Document text
Oelabor 10, 1939
Cora Sigma (Vara eit*)
Serptent X. C.
Etbol Deal, Writor
Dudloy Crawford, Revisor
Original Xasoo
Cora Siphon
iterbert )LOU
Clew& Noma
Carrio Sails
Bob 3ain
Inside the little store, whose exude signs on the
windows announced,"Uroceries, keats and Produce," Carrie
ain looked up from her knitting, pushed a bag of peanuts
from the other and of the orange crate on which she was
sitting and asked ma to have seat.
"Yes, Bob Akin expects me to keep house and stay in
the store too. It's a good thing I was raised on 4 farm,
in a family of fifteen children, and learned how to work.
did menage to finish high school and go one year to college;
I wanted to be a teacher. I taught nine years before
marriege and six since.
"bob bought a farm before we were married and I taught
to help pay for it. He is one of the best farmers in the
country, but the trouble with him was be drunk enough since
we been married to buy three or four farms. fihat he didn't
drink up he wasted and run through with. ky children are
all out on their own now, but his drinking made it hard on
them when VA, were growing up. It's a wonder they ever
amounted to anything. I've known him to be on a drunk for
four months.
"About four years ago he got so bad I sent him to the
,itate Hospital for the Criminal Insane, but he stayed only
four weeks. ':-he doctors told him if he drank any more it
would kill hiss. Ho craved the stuff so he suffered terrib..
ly, and took it out on us. He ran all the children away
from home. After holding out eight months he started again.
He gets on a drunk once in a while now and kt nearly kills
him.
The girls come back after a while and mewed to finish
high school, but the boy has never returned. he and all
three of the girls now have good Jobs.
"Bob's health is so bad now he can't do much work on
the farm, so I have to look after it. AO opened this business
here a few years ;.kgo. e makes trips to the mountains and
buys produce and cattle, while I look after the store and
the farm. ait keep a man hired on the farm and with my manage..
meet we raise a lot of truck we can sell here in the store.
I handle milk, butter and choose from eight cows and show
a nice 4,rofit. Bob has a wood saw, uuys his wood in large
quantities and sells it by the load when it's sawed. That
shows a profit too.
'Tack when ttob 1MS drinking 60 much thin,..s on the farm
run down something awful. Lie wouldn't spend a cent on the
inside nor out. I thought we had reachea the bottom when
the house caught fire and burned down. Ask lived in the well
house and grainary for two years before we could build again.
Th girls now are uoing things. I !Ave nice seven room
Louse. It's painted indide und out. The girls have bought
new rugs and furniture. The lawn is no longer a place to
turn the cows. For the first time in py life I'm not asham•
ed to have company. Bob La still mean and takes out his
drinking on me. I stay in the store and when business is d
dull I knit and read. ,e belong to the Lutheran Church.
1 don't have time to visit my neighbors, and going to a show
or a ball gama is out of the question. I can't leave the
business long enough to enjoy myself. Good times 'met
made for ma. I've worked so long and played so little 1've
got a the habit.
"I feel old. my skin goes uncared for. I never have
time to have my hair done; Bob would think it was a waste
of money if I did. I et up every morning and milk eight
cows, while my youngest girl cooks breakfast. The milk
must be strained and put away, and churning done. I'm
usually at the store at nine o'clock. I've got no time
to sew and do things to my clothes. 1 hire my laundry so
to have more tima to help fob. 1 used to read a lot at
night, now I'm so tired, I just zo to bed.
are making
good here at the store. It is not a question of anything
need. To make ;it. liveable and happy you must have a
few thiAgs theta not necessities. A *omen must go well
6 -roomed to feel at her beet. voney is alright, but it
is not everything. I wear last years hats and say nothing
about it. I Jo twice the work my husband does and don't
complain. I'm in a rut and know it. If I try to get out
04er
Bob would have a fit. L know it ie up to me to do it if
I wait for his consent it won't be done.
rote both vote the Republican tickit. I go to church
when I'm not to tired. I helped to get out the sweet po.
tittoss; we made a hundred bushel* I do all my canning, at
least to hundred jars during the summer. esides my milk
and butter I have calls for cheese, this T make myself and.
sell for twonty cents a pound Bob can afford to hire
eufficent help in the store, and on the farm too, but he
just won't do it. That would release se an d have time
to keep house, and do the things a wi:man loves. i=els so
ill from craving the wniskey nobody else een gut 'long with
him but a few weeks at a time. knows that will always
be at his beckkand call and do what he says. y one con*
solation is I know that my children will have the pleasure
I've been denied.
vAs for food an the right kind I sueas we have more
prepared at my house than necessary. That n of mine
will kill himself eating 4. raise potatoes of both kinds,
corn, wheat and all the vegetables that grow. t;y hogs gets
gallons of good milk to fatten them. I cook and prepare
enough meats to run a boardin house. Bob must have the
beat of everything, not only the best but large quanities."
.:Airrie's work worn hands flew back and forth with the
needle, er nails were broken and ugly. The lines in her
fee, told of hard work end sleepless nights. Her dark hair
streaked with grey and cut in a boyish bob was oily and un.-
kelt. The dark grey flannel dress was made with no attemptak-
to fit or style and seemed ready to burst under the pressure
of her hundred and eighty pounds of flesh. Numerous runs
in her cheap rayon stockings accentuated the thiokness of
her legs and the also of her test.
A big man of sullen countenance appeared in the doorway,
ignored Carrie 'a visitor, and said to her, "I want you to go
home and see if that nigger is getting that plowing done.
You take the carii may need the truck." Carrie rolled up
her knitting and got up. "Alile you are out there look about
that sow and the pigs, and I'm afraid that heifer hes jumped
out or the pasture. I'll look after things here while you
are gone. s the oar left the curb 9ob called, "hurry back,
1,11 be needing you hare."