Document text
.7c117,ry 11, 19',
-1fre and C1Kra ,lAamey (whit.)
62$ ,;outh Alurch treet
C.
workers
forthrop, writer
ehnnf,led by jorionah
Ootober 28. 1938
)onr ditor
(nly six lonths to live.
I was a wTPA worker. so a f010,•
weeks nlo I was pushing a heavy wheelbarrow of rook down at
the Jwinring pool when suddenly Blood started *coming out of
zy mouth and nose so I quit and come home and went to see Dr.
Donnelly at the Health dept. he examined me and said I
had T.B. so they wanted to get me in the Meoklenburg
torium, there they also said 1 was a viote- of T.E. so I
staid ;Four days at the aanatorium and I got word that my
wife was at home with nothing on earth to eat and no Job and
no way to pay rent so that was yore than I oould stand and
1 got up and put on my olotes and started to leave but the
first person I met as I started to leave is the head doetor.
I told him I was going home so he told me it I staid T had
a hundred peroent chance to Getting well but if T left I
only had six months to live at the most, but the torcher of
knowing nly wife wns at home Sufering for samthing to eat in
a world of :lenty was more than 1 could enDure so I went
tv% nst my better Jud emc-nt und come home.
I found things just as I was told. at bone: my wife with
nothing to eat nnd the landlady almor.t taking the Top off of
the House beoause my wife oould not Pay the sent. Sunday
morning I was standing in front of the post office and a
Couple of fedorel men asked me how would I like to work a
few minutes and I told Thom just fine, so T help them carry
several cases of liquor out t the oar. They took the liquor
to Vet Insinerater and destroyed it. almost every time I
made a step Blood come out of my routh. when the work was
done they handed me a quarter. little did They realize just
how muoh that little quarter meant to me. It meant that I
could at a loaf of Br ad and some beans for ma and my little
wife.
Before I left the Sanatorium the euperutendant told me If
I left under no circumstances could I evrr let back in alain,
so for the love of y'• wife I am doomed to die 4 horrible
death within six months for I have no money to take treatment
with and only flod in Heaven to Look to for mercy. 1 sure Am
not loing to condemn the local welfare dept but I do think
they should be 7-A)re considerate to the realy desstitute, as
long as there is a drop of blood left in my 7ody I will try
to see that my wife dont sufer from cold and hunger.
as I am writing this Blood still pours from my lungs. If
Some of the retolere of t is have a single cent that they dont
need it will be more than apreoiated for I want to sleep out
on the portch where I can get plenty of fresh air and Avoid
giveing my wife the dreaded disease. I an at blaming thy.
one for my misfortun. It Is just a thin' thlt is lible to
happen to any one so God grant mem until the end.
(alined) Arthur Manley
The letter was written legIbl I pencil on coerce ruled
tablet paper. The address given below the ailnature was a
number on S. Church Street, which the editor knew to be in
one of the most disreputable slum *cations in town. 110
asked his associate editor to investigate the ease, and I
went along to see the Vanleys.
In a telephone conversation with the Superintendent of
the ,ianatorium fifteen miles away, the doctor said he had
cauiht Manley dressed a:14 sneaking out, talked the man into
going beak to bed, &ot his promise not to leave, and found
him missing next morning. The doctor also reported that
Manley had not mentioned his wife as the cause of his wish
to leave, that the man was a bad patient, restless and die.
obedient. There was rule of the hospital, he said, that
patients who left before the doctor's dismissal..that is, be.
fore their eases beoame inactive -Gould not be re -admitted,
He added that If Manley's story were true, the man could re.
turn to the finnatoriuma
The associate d VA. also called the County lfare Aim."
elation to ask why no food or money had been sent rra. Ysipley
after her applieation for relief. T:Are ha l been a mixup of
some kind* the easewerker reported* but she did not know where.
!Ire. natley had been certified for a WPA job ten days before*
she said* and also that it was a rule with the "'sitar. Ageney
to out off food supplies upon certification for WA work*
but that food would be sent.
When we (laze to the WO block we started lookin; at the
house numbers. In most places none were shown. one house
used to be notorious. L11 day there would be eight or ten
girls sittin: on the porch in the swinl or in the rockers*
talking and laugtiing and not doini any work, That day no
one was in sight and there was a sign handprinted in soap
on a windowpane, sayinr; IOC Un ItC% RUNT. It was next doer
to the rooming -house where the Manloys lived.
The house is within seven blocks of independence Square*
center of the town. It has not known fresh paint for eueh
a lon4 time that you 211ht think it had never been painted
at all but for the tact that its construction and arehltee-
turel style show the house to be of the type built for the
well-to-do middle class ,)bout fifty years ago There is a
Wee balcony on the second story and a good d .1 of ginger,.
bread trimming.
it is set almost flush with the ground. There is never a
blade of grass in the little front yard even in summer. The
earth is hard -packed and some one who lives in the house keeps
it swept as neatly as any floor. Perhaps it is the old woman
who was shellin3 peas on the front porch. The part in her
hair was a prim pink line.
Arthur was dressed and sprawled across the bannisters
watening the old lady shell peas. He stood up to receive us
and remaned standing all the while we talked, nervously
strilcing one pose after another. He could not keep still
and his hands shook so that he had trouble lighting cidtarw.
ettes. H. wore denim ?ants and a faded khaki shirt open at
the neck. It would have to be open. All the top buttons
-ere missing. :As breastbone was h141 and noked forward
through his shirt. Almost throur;h his skin, he was so thin.
nis nose was lon and bony, and his chin and forehead sloped
backwards. ia he'd was sma:1, too smalls and the hair on
it was measy. His head was like a coconut covered with
straggly coarse brown fibre.
His was not only willin4 but xlous to talk.
Words
spluttered out of his mout!. I thought of all the blood
he wrote about and wondered what he would do if he had a
hemorrhage then and there. He didn't have one.
"Yeah, this is me awright," he said, "Yeah, 1 wrote
that letter. I'll tell the wanly I'm not a-lonna let sit
wife starve to death. 1ot while I'm still a-livine myself.
"Laura, she wouldnfta complained none herso'f, but my
cousin he sent me a posteard, said she didn't have nothinf
to eat, they was 'bout to put her out. I eouldn't stand
that. If when I'm down sick the fthoritios won't look out
for her, then I can't be stoic. No wife of mine's spin' hungry.
I take oare 0 what's mine.
"Good thing I did thumb my way out of there. rood come
while ago. Not mnehe Some. She ain't had nothinf for a
wet( but one little old seek of potatoes. Not even no
grease to eook gem in. There I was 'satin' goode.-ior pretty
good, anyhow --and her hungry!"
He slapped his thighs in disgust.
Wrt understand, now, I didn't have no kick with the amts.,
torium. They treat you pretty good. And I ain't got no
kick with the Welfare. I reckon this is Just how they do
things. But I hope they don't do tweet:Jody like this. The
7iPA too."
"Can your wife me" I asked. "Maybe they'll put her
on a sowing project when they have a place for her."
"Oho Laura, she's just a little thing. She can't do
nothinf. She ain't never had to work I always tooken ears
of her. I don't know what she can do. She's a mountain girl,
not used to the town, Won't cross a street by hereof?. T hate
her to have to go somewhere to work. we been married and living
here three years but still she won't 3o nowheres by herself. I
met her when I was a logger,* he grinned.
"Is that what you were before you :._wt on ttio a lolger?"
asked my companion.
"Lye? New. I've done a little of eveething, but by
Ilm rilly a truck driver. I've worked for Horton,
Fredericks, M.oholson„ ",:arren, don't know who -all. Got
that way drivint traotor on the farm."
"Tour Vale"
"New, I never had no farm. _tly old man, he farmed. Right
here in this oounty. Farmed on shires. First job I ever
had was on the f4rme o. hand. Twelve years old. stat
school in the six, :.;rade to 4o it. Then I was a water boy.
"Got tired ol all that, thoulh. 1 ain't orazy 'bout no
farm. I cline a lotta things. corked in the copper minas
aver in Tinniasee. Didn't like that, :either. Went to
loin' in the mountains. That's the kind of work 1 like.
Outdoors.
aimme airl why like truokinl. Some o' my
folks went in the mills, but not me. No, suhl
"I' -a thirty years old and ain't never had but one Inside
job. Ale time Its (clerk ir, a -,cro'ary mtore. 3ut I was
hittinl it pretty bard then. I come in one day still drunk.
Lady ast me for some orin,4es and I iive ter potatoes. She
told me they was potatoes, not ortnges, end I stood still
and look around all over that store an didn't ser no
oringes. Big pile of lem right at me. I got fired. But
1 shoulda been. No kick there."
"Had you b en hittinl it nuch just before you got sick?"
"Haw. No money to hit it with. 7ou can't hit it mush on
what a% gives you.
liot if you've got 1 wife."
"Has any one else in your family over had Too?"
"New, there's not one ouse history of T.B. in my family
for several generations back. But as soon as Dr. Donnelly
fIuoroseoped no he seen I had it."
'aiatever else he might be, tanlry was a good parrot. He
did not stumble over fluoroscope.
All that worries me is will Laura catch it," he said.
"Does she seem well nowq"
"Aw, just tol'able. Laurel" he called. "flame out chime**
A shape loomed up in the Iloom of the hall and Laura
seemed to materialize behind the broken screen door. She
hesitated a moment with her hand on the knob, looking at us,
knowing she was being inspected.
"Come on out," Manley said in a coaxing voice, as if
speaking to a ohild. "This is the man from the paper."
Sbe ealed out and he oau,3ht her by the hand and pulled
her forward.
This is Laura," he said, beaming.
She wall twenty-eight, about five fEfet two, and must have
weighed 140 pounds. Her ankles and wrists were thick and
her stomach bulled. Her hair ws brown and curly and would
have been arettv if it had been clean.
13eneat1-1 the frame of
greasy r n:aets her face was plal• and dull. -ten she smiled
unaertainly, we Law too uct of pale blue gum*
Over )11e, eye there was an ugly soar. *firley willed our at-
tention to it.
that? 3he's got a huxdrrA and fifty like it."
a. lifted the her of her dress, '2)ulled down a stocking,
and showed us another bad on. on her knee.
"Her ,Aama give tem to her he said* "That's how come
married her to ?,-et her away from all that."
He Irinned ?redly and Laura smiled*
"Did your nother beat you"
"Cut raft and beat me both, he answered plaeidly*
"what did you do?"
niothinl."
"You didn't hit baori"
"Nair, 1 nev-r."
"You just took it?*
wreaho I guess so."
*Well, why did she do it"
"iiw, it Whe :Peter."
"Peter'"
Manley interrpted.
*He's her stepfather, he said.
Laura showed a little animation*
"He's not my stepffithero" she said. "He's not no step..
father of mine."
UanIty's smile was the smile of a proud uncle tthowing off
a three-year old to company. He and v.11), it said, ?Inew that
she was cute and smart for her age, and wasn't she funny?
"Yes, he Is your stepfather," he said. "He married your
mamma,"
Laura pulled herself together and showed understanding.
he made a. little sound of embarraes'ent and 1.oked ashamed.
"Yeah, I recko he is, but 3 don't want to claim
"Did he treat you badly too?"
"Aw, suet words. be nevr hit me."
Then why did she treat you badly be,,ause of him?"
"Aw, I don' know. But after she married him she turned
into a devil."
"Did she and 4ffter have any children?"
"Lots. he liked tem better than she did me and Jerry,
!,ay rmil brother. I lot mit quick's I could."
VaTaey took up the story.
.$11e lived In the County Home a while. Aftt,r while the
had to leave there and didn't have no place to go but back
home, so that's why I married her. To look out for her.
I've always tooken care of her, too, till now. Three years."
"Pave you any children"
They looked at each other and a quer expression cams
over Laura's face.
":41w, we ain't," he said. He went on at length over how
muGh he thanked lod for that, with thin;s what they were,
and be;nat ramble.
I asked Laura If eh* would step over to the end of the
porch. It was obvlous, but I knew she would not talk before
ny companion.
-,hen you were et:tked if you -all had any children, I noticed
you smiled, Mrs 1:Anley. That about it?" 1 grinned at her,
feeling ashamed, I need not have.
"u, no, :+71 not thntaany ntall. I ain't seen nothinf in
three-four monthtl but I know I ain't thataway, Itd know,
And tnow
Are you mire?" I went on, lookin-: flown the ugly street.
"Bee:vase there's a matc-rnity clinic here with doctors to take
care of you -..you and the baby both. I could take you there
if you're soared to cross the street. They have a delivery
room ri;ht there.
Aw, I tell you, lady, you think my stomnehte that,
but It ain't Dontt you rorry. YOu 'e.now what it le Ito
a tumor. I Wad my ap?endic?: out, and they tell me when you
have your appenlic1: out you lotea times lets a tumor, Matte
what it is. Just a tumor*"
he W45 71ninly-relieved that it was only a tumor.
We made ready to leave*
'Ianley put his arm around Laura and looked down at her
upturned fee..
"1 sure an sand my brother wrote me what fix she's in,
he said.
we both remembered that he had said his oousin wrote, but
neither of us said anything.
It was a soeiable farewell.
I thought that perhaps the reason Laura had not been
given a WPA job was that the caseworkers m1iht have ems.'
peeted pregnancy. If that were the case, they would have
referred her bask to the County welfare for some form of
direct relief.
Laura's card in the WA files showed that she and Arthur
had two infant children, Effie and Luey. The two babies
were the reason she had not been given a job, the caseworker
said. :,estitute women who have been married, widowed,
divorced, or are without a husband for any other reason,
and who are mothers of youn4 children, are given a monthly
sum for the support of eaeh child, so that they may be able
to stay at home and attend the children rather than be forced
to go out to earn their living. It is called Aid to Dependent
Children. The caseworker had held up ,-aurale job to cheek
up on the case with the ttlfare Agency and try to let that
aid rather than W?A work, so that she villa be able to take
ears of ffie, aged 2, and Lucy, aged 11 months, at home.
They told me they had no ohildren," I said.
The caseworker looked vim and called the County -Ware.
oompsnion also called the County elf.re and an inves-
t tion was begun.
There were indeed two shildren„ but they were Arthur's
not Laura's. Their mother was a woman named Bessie Rupper,
who had been arrested countless times for drunkenneEs and
prostitution. he had disappeared some Vise before, prom
sumnbly taking the two little girls with her, for they too
had disappeared. Ao one at any of her old al,dresses keur
where they had gone.
Arthur's attempt to get more relief money for Laura by
means of his illegitimate children had been the cause of de..
lay in lettinme either direct relief or a job. He had not
known about Aid to Dependent Children.
His letter was ,mblished in the Atters..to..the 3ditor
solumn of the newspaper with a brief report on him and Laura,
showing both their and the ';'41fnre Ageneyls side of the
problem, unbiassed in both oases. The children were mentioned
only es "possibly by a former marriage." In it was told
Laura's story of her score and Arthur's previous contradictory
statement to the ',41fare worker that she had been brought up
from infancy in a Tionnesee orphanage. Three days later the
editor received another letter from Arthur. Thins were not
moving fast enough to suit him
"Des 1,411tor," it read, "1 wrote a pioe and aut in the
paper a few days ago about me leaving the T.B. Sanatorium bea
cause my wife was at Home on lAarvation, it seems as Though
the Circumstances are not any better yet for an at Home
with a Chronic Cold and two *boost teeth and a High fever
Caused by a Cold and t4,13, oombined The loctor said. He would
reeonsider taking me back in the Janatorium the first Vacancy
He Had,
'lama wednesday mornini the Case worker Came to my House
and gave my wife what they Call the Commodity order which is
a order to go to the old Zell on mint Ot. and it Commodit7s
which is a federal Surpulus Supply sent here for the needy So
me and my wife took the order and went to the old :ail and
got in has at nine ofolook in the ,Aorning so after staying
in line until one block firmly got our order filled whioh
Consisted of a 121 pound bag of flour and Half bushel of
*pales two Amide of butter two messes of prunes. they tell
me that they give different t'in3s each issue day which is
twice a month, they told my wife to Come back the 11th of
nov, so the butter and prunes Have already exNausted only
apples and flour left, no oil to cook the bread with or
grease to put in it, and me very sick.
'so when it comes breakfast time I :let me a raw apple and
eat it and at twelve T. do the eau e th:ng and also at supper
time, oh DIA I was about to for -!et the old saying apple a day
keeps the Doctor away, Dut thren a plea a day given by the
Goverment will keep the welfare away, The Case worker said
that some ten days ago my wife was .Avrtifird to the (PA and
then the reAar order was stopped if they ev r was started
was more than I ever knew of. my wife Resent 1ot her natio*
to go to work yet. After she starts to work she will Have to
work two weeks before her time is went off then it will be
another week before the Check Can get back from Raleigh.
"one thing the lord has blessed no with that is it Has
been nice and warm. if it Had been cold we would of done and
froze for we dont Have any fuel to make a fire with, it has
been over a -aonth now sinee T Had to quit work on the account
of Having T.B. When I first found out T had T.B. the Health
Department notifi(A the welfare and told them all about my
Condition and that I would Have to Have Help so they promised
60 send a food order but I never did get it. Of Course there
is Plenty of acorns in our yard 'robably they think I am kin
to the Squirrell eneration.
a y one doubts my statement they are more than welcome
to Come and see for themselves I live or rather exist at WC
z;enth ,hurch it. Proof of the trueness of any state Asnt
that 7 Have made to the press or welfare :mpt will be furn-
ished upon request.
"I would of been ir the Sanatorium t is day taking treat..
ment 11}ce should if the welfare would of did an they promised.
they :Iromised to look after my wife with she Could f;et to
worl-c and draw her first Check. romisws we all that it was
thou;h for they sure did not do anything for her thwt is why
I left the ,,anatorium. Can you imavine the cony I am suffer-
ing knowln3 that my wife Hes to to bed with out anything to
eat* And I an not able to do a thin bout it either for this
Chronic ColdadTBcombined Has lot me whereIhave to stay
in bed.
"But 1 cant rest I eri falling fast. I feel. Ms I Have
Lost several pounds in the last week. rail as it is getting
late I think I will eat another apple and call it supper and
try to ,3o to sleep."
(Signed) Arthur Manley
000 J. Church St.
Charlotte, N. C.
Calls to the County ',sitare and the T;PA revealed that
Arthur had been taken beak to the Sanatorium that day and that
Laura had been assigned to a v;PA sewing projeet.
About a WeeK later Arthur starte.d a fire at the -anatorium
by throwing a eiaretto into a wastebasket when he heard a
nurses footsteps. Paper blazed xi') and the flame caught a
curtain* The nurse put out the fire, but Art'ur came close
to being sent home from the hospital* lie had become so con.
°lilted over having letAms 7)u lished In a newspaper and so
cooky over the publicity that he was almost um:Anageable.
Laura was naking about 11.6 a month on PA, piecing quilts
for the poor. he worked six wf-eke and then the project Was
Gloated. December 16 she was out of a job.
TWo days after Christ -as I went to her house. The thumbs.
twist bell wee broken, but someone had taoked a clean pleas
of Nottingham lace across the inside of the glass half of the
door. winged cupids flew through the net above a scalloped
sea. There was a pink bench on the porch with a plush -covered
automobile seat across it.
An old woman answered the knock and beckoned without a
word. She hunohed down the hall wit'l an economy of motion
that suggested she might be in great pain. I stopped at the
last door but she looked me on.
Laurate room was off the back porch. Another old woman came
out as I was about to go in. he wore a dirty mobeap. Her
face and clothes were dirty. Her dirt- hair stuck out in
strands with corru7:ated ends, remains of an old, ()heap perm.
manent. he looked a thousand years old.
Inside the room Laura and still another old woman set
around a small red-hot stove. This old woman was clean as
a new kettle. The room was stifling with hot stale air, but
she wee wrapped in a coat.
*Yeah, sure I know you, Laura said, smiling. °You're
the one (tome with the man. say, you know that tumor I had?
Well, itge a -kicking and jumpint around. Five months.
"No, I ain't been to the °lint°. I ain't felt 10011 enough
to. I wrote a letter this mornin' to the cisewort:or and told
her bout the baby, but I'm so nervous and jun77 I'm 'fred
somep'n might happen 'fore she can let here."
he had gained about twenty pounds and the seams of her
print dress had burst almost from the knee to the armpits.
Her ankles were badly swollen, her eyes were darkly sunken.
The rin3lets had straightened out and were hanging lank
a;ainwt her head. But she seemed to be more alive than
before.
n!yo Arthur, he's doint all right," she said. "I's soared
to tell him bout me losint my job, fear he might run off
again. But he said they'd take care of me after the way
he come home last time.
"L's see, I still got 'bout six dollars. riranny...wthat's
this lady hem...she says I can stay here in her roam till
the relief starts, and then too, it I want, so she can take
oars of me. Arthur said he thought I better, but I don't
know. granny's near eighty. I d hate her to have to 3et
up in the night if my time acmes. Them "altars people oughts
give me 'nough money to o somewheres a strong person eould
take avre of me."
3he looked at me questioningly, hesitantly, and finally
made up her mind,
"Looka here," she said. "1 ain't well atall. The casfoo
worker won't get my letter till in the mornint and I'm nerWenes
waFA her now and it's awmost time for the place to close.
will you go call her up andtell her to eome nom/ Tell her to
hurry up and earn. rilht novil"
It was a command, not to me, but to the caseworker.
After five minutes in that room, fresh Gold air would be
weloome, so though 1 did not believe Laura was in urgent
need of attention, I hurried out.
The publicity Artur's case had brought was resented by
the Welfare Alency. The easeworker was disgusted to hear
of Laura's pregnaney.
"Oh, Law she said. "Well, if she's only five months
she can wait till Vonday."
A week later Laura said the caseworker' had never 001101.
She was scornful of the woman for Wag snide and tricky.
"And that other one said they'd give me relief."
This was an indietment of the one who was not "the other
one," and who poseibly would not have told her, for all the
know.
"Said I had to have it and they'd hafta give it to me."
"Then another one name to see you?"
"Maw. Looked like she wasn't comint so I went there.
he wasn't there. ,Tunny took me. I ouzhtn't to have to go
out big like t: is."
Granny spoke up.
"Them people** she said, shaking her heed.
Laura smiled at the old woman.
AI hope they start it soon,' she said. *Here I sm
Lag' on Granny, and they don't give her only $1, a months"
"Teem, I ets the pension, too, ma'am,* Granny said.
Fver'body in this house 7,-ts it. All seven of Ism. They's
all real old people like as that can't do no work and ain't
got no children to do for tem. rscopt is Allenson. She
sews around some, so they don't zive her but *10. 3he's
got two rooms. .The manages the houeu, too.
*Yeah, she makes a little,* Laura said.
5oth volt's* held respect with the overtones of fear.
Arthur's first letter had said: A and the landlady
taking the top off the house because my wife could not pay
the rent."
"When I get it '11 made eight,* Laura said gaily. *Then
I'll !seep buy coal. "ou ear see we ain't got &warm a fire's
we had last time. That's cause the coal's low and its
most a week till Granny's °heck comes. When T let mine I'll
be -hie to -et food for both of us and pay her beak same. I
a
can hetp with the rent. 3eems like a dollar a week's/awful
lot to pay for one little old room,
*Not no nice room, neither,' Granry mumbled.
wv,ieue4me a ninute, will you':' Laura said suddenly. she
went into the alcove which formerly must have been the kitchen
closet and her she name out she smelled to heaven of perfume.
"Yamma's people come up there ro eorgial dorft know
why. Her name was Carrie. Carrie Lou, Carrie Lou Wilson.
'As was a whole lot youkserfn him. He was workin then at—
someen....somepfn funny. rind of like a Aim, yet not. In
the osound, like a raine, yet not deep in the ground. I know*
A whorry. He worked in the rook whorry.
"Jo they got married, When 1 was five years old he died.
Lio Vamma moved over to Lurphy and kepf a boarding house for
lolgers. I can't remember zuch but the cold winters. She
didn't treat me so bad then, and I went to school to the
fifth grade.
"Then she married with 70 es. :eter .:oss, he was. He
was not no logger. He'd been work1nf in the eo;per mime
in Tinnietwe but his uncle let! him a farm, su he come home.
",a11, from time first one come, she started in on *lek.
Zerry, y real brother, was 'bout rown.-he was olderfn me
so he lit out. Suet couldn't stand her or him neither. I
ain't heard of him Bones. Don't SROM like nowI never had
no brother.
"So there won't nobody to take 11:) for me. Uy law. Look
like everfthin4 that made her mad she'd take it out on me.
:Aiek of stovewood, po%er, meat ex, butcher IcA.fe, shoe,
skillet, or just plain hand —she just had to hurt as somehow,
snft a day in them ten years 1 wasn't full of scabs and
sores and cuts and bruises.
"It s em like 1 didn't have no senae about it. .:held
haul off and thtow sanepti at me or c7,out me over the had
and ltd just stand there and wouldn't do nothint. Look like
that made her all the madder, but I never could do nothint,
somehow. I'd be there yet -if she wouldn'ta kilt me.. -if it
hadn't been for Via oss.
oho was Peter's aunt. be (was to me one day and said
she'd written to the County tthorities 'bout the way Mamma
was treatin' me.
"Law, if they didn't have a big trial' They put me u'
there on thr stand for a hour and a half. 1 showed tee all
the scarsI could without it beim' bad. The judge set me a
whole lot 0' questions, Then Mamma, they lilt her on the
stand. Be tat her why she done it and she said it was 'cause
kioXed the Littleton and tried to kill tem. That's the
oiliest time 1 ever called anybody a lie. I jowled up and
butted riVIt in and hollered at her, 'You're just a US$ 1
never done that.'
"The judo Atid, 'Laura, did you do that?' I said 'No,
sub, course not,' and he said I thought not, So he give
her two years in the worhouse or $200 fine.
Peter ?aid it out, so she never went. Peter had money.
The farm was prett: good sine —four big bottoms and two bill
aid g. Lie had a orchard. Apples mostly, and some peaohes,
but not no oringes or bananas,
"I eouldn't a) back to ''eterls after that vu) the judge
said I better go out to the Cherokee County Home. I done
that and worke-d for ly keep two years, wastin'
the old people and wshint dishes and eleanine
wA$11, I couldn't stay there the rest of my
Home's for 21.4. folks --so 1 got out and went to
little kids for people. ":ent over to Andrews,
mile from !:urphy, and done that. That's where
clothes for
up.
life --County
work tendin'
'bout twe've
1 lot sick.
Just fell over one day in the awfullest hurtinl you ever seen.
"They took me to the hospital in 411(va and took out my
appendlok. I was awful sick. Look like 1 didn't have the
will to ,,(at well. Course 1 couldn't work, so they sent me
back to the County I was a reeler inmate 'bout three
months. Didn't raise my hand.
',Then 1 got my nervous breakdown. I was awful nervous
and kinds jumped around. .A-Ametime I'd lo kinda stiff. Then
I'd opt to erying and couldn't quit. They said it mighta
been on account of how Mamma done me, but Idon't know. They
sent me to the ',Ante Hospital nt rorganton. I was there six
years. Law, there was some o0 the craziest people there I
ever seen.
"I kep' writine Arthur --yeah, met him beak in Turphy
and we'd 4ot engaged --to 4o on and Aet him another girl if
one come along, but he never. At least-- a spasm of feeling
crossed her tech.. "at least m the one he married. Ula and
and his sister come and lot me last January. The twentr-flith,
it was. e lived here in Charlotte with her then so we eame
on dawn h,re and the nett day we got married. January the
twenty-sixi. 1938. 7,11 never for7et that. I can't reeall
the name ot tl-e preacher, but it was at the....the...-the :4theldts
'etheldis Chureh. 'ghewl t. at was a mouthful, but I got it
cat**
Arttair had told us that they had bee. married three years
and that she had never had to work.
wrhe rest ain't nothini.
r,ence then -•well, we just been
livint. That's all you can may. Jo you see it ain't nothint
to make a story."
It was easy to see why Arthur had lied to the caseworker
about Laura having been brou3ht up in a Tennessee orphanaTe.
Though she looked lumpish and'plaeid, her foot kept tapping
and she shifted about continually.
I ain't as nervous as I was when I went to Yor7anton,"
she said. "But I sure do et real nervous sometimes. Thetis
why I wanted that caseworker so bad. all, I went to the
clinic the other day, but it was Ni;ger Day so they told me
to come back Tuesday. They'll tell me if ltm all right. I
guess I am. Arthur's doint fine now so thmt makes me feel
better."
6he went with me throu h the doorway and we stood at the
top of the beak steps. There was nothinl to look at but a
stretch of tin cans and stubble that wns bounded on the other
side by six Nero *hacks.
"Ain't pretty, is it," she said. Looks like thereto only
the one outhouse to those six houses but if you stretah around
thataway you can sce another one belons to that three ther*.
don't have muoh to do but look out the back window at them
niggers, and I never seen none of tem go in thattn me can see
'wept ones kt the other three houses."
There was no boredom or oomllaint in her tone that she
had no better entertainment than watohing her black neighbors.
An adolescent irl with a sly idiot foes came around the
house and stood at the foot of the steps staring at us.
"Hello, Jenny," Laura said kindly. "You run on and come
back again BJMO other time."
Jenny sidled off still staring over her shoulder.
"Ale ain't rilht bright," Laura said apologetically. As
She spoke, a beautiful and filthy little boy jumped out from
under the steps.
"Boo, May, boot" he shouted. "I was under dare all dt
Vmel"
"Hey, Timmy l'oy, hey: You wns a-hidint fro mei You
hadn't oulita hide from Mammy:"
was des playint," he laughed. "Boo-oo-oo..00.-ooh:"
He galloped off.
"Course ltd give a thousand dollars if this bib hedntta
happened," Laura said, "But Bence it hasep.well, like
kids. You know that six dollars I had? ell, I went out and
got me a little pink blanket and a little blue blanket and
some little shirts end belly-bande and thins. Law, the little
thingts got to have somentil..
A small irl about seven peeped around the corner of the
house. A dingy uncovered bed pillow was balanced on her heed.
"1 heard your voice," she said flirtatiously.
Laura pointed at the pillow derisively.
"Law me, mies smith, do tell where you lot your new hatI"
Vies Smith delicately raised a hand and put the other
where a hip would one day be. he took a few minoing steps
and then 'witched a pert behind.
"Wily, °Is Vanier, 1 just paid a h1n4red doAllarp for it
at the store:"
Laura and the little girl threw up their hands and shouted
in delighted, contemporary laughter.