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What happened to Arthur Pepper, Max? 'Away' - off - or away dead? The treble bits in the final line do the job. Poor Bella. Hoo roo, Bill On 02/01/2013, at 8:47 PM, Max Richards wrote: > The Peppers of Meeanee > (Hawkes Bay, N.Z.) > > > Late Victorian/Edwardian Kiwis, > Mother's siblings came in quick succession: > these sons and daughters made the migrant > > Guthries proud. Donegal and the Shetlands > were lost places. But Robert's wife fell sick > and died; Bella his first-born must leave school > > to help. Robert and Bella managed, just - > some kids got some schooling, Kay (my mother) > even became a teacher. Bella wed > > a bandy little ex-jockey, farmhand > Arthur Pepper. What befell them next > was dire - Bella's head ached, she lost > > control of legs, arms and jaws. Doctors > in Napier guessed (this was in the '20s) > she must have a brain tumour. Rare was > > brain surgery back then, rarer was it > successful. The young surgeon who opened > Bella's skull was skilful and in luck. > > Survived, recovered, learned to walk and talk; > back home, resumed her family tasks. > Away they all went in turn, until > > the Peppers had only old Robert > to look after, bouncing grandchildren > on his lap, reading the Napier paper, every word. > > She got about on walking sticks > grateful for help - wood for the kitchen > stove, the fire that boiled the laundry copper, > > the water pumped from the artesian bore. > Arthur biked each day to whichever farm > needed him. Horses were way back > > in his past. Only at the pub did he > talk about them before the unsteady walk home. > With Bella (fumbled speech) it was the vege-patch, > > the chance of rain, the ailments > of the locals. We kids would ask > 'Why does auntie Bella talk like that?' > > 'Look closely at her tongue.' We did - it had > a jagged edge. Bella when the tumour struck > had bit, bit and bit her own tongue. >