Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1868-04-18
TALES AND SKETCHES.
EASY WAR R E.S.

Raymond Warren was "nice man
everyltody's clever fellow" as heard a
| public man once remark, "a very extensive
| Office" with numerous duties never Gis-
charged. Raymond used to sit in the chin
nev corner late, very late on q winters
night, because he was too shiftless to get
| ready for bed. But after while the fire
burned low-the glow on the embers faded,
| and it grew cold in the chimney corner /;
then Raymond became chilly, and would
sneak to rest, where his wife perhaps had
been for several hours, .endeavoring to re-
cover from the severe fatigue of a days
work, into which had been crowded the
greater portion of her husbands Legitimate
duties. Raymond owned large farm, left
him by his father. 1t was good land, but
the fences were not in repair, and everybody's
cattle roamed through it's fields, and Ray.
mond's crops were not sufficient to yield
the family decent support. The farm had
once been well stocked, but for want of
proper attention the cattle became poor
the sheep were never folded, even in the
most rigorous weather, and many of them
died. The wool was never properly shear.
ed and washed, and when taken to market, it
would not bring the market price. Had it
not been for Raymond's wife, who was
business woman, the family must often have
suffered for the common necessaries of life.
Raymond's chores were rarely attended
to by himself; but was neighbor sick. no
man was more willing to work in his place.
He was relied upon as the man who would
always neglect his own interests, to look
after those of others. He would never set
himself at his own farm. work, but he was
considered an cxcellant hand when to oblige
a neighbor, he took job in his field
1t was n bleak morning in mid winter.
Raymond Warren's wife was in the barn
yard foddering the cattle: Raymond was
in bed. The light of brisk fire which his
wife had built shone directly in his face
1t awakened him, the room was warm and
Raymond was persuaded by its inviting ap-
penrarce. lie sat down by the fire place in
his shirt sleeves and waited for his wife to
come and get him some breakfast. As he
warmed his feet ne felt that he had reason
to congratulate himself on his happy situa
tion, and he said to himself:
"Taint every mans got such wife. az
Lave. Here she's made good FIRE, and I'll
| bet all the chores are done"
The chores were done. and Raymond had
scarcely finished his soliloquy, when the
useful wife FASTENED to the fire place to
warm her hands which had become tho
roughly chilled bv the cold handle of the
pitchfork, with which she had been throw
ing hav and straw to the cattle.
1t might he supposed that these occur
| rences took place early in the morning; not
so. II was ten o'clock when Raymond
Warren left his bed His wife had been
sewing two hours before she prepared his
breakfast Then she urged Raymond for
an hour longer to get up. He made fair
promises but left them all untitled. She
waited until it was nine o'clock. and then
knowing her husbands easy habits, and
ashamed to have the cattle unfed at that
hour OF the dav, she determined to attend
| to their wants herself.
Raymond's first salutation to her as she
stood by the fire, was,
II wish had some. tea. -Sally-but never
| mind, you've put the things away-a little
warm water, with little milk and sugar in
! 1t, will do just as well, and while you're
about 1t you may get me little piece of
bread but just as you choose; no matter
about it, anyhow. 'Taint every mans got
such woman for wife"
She might have answered:
ut is not every woman that has such a
! husband"
But she knew such remarks would only
make bitter feelings, and though fatigued
with the violent exercise she had taken,
she went cheerfully and prepared her easy,
good natured husband a cup of tea, a slice
of toast, and then asked him if he would
not cut some wood.
ITO be sure will" was his response.
His breakfast over, he took up his axe and
mounted the wood pile and cut half dozen
sticks, when along came neighbor, who
wanted Raymond to accompany him to
the saw mill about two miles distant, and
assist in loading upon sled some boards
which had been sawed for him-of course
1 Raymond went, and his wife was compel
led to cut wood enough to keep the house
warm until the following day.
Mrs. Warren was, in appearance, feeble
woman, but she had endured hardships
which would have destroyed the constitu.
tion Of one much more robust. Day after
day her strength failed her, yet she made
no complaint. Raymond saWthat she grew
| pale, and was often disturbed with fears In
regard to her, but he was too easy to men.
ton the subject, and the useful wife became
more and more feeble, until she was seized
with violent cough. Raymond was one
day thoughtful enough to speak to the vii
lage doctor as he passed their home with
his ponderous medicine portmanteau on
his arm, and the benevolent gentleman.
who had some knowledge of Raymond's q
peculiar failings, left the woman an inno-
cent tincture, and forbade exposure to the
| cold atmosphere under any circumstances,
| and also declared that her complaint was
of character very much aggravated by Sc
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