Jist backards differnt from Sister Simpson, is Abner's woman, Elizabeth. She takes to work jist as willin as the ordinary run of wimen does to buyin a hat. She's as stout as a white oak stump and can stand up to hard work as good as arry mule you ever seen. She's most ginerally allus up fore good day a cleanin and a stewin and a fretting till night and never slows down a minit. If she aint out in the field a heppin with the crops, abody'll more'n likely find her out back a makin soap and then while she's a restin she'll take a damp rag and go over ever stick of furnchur in the house three or four times a day. Bout twiset a week she'll take ever dish outa the safe and kubbard and scour the shelves on the top and bottom sides both. Ever so oftin the pickchurs has all got to come down offen the wall so's she can wipe the back of the frames off and hits a sight to see her standin up on a chair a blowin the dust outa the clock with a fan. Yessir, she jist ain't happy lessin she's bent over a warsh tub or choppin wood or sumpin. She's got to keep hersef bizy or she'll claim she aint airnin her salt. She wont no more think of lettin a blad of grass grow in the yard than nuthin for she bears the n ame of keepin the best swept yard they are in the cammunity, and she sorter prides hersef in the way she's got the flower beds outlined with empty snuff bottles. Hit aint been more'n a couple of year back when she got so aggervated with hersef cause she had to take outa the field one afternoon bout two hours by the sun on acct. of gettin over het. She was shamed of hersef over it and laid it onta puttin up some canned fruit and makin some hominy by pourin hot ash water over some shelled corn fore ever she went to the field that mornin.

Elizabeth never goes nowhar. There she is goin at it from airly mornin till dark making hersef bleave she's bein drove to death by hard work. If she ever sets down to rest, she'll first fill the tea kittle and set it on the stove so's when it biles over she'll have to git up and pour the water out. Reckon why some fokes has got to be like that.


-From "Lum and Abner and Their Friends from Pine Ridge, By Themselves"