HOUSE-CLEANING 55 



thin and nervous. I tried to moderate this pro- 

 pensity, but with no result. Anderson could not 

 be trusted with horses, or, indeed, with animals 

 of any kind, for he made them as nervous as 

 himself ; but in all other kinds of work he was 

 the best man ever at Four Oaks. He worked 

 for me nearly three years, and then suddenly gave 

 out from a pain in his left chest and shortness 

 of breath. I called a physician for poor Ander- 

 son, and the diagnosis was dilatation of the heart 

 from over-exercise. 



"A rare disease among farm-hands, Dr. Wil- 

 liams," said Dr. High, but my conscience did not 

 fully forgive me. I asked Anderson to stay at 

 the farm and see what could be done by rest 

 and care. He declined this, as well as my offer 

 to send him to a hospital. He expressed the 

 liveliest gratitude for kindnesses received and 

 others offered, but he said he must be indepen- 

 dent and free. He had nearly 11200 in a sav- 

 ings bank in the city, and he proposed to use it, 

 or such portion of it as was necessary. I saw 

 him two months later. He was better, but not 

 able to work. Hearing nothing from him for 

 three years, a year ago I called at the bank 

 where I knew he had kept his savings. They 

 had sent sums of money to him, once to Rio 

 Janeiro and once to Cape Town. For two years 

 he had not been heard from. Whether he is liv- 

 ing or dead I do not know. I only know that 

 a valuable man and a unique farm-hand has dis- 



