Document text
tsbeville Ootton Mill
Asheville. V. O.
August 15. 1938
I. Li It.
JINNIt
She picks her way amply along Es she wake the
rutted peths from one neighbor's hoase to another on
Factory Hill. Often the con be aeon going to the house
of Arthur Callahen who is her brother.in.law. to borrow
cup of lard or a pan of meal. he makes a handy ran.
about for her family, end they humor her in the little
things which please her. Her protruding shoulder blade
is es a burden which she cennot pat down. The lenders
in her nes* seem to clutch at her heed and draw it
back with saoh tightness that her eyes have the perpetual
look of one asking for mercy. Her body has grown through
itn crookedness and its wretohedness to not more than
four feet, and one wonders ft first glance hether She
is still a child with time yet to ettein her height.
But upon closer view, it is plain that Jennie's fJqm is
old and there is no more time in which she can grow.
Jennie is the first.born of Utggie i4binson and
she is twentr.eight years old. Maggie saye that Jenale's
trouble started from a fall she received when she was
two 'X$y old.
was working i the mill and Jennie
wFs left in the osre of en eleven yeer old child. am
fill off the porch ono day end injured her spine. *Set
it never showed up to mount to anything until a year
later when she had the pneamony fever." Wiggle eontinses
her story. °I noticed then when I'd take her out of her
cradle that her little beck wne beginnin* to curve. The
doctor said it was ceased from the fell and he told ue
to take her down to Atlanta for treatment. We got
together whet money we oould and Tom took her doen
there. They wasn't enough money to keep her in Atlents
for long, and he brought her beck home. The older She
vowed the verse her beck got end the doctor put a braes
on her body. She wore it for twelve yeers end I rookin
hit wee the brace that give her E chance to grow what
little she did.*
Jennie's voice is low and *eons to oreep out of
the corner of her mouth. She turns herself slightly
as she epeeks so thrt she can look up into her listener's
face. She went through the fourth grade in the patio
schools of Afteville, and then the puthorities stopped
her from school. She still feels resentful about it
because book learnint7 was e sight of pleasure to her,
she says, and there was nothing much left for her to do.
She wishes her tether bed gone ahead end sued the city
as he planned to do when she was forced to stop.
There stands out in Jennie's mind one person who
has been kinder to her than may other outside person
touching her life. She is a former larder of the Carle
Club of Factory Hill. new, she was one sweet thing,
sweet re angel," she says as she turns her bead to
see that you understand her words. 'She was good to me
and I never missed e meetini when she wee here. They
was always a smile on her face cod it seemed that she
oame to the meetings bemuse she really liked to be with
us*. So good and so pretty, s she finishes and pathos
her body deeper into the °heir.
The Robinson family is alreys mindful of Jennie's
feelings end they suooeed in alloting to her a place
which is that of an adult except where her physioal
limitations are a deterrence. She helps a little with
the cooking and straightens eround in the house a bit.
Alwaye when there's oompany she takes her part in the
conversation. The Robinson, believe that it was only
e leek of money which kept Jennie from having e strong,
straight body end it is no shame to thou that they did
not have Lionel. They have done whet work they could
get and tccepted the wage that was paid them. Then,
there tre some things in their life in which they oen
take pride. AE4a1C is proud that he father who died
at eighty years of rge was able to work in the mill
until two years before his (teeth. He was tall and
portly, she says, end as handsome o men as you are
likely to find. Years ago he bought him a little place
in the country end from there he drove his own car in
to his work. Jennie, too, will join in listing his
merits end she remembers good drys she has spent at his
house. gaggle's daughter, Alms, married Arthur Callahan
who ir Lemocretic Cheirnan of his precinct. That is
another point of pride with the kobinsons and they like
to tell visitors of the part Arthur plays in politics.
Then, Jennie herself can oommend respect tmong her
neighbors for her ability in nuoting scripture.
auroh attendance is an important pert in Jenniels
life. She goes each Wnday to 4,atton twe. Baptist Church,
and during the week following often swat.' from the sermon
thut she hes heard. Revivals Fre even a greeter pleasure
to her than regular sermons. be hrs gone this summer
whenever someone would take her to hear Flev. it who is
holding r revival in the tobacco arehouse. dMes deep
in the scriptures,* she says end it does me good to
listen to bin. few Factory Hill folks ere goino pretty
regular to hear him, rnd they ehorely need to. Sot many
uround here go to church at all.'
the aovee her crooked body and tries to bring it
to a better resting position. HeX eyes look up out of
her drewn.over heed, and she seys in creeping, solemn
tones, "shy don't they go to church? I'll tell you whst's
wrong with them. The devil hes got r hold on 'em. Yes,
he's shorely got P good hold on more then one on Factory