The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1860-02-17

nopgh: Still she vas longing, longing with
sicken'ng heart, to have her labor Re.
:scsn'zeo' to hear him now and then speak a,
u "er work was of some avail. "There il NOT
more tnan hve minutes work, and the tailor
Sould charge NE dollar" kept ringing in
But Lizzie was strong hearted. q. xeu o.
loving and dutiful. So she ,hool "A h.. ~
dlscontent. put on q smiling face. ,ool ~, M
'.e 1ao!' and sung her pretliest lullaby, car
I,eu n,m round, with his little head on her
shoulder, while she filed the tea-ke,tle, and
set Inc table, how and then setting him in
his cradle, and chirping to him as she did
anose things that required both of her hands.
lhus she worried through supper-eettiue.
and by much managing had all things ready
by the time Frank came in with his compan.
ions.
my coat dore, Lizzie?"
No, not quite"
"Ihats woman for re, bows. One half
Of them would let husband 20 out at the
elbows week, before they would turn aside
from any plans OF theirs. All the ironing
is completed, Ill be bound. Amt it SO, Liz
zie?'
| Lizzie WAS taking her biscuit out of the
oven, and the young men did not nee the
hush OF pain that flashed over her weary fea.
lures.
Will You bring in pitcher of water.
please = she said pleasantly, not seeming to
have heard the question.
There 1t is again when l was a bach,
had nothing to do but hand nv coat over to
tailor, pay him dollar, and it was done in
Jltfy, and no grumbling. NJ water to fetch
when fellows tired, either"
Lizzie vas tired, sad and nervous; want
OF sleep, and the exhaustion incident {. nur-
sing her beautiful boy, now SO near sick-the
hurrying to get time for the mending, not to
speak Of the disappointment of putting aside
ali her own plans. thus throwing her baking
anG ironing into one day, for both must be
done on the morrow, or the clothes would
mildew, and the boarders do without bread
all this was too much. Lizzie could not
endure his badinage, though half playful, for
she knew, and knew well, that if some such
thoughts were not in his mind, they would
not have found their way to his lps.
She hastily set the biscuit upon the table,
and saying. simply, "Supper is ready" STEP
ped into the bedroom, and burst into tears.
You may call her fool, if you will. l do
not. You might as we'll ask the withered
leaves not to fall, when the autumn gale
sweeps through them; as we'll ask the fow-
ers Lot to suffer the morning dews to exhale
in sunshine, as to ask tender, loving, sensi-
tive wife TO withhold her tears, when she
knows she is wronged. She NAV forgive,
she may look cheerlul-an hour after, bright
as the sky when the cloud has passed-6ut
she must feel: and it is only when her beau
tlful nature is DESTROYED; when, as is too Of
ten the case. :he very traits of character that
won husbands love turns to hate, that she
can bear from him slight or exaction with in
! difference.
Lizzies tears did not flow long; her heart
gained its natural relief, and after pretending
she was getting Walter to sleep, (which she
actually did, she bathed her eyes, and came
out, washed her dishes, and sat down again
10 the coat.
Frank sat watching her Aying fingers for
an hour or two. as he laughed and talked
with his friend. thinking to himself that eve
ry turn would be the last. At nine o'clock
she Set the last stitch. New facings had been
put in, and new pockets, the holes under the
arms neatly patched and darned, new cuffs,
new buttons, and new Innings all round. As
she finished. she losked up, with still shade
Of sadness upon her brow
There, Frank, have mended YOUR coat
thoroughly. guess it will last another year
nOW.'
Quite job, want it ? took longer than I
thought" said he, deprecatingly.
"liow much clear cash have you made to-
day, Frank? ?" asked Lizzie, in an earnest
tone.
"What dc you want to know for ?" was his
answer.
"For my own satisfaction. Certainly
should feel an interest in all Your affairs"
We'll, think the shop has cleared twen-
ty dollars"
"How much do you count your services
worth? p
Not less than five dollars day."
"How many hours do you labor ?"
"Ten is the legal time nowadays don't
generally work that many. But what's all
these questions for?
! because. Frank, We are husband and wife.
We expect to live the rest of our lives to-
gether. and If there is harmony in our mar
! riase relation, there must be Justice and right
You call upon me daily to appreciate your la
bors. and remind me of the comfort and sup
port you are giving me, and feel that ap-
precia,e anything YOU do. You have earned
; five dollars to-day, and the shop has cleared
twenty. Yet, to save you one dollar. have
worked ten hours on your coat, and six in
getting your breakfast, dinner and supper,
and making your home pleasant and comfort
able. To save you that dollar, have had to
hurry all day, to put all my work out of line,
and to really neglect our darling boy, who
should be our first care, and the last thing
that should, under any circumstances, be set
aside
Il had no idea, Lizzie, it would be such
job"
II know you had not, Frank, so shall
freely forgive you. but must insist that here
after must be allowed to be my own Judge
OF what work had best do, and shall not
expect to be threatened. nor hear myself ac-
cused of not being willing to do my duty"
), Frank felt the force of her words, and sat
silent.
"One thing more, Frank, want to say,
while am about it. don't want you to
talk about supporting your wife. / will not
be supported While am able to support my
self. fird, OH looking over my books, that
the profits Of my labor amount to FIVE dol
lars a week, and the board of Yourself, my
self, and baby beside. Then do all your
extra work ard my own. All this saving has
gone into your capital to be invested, and to
help make your twenty dollars day. Out
! Of this comes the FIVE dollars you call the
~ nrfh of YOUR DAYS work whii. I must labor