHT TO MARRY. 
 
 Woodman, spare that tree ! 
 
 Touch not a single bough. 
 
 In youth it sheltered me — 
 
 And I'll protect it now. 
 
 Mother feels the loss of the girl since she married, but 
 she should spare that tree ; if it needs the waters of life 
 which she can not give, it will wither and fade away. 
 
 Dear mother, you feel the loss keenly, but suppose the 
 girl should pine away, or lose her health, so she can't take 
 care of you, who will take care of her? And if shp marries, 
 who will take care of you, you ask. Bear with the girl, 
 and she will bearl with you; she is the judge,, tho' you are 
 her mother, there are times you do not and cannot feel for 
 her. 
 
 When an apple is ripe, it will fall toj the ground, the tree 
 doesn't blame the applets — and do you? 
 
 It is better that some one picks up the apple, than let the 
 worms eat it. It is better for an apple to fall to the 
 ground, than to be knocked off the tree when its green. 
 
 When an apple falls of its OAvn accord, its either good 
 to eat or worm eaten; and if its not worm eaten, the seed 
 of the good apple will grow more trees. 
 
 Dear mother, the tree never should think hard of the 
 apple for falling, for it would do the tree no good if it 
 stayed on the limb, and when it falls to the ground it does 
 the tree no harm. So remember the future needs more 
 trees. God will take care of you. 
 
 17 
 
THE TRIALS OF A WIDOW. 
 
 (Copyrighted by M. Mc. D. Cobb.) 
 
 Characters : 
 Mr. Harper. 
 
 Mrs. Harper and her mother. 
 Mina — her father's favorite — S years old. 
 Bessie — her mother's favorite — ^5 years old. 
 Elsie — oldest daughter — 11 ye^srs old. 
 Carl — the baby — 2 years old. 
 Supt. of Orpahiis Homefc— Dr. White. 
 Rev. Lyon. 
 
 The Harpers live in a lovely country home. Mr. Harper 
 runs a country store and a large farm. He hires a musician 
 from Texas — named Pat. They entertain friends in the 
 oak grove, benches under each tree, also a long table full 
 of melons and fruits. Mr. Harper receives a telegram say- 
 ing his father was dead. He goes to the funeral, leaving 
 the others to enjoy the evening. When Mr. Harper starts 
 back home, the tide is up, and the bridge under water, so 
 he left his horse on the other side of the creek and ha^l to 
 swini across. The eii'ects of ths tiresome trip home, laid 
 him up : he was taken with typhoid fever. Pat returns to 
 Texas. Six weeks later Mr. Harper died, all the children 
 were out at play and the nurse goes out and tells them their 
 father is dead. They all come in and kiss his face. Mina 
 says Papa don't die now, and pulls his hand. He doesn't 
 move, so she wept bitterly, and wouldn't go to see her papa 
 put in the ground. Mrs. Harper sends for her mother — 
 she came. Next day they missed Mina. Her grandmother 
 heard her behind the barn, and went to look her, and Mina 
 was laying iiat on her face telling her papa that no one 
 petted her since he left — and begs "Papa please come 
 back." Then her grandma slips up, seeing Mina, asked her 
 what she was doing, she said she was talking to papa loud 
 so he could hear. Mina gets up and goes into the house 
 with grandma's arm around her. A day or two after Mr. 
 Harper's death, Mrs. Harper excused her maid and cook, 
 
 18 
 
and then goes visiting. Mrs. Harper and her mother and 
 nurse take the baby and ail go to visit Judge Russell \s 
 home, about a mile away, and left Mina and Elsie at home. 
 While Mrs. Harper was away, a terrific storm arose, and 
 lightning Hashed and everything was darkened. Elsie and 
 Mina had never seen such a sight before, as their mother 
 always put them to bed when a cloud arose, and they slept 
 till it was over; never knowing anything about it. They 
 were terrified and thought the bad man had come, and both 
 hid themselves in a large box till it was over. When they 
 went out in the yard they saw a large tree had been blown 
 down, and wondered how it happened. Mrs. Harper and 
 Mother, nurse and baby returned after the storm, and ask- 
 ed Elsie and Mina what they did when the storm came up. 
 They told her, and she was right much amused at the idea. 
 Next day Mrs. Harper calls the servants and tells them 
 she won't need them any more after to-morrow as she was 
 going to break up house keeping and go live with her 
 mother. Furniture is all packed up. They bade the ser- 
 vants good-bye, and rode away in a carriage. Arrive at 
 destination. Mrs. Harper's sister meets them as they all 
 came in. Months pass. Mrs. Harper teaches school and 
 was a strict teacher. She sends Mina out after som^e switch^ 
 es. She tried them on her own legs to see if they hurt. She 
 found one about a foot long and took it to her mother, 
 and Mrs. Harper slaps her and tells her to go sit down — r 
 calls Elsie to her and says go get some switches. She brought 
 an armful as large as she could get, she thought her mother 
 wouldn't use them, on that account. Takes them to her 
 mother — they suit, and Mrs. Harper says put them in the 
 corner, and all the children behave that never behaved be- 
 fore. School is up. Mrs. Harper takes vacation with rela- 
 tives. When she returned she found out her sister had 
 w^hipped Elsie and Mina both, to be sure she w;hipped the 
 right one for breaking the comb. So, Mrs. Harper was an- 
 gry. She made arrangements to send them to an Orphans 
 Home. Mrs. Harper's uncle sent some cloth to make the 
 children some clothes. Mrs. Harper promptly returns it, 
 saying sHe needed none of his assistance. So Elsie and 
 
 49 
 
Mina were leaving for orphans home. Mrs. Harper pins a 
 card on each one, with name and destination written tliere- 
 on. Good-byes are said. Dr. White met them at destina- 
 tion. It was snowing furiously. They were given their 
 room. Their clothes which were very nice were taken from 
 them, and they were given plain dresses and gingham ap- 
 rons. Their hair was cut first thing. Mina didn't like for 
 so many strange looking girls to be gazing at her, and she 
 goes and hides under the bed, holds her breath and tries 
 to die, but couldn't. Next day she was missed and couldn't 
 be found; she had climbed up some steps by the dome that 
 reached the top of the building and stayed as long as she 
 wanted to. When she came down her teacher asked her 
 why her dress was so rusty. She told her she had been on 
 top of the house, the tin was rusty. They always picl^ at a 
 new girl till they are made to quit. They picked and teased 
 Mina until she made up her mind to put a stop to it. She 
 took a broom-stick and beat every one that messed w4th 
 her. They go and tell the teacher, and she asked Mina 
 about it, and told Mina she didn't blame her. As the teacher 
 was an old school mate of Mina's mother she didn't go un- 
 der the bed or on the house top any more, for they were 
 glad to let her alone. After that Mina was her teacher's pet. 
 That night the teacher takes Mina to spend the night in her 
 own room. She stayed a few night in the teacher's room, 
 then made up her mind to not do so any miore, as she didn't 
 like for the teacher to play with her curly head. The) next 
 night the teacher comes upstairs to get Mina to sleep with 
 her again and she gets in bed, and pretends to be asleep. 
 The next night she heard the teacher coming up stairs for 
 her again. Mina ran and jumped in bed with clothes and 
 shoes on, and the slats all fell in, still Mina pretends to be 
 sound asleep. The teacher couldn't wake her, so went down 
 stairs, then Mina got up and fixed the slats by the help of 
 another girl. A few days later the teacher resigned, and 
 Mina was so glad, she laughed until she cried, and as the 
 tears were falling, the teacher saw her and asked her why 
 she was crying. She says because you are going to leave. 
 She pats Mina's head and kisses her good-bye and goes to 
 
 20 
 
the depot, while Miiia was crying for dear life. Mina and 
 Mattie, her bed mate, made a plan to take it by turns to 
 make the bed up and when it was Mina's time to make, up 
 the bed Mattie wouldn't get up until the prayer bell rang, 
 and they both were demerited. IMina got tired of this and 
 after that pulled Mattie out of bed by the hair until she 
 broke her of the habit. As the teacher inspects the rooms, 
 while the children eat breakfast, they had to be in order. 
 But Mina and Mattie were good friends after that. 
 
 One day Mina w^as sick and the teacher refused to ex- 
 cuse her from school, so Mina planned a way — she would 
 take a stran of hair from the girls head who sat in front of 
 her, and pull just enough to make it itch so she would 
 scratch. The teacher saw her scratching, so said she would 
 have head combing that morning, and every one caught 
 scratching their head was told to stay in while the rest 
 were excused. The matron left the kitchen awhile to sit 
 out in the cool breeze, and seeing Mina close by, told her to 
 go tell the girl in the kitchen to baste the beef. Mina went 
 straight for the sewing room and asked for the largest 
 needle they had and a coarse stran of thread, not saying 
 what she wanted with it. She goes in the kitchen and lays 
 the needle down on the table and waited a minute, and told 
 the girl to baste the beef. She opened the stove and mop- 
 ped it and shut the stove door and then sat down, and Mina 
 says, why don't you baste the beef. She told Mina she had 
 just done so, saying didn't you see me — Mina then learned 
 the first stitch. 
 
 A year passed — warm weather and time to have hair 
 cutting. Mina stays out of the way and keeps her hair 
 pinned close to her head so her hair won't be noticed. Next 
 day Mina was thirteen years old. The singing class was 
 gotten up to tour the State, and Mina was one of them. An 
 old maid accompanied them on the trip. Every where they 
 go, people ask who the curly headed girl was, because she 
 was very beautiful, red cheeked and had big blue eyes. The 
 class were returning back to the Orphans Home, but as they 
 gave their last performance and were at the depot, a boy 
 sent Mina his card with his name on it. The teacher saw 
 
 81 
 
it and tares it up. She sent for a barber to go to the hotel 
 and has Mina's hair cut. And as he had cut only one side 
 of her hair, she jumped out of the chair and runs, then de- 
 cided to let him finish. They go to the train and for the 
 Orpahns Home) — the tour was ended. Some months later 
 liev. Mr. Lyon came to the orphans home to find a girl to 
 adopt and chose Mina. Dr. White wrote Mrs. Harper about 
 it. She answered and says, when she leaves there send her 
 to me, but said Mina could go stay awhile, and she did. 
 
 Mina was met at the station by ]Mr. Lyon and taken to 
 his home in a carriage. Mrs, Lyon met her and made lier 
 acquainted with the six children, all boys but the baby. The 
 next morning they had family prayer in the dining room, 
 the two oldest boys came down the stairsteps with their 
 shoes in their hand and eyes half open and go sit down for 
 prayers and no longer that Amen was said — those boys were 
 fussing and *!igh ting. After breakfast Mrs. Lyon and Mina 
 go in the garden and pick snaps and tomatoes for dinner. 
 After dinner Mrs. Lyon takes a ride. Tvvo oldest children 
 at school. Mina takes two youngest children out to walk 
 and one, 6 years old, said a bad word and Mina told Mrs. 
 Lyon on her return. Mrs. Lyon gets a cloth and w^ets it 
 and puts pepper and salt on it and rubs the child's tongue 
 off, but it done no good. She put him in the closet and 
 that did no good. A week or two passed and Mrs. Lyon 
 tore up an old dress of hers and made Mina a dress. It made 
 Mina feel bad to think of it. Mnia goes to the church and 
 dusts off all the seats. Another week passes. Mrs. Lyon 
 goes for a drive and leaves Mina home with th© children. 
 Mina is homesick. She found a stamped envelope and 
 wrote her mother how she was treated and Mrs. Harper 
 was very angry to find out her daughter was treated as a 
 servant. She wrote Dr. White to send IMina home. He an- 
 swered and said she could not go until her time was out. 
 Mina goes back to the orphans home. Her duty was to 
 clean up the parlor as teacher's beau was coming that P. 
 M. There was a nice fire in the heater. ]\Iina puts some 
 pepper on it to see if they wouldn't sneeze. She heard them 
 coming and gets behind the piano. The teacher sneezes, 
 
 22 
 
ind decided to go out in the i'resli air. Miua comes out. 
 ^tudy hour bell rang, so she runs up stairs to school room. 
 :5everal days later Mina was cleaning and dusting the par- 
 or. Dr. White's wash-woman came to get her pay and she 
 isked Mina if Dr. White was in his oltice. Mina replied 
 :hat he was. 
 
 The colored woman went to the oiiice door and peeped 
 through the keyhole in the door, and saw Dr. White kiss- 
 ng one of the teachers. She points linger at Mina to come 
 :here and whispered For de Lords sake honey look what 
 iem white folks is doin. Mina peeps, looks around at 
 A.untie, then starts to look again and Dr. White opens the 
 ioor and caught Mina peeping. The teacher left. 
 
 Dr. White calls Mina in the office and gives her a lecture 
 to never let him catch her peeping again. He appoints an- 
 other girl to clean up the parlor and sends Mina to stay in 
 the dining room to slice bread and help wash dishes. A 
 week later she was put in the kitchen to help and the other 
 girl in the kitchen kept going in the bakery and running on 
 with the boy who baked the light bread, so Mina kept telling 
 her to come out and Mina went in with a stick and made 
 her come out, and told the matron about it. 
 
 Mrs. Harper wrote to Dr. White if Mina had gone back 
 and he answered that she had, and that she iiad been 
 Qiighty smart. Shortly Mina was invited to a picnic by 
 a girl in town. She asked Dr. White to let .Mina go, so he 
 consented. They go and enjoy themselves. Some lish while 
 Mina was walking on an old mill wheel and it turned and 
 Mina went down in the water up to her neck. She went 
 to the girls home and dried her clothes. A week later Dr. 
 White then decided to let Mina go home. The mail boy 
 brought a letter from Mrs. Harper's brother with a check 
 for Mina's ticket, and she jumps for joy. All the girls 
 gather around I\Iina and don't want her to leave. That night 
 several sat up with Mina until midnight and cry and talk. 
 Next morning they wouldn't let ^Mina clean up her room, 
 the girls did it for her, and at prayer service they sang 
 this song: 
 
 Good-bye, good-bye, we hope again to meet you. May 
 
 23 
 
Christ our Saviour lead us in heavenly pastures, feed us, 
 and bring us home no more to roam forever more to lead us. 
 
 Good-bye, good-bye, we hope again to meet you. 
 
 After breakfast Mina played several gamJes of croquet 
 before going to depot. Mina arrived home after a nine 
 hours ride, and was met by her uncle and sister. Mother and 
 brother meet them at the door. Mina never was so happy — - 
 she wanted to take a look all over the house and did, and 
 as her mother looks up at the clock it was twenty minutes 
 past seven. Her mother says to Mina, its the hour that you 
 were born. They have supper at once which was enjoyed 
 the most by Mina, as she got one more bait of milk. After 
 supper they go into the parlor and look at pictures in the 
 album, and Bessie plays the piano and sings. Mina sings 
 a song, ''Thou art drifting," that she sung at the orphans 
 home. Mina was happy, her mother took her out driving 
 next day. Soon she discovered her mother was partial to 
 Bessie. Bessie left to spend the summer with relatives. 
 
 Mrs. Harper missed some jewelry and w^ent home close 
 behind the cook and saw the jewelry box on her dresser, so 
 she turns her off. Mina then tries the cooking. Takes her 
 mother's breakfast up to her room every morning, and a hot 
 foot-bath for her mother every night. Her mother goes for 
 early morning ride for her health. Soon Bessie came home 
 from her visit and she and her mother go to ride after din- 
 ner. Next day Bessie accepted a position as saleslady. On 
 Sunday P. M. Mina, Bessie and Carl go to Sunday school, 
 their mother is out riding and passed them on their way 
 back home, two boys came along from church with them 
 and as soon as they get into the parlor and take their seats 
 Carl started to play for the boys to sing, when Mrs. Harper 
 drove up and went to the parlor door and pointed her fin- 
 ger at Mina and says take yourself upstairs, then points to 
 Bessie and says, take yourself upstairs. They went and 
 mother gets bible and goes right up stairs too and gives 
 them several chapters to read and locks them up in the 
 room, and goes down. She gave her son a stern look and 
 his companions left. Then Mrs. Harper gets a whip and 
 starts for Carl and he runs around the house and climbs 
 
 . 24 
 
Upon the top of the kitchen and was not found. Next morn- 
 ing' Bessie asked Carl to hitch the horse up and take her to 
 her work, as the colored boy had not arrived, lie refused 
 and told her to get on the street car. Bessie goes up to her 
 mothers room and tells her about it. She sent for Carl and 
 Mina to come up to her room. They went and Mrs. Harper 
 with a buggy whip in her hand points it at Carl and says, 
 the next time Bessie tells you to hitch up you do it, then 
 pulls a stool chair up to her, tells him to come there. He does 
 and she says take hold of the rounds of the chair with both 
 hands. He did. Then she tells iMina to hold his hands. IShe 
 barely touches them, hoping her brother would run, but he 
 took it like a man and never flinched. Then Mrs. Harper 
 says to Carl, now go down and hitch up. He does, and 
 takes Bessie to the store Several days later Mrs. Harper 
 has Bessie to quit clerking, as her feet hurt after standing- 
 on them all day. Later Mrs. Harper takes Bessie up town 
 shopping and buys her some new slippers and sashes, after 
 they leave, Mina weeps and moans like her heart would 
 break, to think she had to wear her mothers old shoes, and 
 the girls would make fun of her at Sunday school because 
 she wore Bessie's clothes, and had no sash at all, but one 
 and it was narrow and a small bow behind. Mina straight- 
 ens her face before her mothers return. Mrs. Harper re- 
 turns. She and Bessie were admiring their purchase. Mina 
 stood by looking on wishfully, but not saying a word. Mrs. 
 Harper tells Mina to go fix supper. Next P. M. Mina was 
 sitting on the front porch reading a paper and had a pencil 
 in her hand. An insurance agent passed who liked Mina's 
 looks and came up to the porch, standing on the outside 
 and spoke 4o Mina. Mina wanted him to go on, so wrote 
 on a piece of paper and said mother is near. As he turns 
 around to leave her mother is in the door, and comes and 
 picks up the paper and says, what is this? Mina says its a 
 song I know. Her mother! says I'd like to see it. Write it off 
 for me. She did. Here it is : 
 
 Rockaby baby in the tree top. 
 
 When fhe wind blows the cradle will rock, 
 
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, 
 Then down will come, hnsaby cradle and all. 
 Then rockaby, rockaby, mother is near, 
 Then rockaby, rockaby, nothing to fear, 
 For angels of heaven are hovernig near. 
 Then rockaby baby. Mother is near. 
 
 Mother returns and asked if she had written the song. 
 jMina handed it to her to read. She read it and was satis- 
 fied. She tells Mina to go feed the goldfish and canary.. 
 She did, and puts canary in the dining room window for a 
 sun bath, and went to fix supper. Soon a stray cat jumps 
 in the window, knocks the cage out of the window and ca- 
 nary gets out, so Mrs. Harper has hysterics and raises cain 
 with Mina. Next day Mina and Bessie go to take their 
 music lessons and on their return home Mina sprains her 
 ankle." Bessie won't Avait for her, and gets home before 
 Mina does. When Bessie arrives home she goes stright to 
 her mother's room. Her mother asked why she got home 
 first. She said' Mina couldn't keep up with her, and never 
 said a word about her sprained ankle. So when Mina came, 
 her mother chastises her for not being home sooner, and 
 never lets her explain. Mina goes dov/n stairs, and as she 
 and Bessie were in their room changing clothes, Mina was 
 angry at Bessie for causing her mother to fuss with her, 
 and took her corset and gave Bessie a few licks with it. 
 Bessie ran up stairs and told her mother. She sent for 
 Mina and said she had better never put the weight of her 
 finger on Bessie again. 
 
 Next day a poor wom^an came in with some peanut candy 
 she made to sell, and wanted to buy a quart of milk for her 
 sick mother. Mina goes and brings a pitcher full, and gave 
 it to her and refused pay. Bessie steps in and runs up -as 
 she received the milk and takes some candy for pay, but 
 Mina never said a word for fear it would cause trouble. 
 
 One day Mrs. Harper missed a gold piece of money and 
 lays it to Mina, but after awhile it was found in Bessie's 
 trunk. 
 
 Next day Prof. Black calls on Mrs. Harper to know if 
 
 26 
 
ihe will send one of lier danghters to his college. Mrs. Har- 
 per decides to send Bessie. Prof. left. News gets out that 
 Bessie was going away and a girl friend knowing how 
 strict Mrs. Harper was, plans to give a ball and call it a 
 3andy pulling. Agnes calls at Mrs. Harpers and invites 
 Mina and Bessie to her home that P. M. for tea, saying they 
 ivould have a candy pulling afterward. Mrs. Harper gave 
 ;ier consent and Mina and Bessie leave with Agnes. After tea 
 the secret was disclosed that they were going to a ball in- 
 stead. They go, and time passes quickly, and as they had 
 promised to be home at 10 o'clock. Mina frequently asked 
 the time but no one tells the correct time, always saying it 
 was early yet, until it was 11 :30 when they left, their uncle 
 iiad come to accompany them home. Arriving at home they 
 found all the doors locked and they tried to get in the 
 kitchen window, and as they were getting in knocked over 
 pots and pans, making a loud noise and the dog barks and 
 wakes Mrs. Harper. She comes down and found out why 
 they were so late, and goes back up stairs to bed. At 2 A. 
 M. Mina was awakened by a loud breathing and chewing 
 L'ight at her head, and was frightened. She feels of Bessie 's 
 eyes to (3«&e if she is awake and pinches and^ pulls, then feels) 
 her eyes again, they were opened. Mina eases off the bed, 
 pulling Bessie, she follows, and up stairs they flew to tell 
 their mother. Mrs. H^arper came down w^ith pistol in her 
 hand, goes to the room and turns on the light, to find the 
 cows head in the window that opened in the bathroom and 
 the bathroom door which opened in back yard had been left 
 open. Mrs. Harper goes back to her room. The girls come 
 down and go to sleep, to w^ake up next A. Mj to find out a 
 real burglar had been and had stolen a ham and a tub of 
 sausage, and left every door down stairs wide open. 
 
 Mrs. Harper gives farewell reception the night before 
 Bessie went away. She arrives at college next P. M. and 
 writes home for canvas and paint as she was taking art 
 lessons. It was sent at once. A month later Bessie writes 
 for new slippers. Mrs. Harper sends them. Bessie receives 
 and opens -them, and slams the slippers down on the floor,, 
 saying she didm't want cat fish toes. She sent for more, 
 
 • 8T 
 
They were received. They were raiser toes; — they suited, 
 boon Bessie receives a letter from mother saying, Mina was 
 to be married. Bessie answers 9t once and says don't let 
 her get married. Mrs. Harper decides to break it up. A 
 letter came for Mina, and her mother reads and burns it at 
 once, and wrote and said Mina had changed her mind about 
 marrying you and is engaged to another. He thought it 
 true, so wrote no more. Mina watches for the postman and 
 wonders why she can't hear from him. 
 
 The week before Bessie's return from College Mrs. Har- 
 per visits a sculptor and gives him Bessie's photograph with 
 orders to make a wax figure just like it. Bessie at college 
 one hot night takes her music lesson in her "night-tie." She 
 hears teacher and her beau coming and she slips behind 
 the piano; teacher heard her snicker and looks behind the 
 piano and saw her in her gown so she and beau go for c\ 
 walk, while Bessie resumes her lessons. The day before 
 Bessie's return from college, Mrs. Harper and Mina in a 
 carriage goes to the sculptors. Mrs, Harper goes in and 
 pays him and has the figure securely wrapped, and has it 
 put in the carriage and warns Mina to be careful with it. 
 She didn't know what it was, but said nothing. That night 
 Mrs. Harper sends a little round table and a screen into the 
 loarlor and takes the figure and places it on the table with 
 a white veil hanging over it. All this time Mina was fixing 
 supper and didn't know until next A. M. while her mother 
 was gone to the depot to meet Bessie, Mina took a look in- 
 to the parlor, and was much surprised and grieved to know 
 her mother paid so much for idols, instead of buying her 
 some nice clothes. 
 
 Mrs. Harper and Bessie arrive from depot. Bessie and 
 Mina embrace. Bessie takes a bath, changes her clothes, 
 and her mother invites her into the parlor to sing the song 
 "Calvary," that she sang in church Sunday before she went 
 to college and as Bessie sings the last sentence, "I will not 
 forsake thee tho all else should fiee," her mother is cry- 
 ing — as they turn around to leave the parlor Mrs. Harper 
 removes the screen that hid the figure and Bessie was pleas- 
 ^ntl;7 surprised and kisses her mother. Next P. M. mother 
 
 28 
 
tind daughters go to Ocean VieAv and met an old acquaint- 
 ance who made them acquainted with a travelling man 
 named Chase, who represented the weekly Paladium. Next 
 day he calls at Mrs. Harper's and found the girls were 
 gone. He tells Mrs. Harper he loved Mina at first sig^ht, 
 and wanted to marry her. She consented and said she 
 would tell Mina of his intentions. Mr. Chase left. Soon 
 Mina and Bessie comes home, and Mrs. Harper tells of Mr. 
 Chase's visit and intentions. Mina laughed and said she 
 would have to get on a stepladder to kiss him, as she j/eas- 
 Lired the wall with yard stick, she says 6 feet and 6 inches, 
 Mr. Chase is no match for me, thel boy I want to marry is 
 just my size and nineteen years old. Two months later Mr. 
 Chase calls again and asked Mrs. Harper's permission to 
 take Mina for a ride. She consented. Mina never said a 
 word while she was gone. Mr. Chase told Mrs. Harper 
 about it, and after Mr. Chase left she was angry and said 
 she had bought her wedding dress and lots of other fine 
 clothes, and as she had been wearing her sister's old clothes 
 and her mother's old shoes, she decided she would marry 
 Mr. Chase and leave. A month passed. The day before 
 her wedding day Mina visits old friends for the last time. 
 Two girls came home with her and Mina sat on the sofa 
 between them, their arms about her neck, and beg her to 
 not marry, but its too late. They shed bitter tears. Next 
 morning after breakfast, Mrs. Harper sends Mina up stairs 
 to stay all day till she was dressed ready for the wedding. 
 That evening she came down, the maid holding her trailing 
 dress, and as she was looking over presents received, a tele- 
 gram came, unsigned, saying to not let her daughter marry 
 Mr. Chase. Mrs. Harper thought some girl of his sent it 
 and passed it unnoticed. They march into the parlor be- 
 tween two rows of potted plants and palms, led by the 
 bride's brother Carl — 13 years eld) who held three lighted 
 candles. The last word being said that made them mali 
 and wife, the bride weeps, turns around to her mother. 
 Then congratulations and reception, the rest dance gaily 
 while the bride is sad. She cuts the wedding cake, takes 
 her wadding ring and cuts round pieces and gives to the 
 
 §9 
 
guest to dream) off of to see who they would marry, each 
 piece wrapped in tissue paper. Bride and groom depart 
 for depot. Reached destination, was met by grooms brother 
 riding- in carriage driven by two white horses. Mrs. Chase 
 met her mother-in-law, there was no other guest but an okl 
 sweetheart of Mr, Chase's and of ail plain homes, Mina 
 thought it the onliest. Two months pass, Mina was home- 
 sick — sells her watch which was a vv^edding present for 
 money to go home. She spends two months at her mothers 
 and Mr. Chase goes down to see what w^as the matter, v/hcn 
 he arrived that P. M. his wife and Bessie had gone to the 
 beach, they missed the early boat home so took the next one 
 that arrived at 11 :30 that night. They arrive from beach 
 and J\lina goes to her room, cracks open the door, she saw 
 some one was in her bed and runs up stairs to ask mother 
 who it was. She said go and see, so she did and it was her 
 husband. They returned to her husbai^d's home. One day 
 Mina was down on her knees scouring nnd told her husband 
 he told her mother that she wouldn't liave to do any drud- 
 ery, says I wish Mama could see me now. He said, you've 
 got it to take now. A man will promise anything to get a 
 girl he wants. Later — a telegram came saying Mrs. Harper 
 was dead. Mina's neighbors fixed h# up in their black 
 dress and hat to attend funeral. As the coffin was opened 
 for the last look Mina stood motionless, choked and could 
 not cry. Bessie had hysterics, and Carl was silent, but later 
 said as he looked at the corpse, he thought to himself, You 
 won't beat me any more. Mina says, ''The saddest words 
 of tongue or pen, is not what might have been, but what 
 has been." 
 
 Mina wore black two months and it made her deathly 
 sick, so she put on colors at once. Mina spent several days 
 at her old home visiting friends. During the time she spoke 
 and wondered why there was no money in the chest — and 
 Bessie replied that her mother paid out all the cash to the 
 Doctor and other debts, and Mina never knew auy better. 
 Three months pass, Bessie visits relatives and had wrote 
 Mina to meet her there and said she would go home with 
 her. Bessie needed some money, so wrote her old Jieigh- 
 
 30 
 
bor to look 'Into the bible she left at \i&v house and get lier 
 trunk key and look into hev trunk and get $5.00 and send 
 it to her. This neighbor tells Bessie's brother to go in her 
 trunk and get it, so he did and found all his mother 's money 
 and jewelry, and writes Iviina about il, and Mina received 
 letter and showed it to Bessie and sho» showed her the bogus 
 will. While Bessie was spending several months at Mina's 
 she found a note Bessie received from a young man that 
 didn't sound nice, and got after Bessie about it — there was 
 unpleasantness. One dsty they both go to the postoffice. 
 Bessie has a letter in her hand behind her. She turns aside 
 slightly and Mina spied it. It Avas to this young- man. She 
 pretends sh^ is going to another town to work as clerk. 
 She wasn't heard from in over three years, tho' three months 
 after she left her sister's house, this man had told the news 
 about her sisters disappearance and Mina thinking she was 
 still in that town, went at once to bring her home with her, 
 telling her husband if they didn't have much it would be a 
 shelter from harm for her sister. But when she arrived in 
 that city, she went to the Chief of Police and asked him to 
 help her find he;:* sister. She puts a veil on and gets a col- 
 ored Avoman to go with her to those dark places and in- 
 quires, but of no avail. When she saw the Chief again, 
 she was told that her sister had just left a day or two before. 
 Mina was fagged out after the hunt was over and spent tiie 
 night at the Chiefs house, leaving for home next morning 
 
 and layed over three hours at E , awaiting to take 
 
 another train, she spied her old sweetheart in overalls — 
 face and hands very bla^k, as he was an engineer, and she 
 waved at him. He spoke and says wait till I go Avash and 
 I'll shake your hand. She says no, its time for my train. 
 Train arrives, and as it stopped several minutes a drummer 
 gets off the train and it Avas Bessie's old SAveetheart. Mina 
 greets him and says let me make you acquainted Avith IMr. 
 
 ^ ^ , (the engineer) offers his hand but the 
 
 drummer doesn't take it. Mina Avas indignant and says T 
 want you to understand he is as good as you are and turns 
 to the engineer, and tells him good-bye as he helped her on 
 the train: The drummer talked to her on the train asking 
 
 81 
 
where Bessie was. Bhe says you'll have to ask some oii(j 
 else. He tips his hat and went in the smoker, as Mina says 
 to him, "I haven't any use for spider legged dudes.'' 
 
 After three years pass Bessie writes of her graduation at 
 
 ■ college and her grand success, and said 
 
 she had such a grand husband and had a baby boy — ex- 
 plaining that she wanted to be sure-footed before she wrote 
 as she knew Mina wasn't able to care for her. A few weeks 
 later Carl, who was yet in his teens, came to visit Mina, and 
 saw how poor she was and gave an hours performance as 
 trick bicycle rider, took up collection and gave it to his 
 poor sister. Soon he is head stenographer in an exchange 
 office at 19 years of age, and kept on until he got to the 
 top of the ladder — and years later marries the grand- 
 daughter of one of the Presidents of the United States. 
 
 Five years later Bessie visits Mina and said Mina 's house 
 wasn't as good as her horse stable. Mina says six feet of 
 earth will make us all one size. Jesus was. born in a stable, 
 and has promised to never forsake nor leave me, though all 
 else should flee. 
 
 Two years after Carl's marriage, he brings his wife to 
 visit his poor sister and after they left, ]\Iina never re- 
 moved the little glass in the kitchen that her brother hung 
 up to shave by, and would not sweep up the ashes from his 
 cigar that fell on the back porch, for she loved them, and 
 kept them to look at after he was gone, until the wind 
 swept them away; and the little glass still hangs in the 
 same place — years after, for dear memory's sake, for he 
 is all Mina has to love since her father and Elsie died. 
 
 The End. 
 
 32 
 
UNGRATEFUL WOMAN. 
 
 (Copyrighted by M. MeD. Cobb, 1916.) 
 A lawyer and his wife had a falling out, because she 
 caught him in the kitchen with his arm about the cook's 
 neck. She packs up some clothes and sheets, takes their 
 two boys and two girls to another town, not telling him 
 where she was goin. She took $50.00 with her as it was all 
 she saw in his pocket. They arrive at a new town and visit 
 a real estate agent and secure a cheap house on suburbs — a 
 five room cottage. All the neighbors thought she was a 
 widow. Their money. nearly out this woman sends for a 
 neighbor to come over, as her children had visited there 
 and were treated nicely. This lady comes to see what she 
 wanted, but asked no questions. 1 went in — made myself 
 acquainted. She was glad to see me — said I was the only 
 neighbor she had seen that she wanted to meet and asked 
 if I minded sending for a doctor. 1 told her I'd be glad to 
 send one. The doctor came and left a little baby girl. She 
 pretended that her 16 year old son was her only depend- 
 ance. Baby died and is buried by charity. The little girls 
 would come over and bring in wood for me, and sometimes 
 borrow some and I shared my groceries with them, and 
 loaned them money several times. The last she got which 
 was all I hadj — she bought wood with it. Then my husband 
 lost his job as another man took it cheaper. We moved to 
 
 W and never heard of those people any more 
 
 until one day at the Carnival ground I noticed a familiar 
 face and waited until she got off the hobby horses. I spoke 
 and asked if that wasn't Helen — she said it was. Said she 
 had been attending the A. C. College. Next day I was 
 
 surprised to see an account of Miss Helen ■ 
 
 returning home on account of her father's death^ — the pa- 
 per stated he was a wealthy lawyer. 
 
 They all had gone back to their old home since I saw 
 them. But they never have returned any money I ever 
 loaned them, since they got possession of their fortune. 
 
 The woman often made the remark that she would some 
 day be a Cinderilla and so she was. "Only an abbreviation." 
 
 33 
 
HOW BEKTHA AND BELA WERE EDtJCATED. 
 
 (Copyrighted 1916 by M. McD. Cobb. 
 
 Mr. King, a farmer, decided to move to town to please 
 his daughters, and run a boarding house, which they 
 thought would be just grand. As they w^ere poor and 
 proud, they thought if they could just rent a fine looking 
 house — nicer than they'd ever lived in before, they would 
 get in swell society. They arrive in town and rent a 8 room 
 house, bought lots of cheap furniture .second handed on the 
 installment plan, but could not afford to buy felt mat- 
 tresses. Mr. King goes after a load of straw — makes four 
 mattresses. Every thing w^as in order. The girls run out 
 on porch and rock! — Mr. King comes in with groceries — 
 they put ,up a boarding house sign; here comes three men 
 to get board, as they saw the pretty girls on the porch 
 they decided to board there, they are accepted. They look 
 at room, then leave and go up town and tell three more men 
 about those pretty girls. They go to their boarding houses 
 and tell lady of the house they will be out of town several 
 days, and they go to Mr. King's and get board — and flirt 
 with the girls, and making fun cf them behind their backs. 
 A drummer stopped over night at Mr. King's, paid up next 
 morning and left on train for next town and stopped at 
 
 Hrs. Belo\s boarding house. He was telling ]\Irs. Belo what 
 a bum boarding house he stayed at the night before. Mrs. 
 Belo asked who kept the place, he says Mrs. King. Mrs. 
 Belo says, go way, don't come here talking about my sis- 
 ter, but he finally stopped with Mrs. Belo, and when he left 
 he told another drummer that Mrs. King and Mrs. Belo 
 were sisters and both kept bum boarding houses, and the 
 bed bugs lifted him from one straw bed to the other. Mr. 
 King goes to market, they refuse to trust him any more and 
 his wife gets things on credit, as the market man thought 
 she was some other Mrs. King. One of the boarders, de- 
 cides to leave, and he takes a garment away every time he 
 leaves until his trunk is empty. He then tak^s a hammer 
 
 34 
 
and nails the trunk to the floor. He goes to Mrs. King and 
 says I am going to leave town, but you keep my trunk 
 (which was a cheap one) for what i owe you. Mrs. King 
 says all right after she goes to his room and tries to lift the 
 trunk. She couldn't and thought it w^as full of clothes. He 
 was gone a month, so she decided to sell his trunk and 
 clothes at auction. Mr. King has a drayman to go get the 
 trunk, saying it was too heavy for one man to lift. They 
 both pull at once and it came up and they both fell, they got 
 up and looked into the trunk and found nothing but a 
 piece of paper with April Fool w^ritten on it. They were 
 dumb-founded. Next day another man came to get board. 
 Mr. King told him about how the other man had done, and 
 he replied that it was a shame and that he wouldn't do any 
 one that w^ay. He was shomi his room, and sent for his 
 trunk and took it; in the house, saying it most broke his, 
 back— when it didn't have a garment in it, but Mr. King 
 didn't know it. This boarder stole sheets, towels and blank- 
 ets until he had his trunk full, pcyed up and left at the end 
 of the week. Mr. King said he liked for folks to pay up 
 like he did, until next day Mrs. King missed those sheets 
 and blankets. A man came in that night for lodging and 
 said he would pay in the morning as he would take break- 
 fast there. He slips out before day with Mr. King's suit of 
 clothes that were hanging in his room. Mr. King decides 
 to move to another toAvn and does— everything is lovely. 
 They get plenty of boarders, make lots of money, pays cash 
 for a while, then everybody credits him for any amount 
 after they get acquainted. His bills are larger and larger 
 until they begin to wonder if he will pay. After a year of 
 iuccess. Mr. King had saved up every cent he made m 
 that town and had made arrangements to go to another 
 towai (his daughters being expected from college every day) 
 the sheriff wouldn't let him move his furniture. Mr. King 
 swore he was not able to pay so they never did. 
 
 Now Bertha and Bela are both employed as stenographers 
 and are willing to quit boarding house business, so they re- 
 tire from business, owing everybody, that would trust them, 
 
 35 
 
p. S. The same drummer who stopped at Mr. King's two 
 years before, meets him, and the drummer not knowing it 
 was the same man, asked if Mr. King was still running a 
 boarding house. Mr. King says : When did you get your 
 whiskers crapped? 
 
 The End. 
 
 U6 
 
DID YOU CARE? 
 
 (Copyrighted by M. McD. Cobb, 1916. 
 
 Lillie watches for the mailman while her parents are at 
 dinner. Father comes to door :o ask if mailamn had been. 
 Lillie says, long ago. Father went back into the house. Lil- 
 lie takes a seat behind the rosebush and waits for mailman. 
 He comes with a letter for Lillie, saying, We elope on 7 :30 
 train Wednesday night. Jack. 
 
 Next day at school during recess Lillie sings out : 
 
 Happy on the way, Happy on the way, 
 Bless the Lord, I'm going to run away. 
 
 Carrie says where are you going to run to? Lillie says 
 you'll see between now and to-morrow. Lillie, after school 
 steals out one dress at a time till her trunk was full, it was 
 taken out empty and put behind rose bush. Trunk being 
 ready her beau came by and took it to station. After sup- 
 per Lillie says she will go next door for a few minutes — 
 slips out and goes to depot and a friend saw her at the de- 
 pot and went and told her father. Father goes to depot 
 just as she had started to buy a ticket. He takes her' home 
 and shuts her up in a room until he sends a telegram to 
 Prof. Long Face at Boston, saying, he would arrive there 
 next day with his daughter. They leave home — arrive a* 
 Boston — go to the Aacademy. He tells Prof, in the presence 
 of his daughter that she must not be allowed to receive let- 
 ters or company. He then goes home. Shortly after Lillie 
 asked Prof, permission to go up town. He consents, but 
 calls the ugliest girl in school and tells her to go with Lil- 
 lie up town and if she s.Deaks to a boy while she is gone re- 
 port her to me and I'll punish her severely. They go — and 
 at first corner met Lillie 's beau. He tipped his hat, but 
 Lillie didn't speak. Next day he sent a note, asking why 
 she didn't speak. Prof, got the note and kept it. A few 
 days afterward Lillie was walking in the grove with an- 
 pt)ier girl, The other girl's arm was around Lillie 's neck 
 
 87 
 
and a handkerchief in her hand, and she waved it at a boy, 
 who waved at her. The Professor thought it was Lillie 
 Avaving and didn't allow her to go out next day. Several 
 days later the Professor was sprinkling the lawn and saw 
 Lillie and a boy talking with their backs to him. Professor 
 turned the liose on them. The boy left and he tells Lillie she 
 will have to go home. Lillie packs her trunk and leaves and 
 arrives home and found her mother sick. Her mother 
 thought Lillie had been sent for. A month later her father 
 goes to the seashore to spend a month. Lillie 's beau re- 
 turned and Lillie was playing tennis and he tells her he is 
 going to ask her mother for her. He goes in — mother meets 
 him. Lillie slips in and listens to see what her mother has 
 to say. 
 
 Did You Care 
 
 He. If we go walking in the garden, would you care ? 
 
 Girls Mother. No — No — go ahead. 
 
 He. If I should ask her to be mine, would you care? 
 
 Her Mother, es. Of course I care. 
 
 He. Very well then, time proves all things. 
 
 (The girl comes in. She had been peeping.) 
 
 He (to the girl.) Well we will w^alk out and look at the 
 flowers. They go, look around, take a seat behind the rose 
 bush. He tells what he asked her mother and says : When 
 the days grow long and the sky a golden hue, v/hat would 
 I do without a girl like you ? 
 
 She, (sadly) doesn't speak. 
 
 He. If you cared and I dared, our thoughts would turn, 
 as the world wheels round, out of the grayness of the blight 
 I might ask, with irresistable tenderness, that would coax 
 a heart of stone — regardless of your mother — Will you be 
 mine? For win I must. 
 
 She, (blushingly.) Oh! Johnnie, I can't, I don't love you 
 enough. 
 
 He. I'm not so sure. Its queer how things change. 
 
 She. Well, you say its a woman's privilege to change 
 her mind. 
 
 He. If you'll only keep on changing it — once moro at 
 
 38 
 
Least. There's something you're holding back. I can see. 
 
 She shakes her head and says: I don't know — turning 
 toward him she says — confidentially: They say you've 
 stolen something. 
 
 He. Great heavens — what is it — almost speechless. 
 
 She. Taking him by the hand said: Let's go out on the 
 [awn. They rise. She stood holding his hand to her cheek. 
 He downcast looks into her eyes — a soft commotion stirred 
 fier heart. 
 
 He (watching discontentedly,) said: It must come out — 
 suddenly she spoke and says: I'm going to tell you — re- 
 gardless — because you ask it — as it is leap year anyway — 
 y^ou've stolen — my heart — I did not know I loved you so. 
 (They embrace.) 
 
 He. I am not so sure, but I '11 ask again in leap year style, 
 Would you be willing to spend your eternal days with my 
 infernal ways? 
 
 She smiles and nods assent. 
 
 . He. Well dear, seal it with a kiss. (They kiss.) Her 
 mother comes looking them — saw the kiss and runs up to 
 them and says : Lord have mercy — what do you mean by 
 kissing my daughter? 
 
 He. It's my rights. 
 
 She. "Well, I'll show you your rights — there's the road, 
 LLOW beat it away from here and don't let me catch you 
 around here any more. 1 
 
 He. Well, madam, she has promised to be my wife, and 
 if I see her again in this yard, she'll be mine. 
 
 Her Mother. Well. I'll see. There's the road, now^ get! 
 He goes. Mother takes girl by the hand back to the house, 
 locks her up in room. When the supper was ready mother 
 unlocks the door and lets her come to supper, and makes 
 lier promise she won't let her catch her with him again. The 
 girl promised, and says: You never will mother, if I can 
 telp it. 
 
 After supper the girl is in parlor playing piano and sing 
 ing :— ' 
 
 The roses and buttercups aU bloom and fade — 
 
 39^ 
 
And so did my iieart when that promise 1 made. 
 You said you would always be noble and true, 
 Oh could I be so to you — but I 'm never to be, to be, 
 I'm never to be your own. 
 
 But remember when you thought that my heart was a 
 stone — 
 
 I was willing to be your own. 
 
 He came by — heard her singing and stopped — came closer 
 to the window. He whispers and says, Here are the license, 
 come on — we won't let her catch us again until we come 
 back. They married — came back at 9 P. M. riding — stopped 
 in front of the girls house. He goes to the doorl — knocks — 
 her mother goes to the door — he says, come out and meet 
 my wife. I've just been married. (She hadn't missed the 
 girl. She went to the carriage — saw who it was — was sur- 
 prised and says to the girl, Its just as you said — I would 
 not catch you any more — but its all right — come on and 
 make yourselves at home. 
 
 The End. 
 
 40 
 
THE VERY POOR. 
 
 (Copyrighter by M. McD. Cobb, 1916. 
 
 He stays at home on Sunday to oil up his joints so he can 
 be used next week by his boss, for ISunday don't count lor 
 a poor man. He works o65 days in the year as near as pos- 
 sible. He has to work harder for $1.00 a day than a rich 
 man works to gain a hundred or possibly a tliousand. 
 
 His wife washes, irons and tends the baby, cooks, scrubs, 
 sweeps the house, sweeps the yard, does her own sewing, 
 which is mostly calico and ginghams, all for a paupers 
 right to live. She has no time for visiting. She has no 
 company. She has no money to spend on shows. She has 
 no amusement. It takes all her husband makes to pay rent, 
 buy wood and grub, which is always the cheapest he can 
 get. You can see out doors through the cracks of the door, 
 and the ground through the cracks in the tioor. i<'or veri- 
 ly they have no money to spend on carpets or comforts. He 
 dies of pneumonia and goes to rest for the first time. The 
 town has to bury him, which is the sting of death to "Sweet 
 Charity." 
 
 When his wife goes to church, she is gazed at with scorn, 
 and if a rich woman happens to sit next to her, she at once 
 gets up and hunts another seat. The poor woman is heart- 
 broken at such treatment. The next Saturday she is in 
 the garden hoeing and watering the tiowers and she hears a 
 faint meow in a box of straw; she goes to it in a hurry — i 
 pulled out the straw and in the bottom she found a poor 
 little kitten about a day old. It was very cold and dirty. 
 She runs in the house and gets a pan of warm water and 
 washes it, gets a medicine dropper and feeds milk to the 
 kitten ,and said to herself, even though I and my baby live 
 in a common hut and sleep upon straw beds, I will be mer- 
 ciful to a poor stray kitten. It shall not die hungry or 
 cold. 
 
 The next morning was Sunday. She didn't go to church, 
 
 remembering her experience of the Sunday before. On 
 
 Mnday she leaves her baby lying on a bed of straw, with 
 
 its foot tied to the bed so it would not get off and get cold. 
 
 41 
 
5he goes out to g etwork and can't find any, then she begs 
 )eople passing by and they don't notice her, so she decides 
 go to a large lonesome looking house, where there was 
 >nly an old lady living alone. She knocks at the door and 
 he woman comes to the door and invites her to go in and 
 varm herself as she tells her story, asking for work. The 
 (Id lady was touched by her pitiful story, and remembering 
 vhat the good book says: He that cometh unto me I will 
 n no wise cast out, and by the poor woman humbling her- 
 ielf she was exalted, for the good woman put her arms 
 iround her neck and says little woman, be of good cheer, 
 ^ou shall never want again. I have a plenty and to spare — 
 ny home shall be thy home. The good woman wasted no 
 ime — she goes home with the poor woman riding in an 
 luto. When she reached the little home, the baby was 
 Tying. The mattress it was lying on had caught fire, and 
 hey got there just in time to save it, and there was al pic- 
 ure on the wall that looked familiar and she asked the 
 )Oor woman who it was. She said it was her grand-father, 
 calling him; by name. The good woman with a surprise, 
 laid, It was her brother, and srys : ' ' Our remnant is re- 
 mited at last." They lift up their eyes and gave thanks 
 ;o God who heedeth even the sparrow's fall. 
 
 The End. 
 
 i^ 
 
THE STORY OF A GOOD WOMAN. 
 
 (Copyrighted by M. McD. Cobb, 1916. 
 Not once upon a time, but in this day and time,^ there 
 are people so pessimistic and self centered, they don't even 
 know anything good about their nearest neighbor, even af- 
 ter 10 years of continuous residence. What would you 
 think of an uneducated woman, of no refinement, only two 
 doors from yourself, who has only been seen in passing and 
 never been called on by yourself, should ask another worn- 
 an of her own kind, if she knew any thing good about you? 
 Well if she doesn't know anything good, there is only one 
 reason for it— she, like the tramp, gets hers from the back 
 door Let me tell you about this neighbor she asked about. 
 There was a meeting at Lodge street church. When the col- 
 lection was taken up this good woman gave half of what 
 she had and still the preacher didn't have enough to pay 
 his expenses and told the congregation and at the door as 
 all had left the church, this woman goes and empties her 
 purse and gives all she had, and no one ever knew of it; 
 but as I want to follow the question- do you know any- 
 thing good about this woman? I'll tell you some more. Fif- 
 teen years ago she lived across the street from a ^ 
 parsonage. She didn't have a cent in the world, and had 
 just collected 25 cents for a garment she made for a woman. 
 A poor beggar came to her door and showed his poor af- 
 flicted arm, to let her know he wasn't able to work. This 
 woman gave the quarter, all she had then he goes to the 
 minister's house and was questioned for l^^\f/^./^,^^; ,^^^^^ 
 was not helped to a penny. This woman sold ^H her best 
 clothes and sewed for a store till she saved enough ^^^^^^^ 
 her husband to Richmond for an operation. She continued 
 to sew years after and one saintly old gentleman who had 
 passed many times, seeing her at the window sewing, stop- 
 Jed o inquire of h;r husbands health, asking where he was, 
 He was told he had gone to the postoff ice. He asked if he 
 went to the postoffice the same time every day. ^^e said he 
 did He said he would drop in the same time next day and 
 Sng very familiar, while she treated him with all kindness 
 
 43 
 
because of his age, though he did not consider that was the 
 cause. She steps to the heater-, pretending to fix the fire 
 while she only smuts her fingers, and turned around famil- 
 iar in return she patted him on the cheek and told him good 
 bye, saying she would look for him the same time next day. 
 When her husband came, she told him of being annoyed by 
 this familiar old gentleman, and about him saying a good 
 looking woman like her didn't have to sew, and asked her 
 husband to be sure and be on hfnd the next day, which he 
 did — and as the old gentleman came in and took a seat on 
 the sofa, her husband arose from behind the sofa and shook 
 his cane in the old man's face and told him to let it be the 
 last visit to his house. Well, the next move was this : Her 
 next door neighbor was sick in bed and she went over and 
 cooked dinner every day for two weeks, for there were 4 
 children and their father, besides their sick mother, and, 
 after two weeks, this good woman was broken down and 
 failed to go again. When they asked why she stayed away 
 and asked if she was mad. The children were very rude 
 too, and killed little chickens that belonged to this good 
 woman, the only person who ever visited those poor neigh- 
 bors or done any thing for them ; for vvhich she never re- 
 ceived a word of thanks or a favor in return. Then again, 
 there was a new neighbor, a widow (they thought) with 4 
 children. The oldest child was a boy 14 years old, The}^ 
 seemed awful hard up, but showed that they had seen bet- 
 ter days. They were very refined, and lived in seclusion 
 mostly. The children played in front of this good woman's 
 house in preference to any other, and were often spoken to 
 by her. One day this widow sent for her to come to see her 
 and she went. She asked her to please send for a doctor, 
 which she did, and soon there was just one more in the 
 family — but lived only three weeks, and it was buried by 
 charity. Well this good woman waited on the sick here, 
 and shared groceries with the widow and gave her all the 
 money she had to buy a load of w^ood. Shortly afterwards 
 this good Avoman moved away to another town and two 
 years later saw this widow's oldest daughter in the same 
 town, though she had grown wonderfully fast, she recog- 
 
 44 
 
lized her, and asked her if she had moved here. She said 
 ihe was attending the A. C. College. I wondered how it 
 lappened, but asked no questions, when next day the daily 
 
 )aper stated that Miss H — Hj ^-^, daughter of Mr. 
 
 [) H , who was a prominent lawyer of H , 
 
 lad returned home to attend her father's funeral — and 
 'ound out later that this supposed widow was only sepa- 
 ■ated after a quarrel with her husband, taking all the chil- 
 Iren with her and lived several months apart, and since she 
 las come in possession of her fortune, she never has paid 
 )ack any money this poor, good woman gave her. Selah ! 
 
 Well, some time later this good woman accepted a posi- 
 ion in a store and done her household duties besides — she 
 v^orked over a year and saved her money, except now and 
 hen, but mostly now than then, she would help every beg- 
 •■ar that came into the store. One day a man came begging 
 vho had lost both legs. Her employer asked why she want- 
 id to help a man who might have a fortune somewhere. She 
 iays, well I have two good legs and he hasn't any leg at all. 
 
 On her way to dinner she saw a blind negro, and she gave 
 lim a dime, and has never failed many times to give him 
 omething or else she won't pass him without a silent pray- 
 ir, for she said it made her heart ache to see a helpless blind 
 )erson on the street. One night she took a poor neighbors 
 laughter to the movies, who was not able to buy a ticket, 
 Lud as this good woman sat in the show, a man leaned over 
 ind says to her, I wish I were as good as you. She asked 
 lim why. He replied and said : Every time I see you on the 
 treet, you are giving money to som'e blind man or cripple. 
 k.nd she said: A silent prayer as you pass them, will do 
 ^ou good if you can't give — you can ask God's blessing on 
 ill unfortunate people whenever you pass one — bless others 
 md God blesses you in return — money isn't all. 
 
 The End. 
 
 45 
 
I