| CADDO, OKLAHOMA A TOWN
THAT GOD BUILT
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| I
feel like it was God's blessing for Ma and us five children, that the
horse got sick, and we turned back to the little town where we had spent
the night before. Our money was just about gone by this time. We fell
into the hands of the most wonderful people in the town of Caddo. As
soon as the people of this town found out we were broke and Pa was sick,
they began to come in to inquire about our needs. For some time our Pa
and Ma held back and wouldn't own up to being broke till one day the
Mayor of the little town came and visited my sick Daddy and explained to
Pa and Ma that it was the duty of the town to come and talk with them
about their finances, and that it was Pa's and Ma's duty to tell them
their circumstances. Finally my mother came forward and told the Mayor
that she couldn't hold out any longer. Our money was exhausted and she
had nothing in the house to feed the children. The Mayor went back to
town and in an hour or so they sent the dray wagon to our door and
filled our shelves full of all kinds of good food. From that day on, our
shelves were full of good things to eat. Today I am seventy-seven years
old and if I live to be twice that age, I'll never forget the good
people of Caddo, Oklahoma.
YOU CAN'T OUT RUN DEATH On the sixteenth day of August Pa died. He left Ma and us children without a dime and a long way from home. Ma took us out into the country and we picked cotton for about two months. We got enough money for a train ticket back to Arkansas. No, my advice is for a man not to sell his all when he gets sick and start out traveling, thinking he can escape death, for death is sure and we can't run away from it as my Pa found out. My Ma and us children were left, in a bad way, far from home and friends of ours. No one can run away from "OLD MAN DEATH". We all have to come to this crossing. 14 |