American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-06-12
Sfllsttllantons,
A WIFE'5 sTRATAGEM.

peacefully in the morning without
this everlasting racket? Children
crying-doors slamming! 1t is too
bad What can be the meaning of
ali q; uprOar 2
Mr.. teston shut the door of his
bedroom with Il bang, and came
savagely down stairs to the nursery.
Mrs. FeStOn sat before the fire.
trying to quiet the screams of an
eight months old baby, while a rosy
boy of five years lay on the floor,
kicking and crying IN an ungovern-
able fit of childish passion.
Laura, what is the meaning of
all this noise, and are you aware that
it is fifteen minutes past nine O'Clock T?
Do you know that breakfast is wait
ingY
Il know, John, DEAR said Mrs.
Feston, nervously. Come, Freddy,
you are going to be good now,
mamma is sure, and get up to be
Washed
No o-oP roared Master Freddy,
performing tattoo on the carpet
with his heels and clawing the air
furiously.
what, you little scamp, do yon
refuse to obey your mother? Well
soon put stop to that, my fine fel-
lowr And in another moment Mr..
Feston had picked up the kicking
Fred, carried him to a c.oset, and
locked him in it.
Now, sir, you can cry it out at
your leisure. Laura, nurse is wait
ing for the baby. Well 60 down to
breakfast
But, john hesitate0 his wife,
you won't leave Freddy there ?
Wont! | will Its temper, and
nothing else, that is at the bottom of
all these demonstrations, and | in
tend to conquer that temper 1t
ought to have been checked long
ago, and would have been but for
your indulgence. There is nothin.
| have SO little tolerance for as bad
temper-nothing that ought to be so
promptly and severely dealt with
But if he'll say he's sorry, John /!
Mr. Feston raped sharply at the
door.
Are you sorry for your naughti-
ness, you little vagabond p
A fresh outburst of screams aud
tattoos was the answer.
l am sure he's sorry, john plead
ed his mother
/ Mr.. Fcston shook his head.
| Eptira on hnicSian I,
thing l will listen to- he said shortly
{ l tell you, Laura, | am determined
to uprOot this temper
Laura, with moisture ShadOwine
her eye-lashes, and a dull ache al
heart, followed her husband to the
breakfast table.
Mrs. Feston's maiden aunt, an
elderly lady of severe countenance
and circumspect appearance, was
seated at table, rigid and digniticd
with fan tiuttering occasionally be
fore her aQuiline nose. She opened
her eyes rather wide as the two en-
tered.
Good gracious, Laura, what's tht
matter?
Nothing answered Mr.. Feston
tartly.
Something is the matter though
What is it, Laura Has John hat
one of his tantrums ?
John sat down to his coffee cul
with slight bang.
You use very peculiar expires
siOns, Miss Wesley
What is it, Laura 2 said Mis-
Wesley, without noticing what b
said.
Its only Freddy, who feels a lit
tie cross, and
A little cross = interrupted th
indignant husband, tell you, Mrs
Feston, it is quite time that his ten
per was checked. Confound tina
parrot what an intolerable screecl
ing he keeps up. Take the inferna
bowler into the kitchen, or l sha
wiring his neck. It's shame tLat
man can't have q little peace one
in a while! What ails these egg.
Mrs. Feston? l thought / had aSl,
ed you to see that they were boile
fit for Christians to eat =
Mr.. Feston gave his egg, shell an
all, a savage throw into the graf
And the plates are as cold as
= stone, when I've implored again an
again that they be warmed. I'll IL,
: eat another mouthful of breakfa,
} this morning
And lie pushed his chair bac
L violently, and slamming tie doc
> after him, left the room.
!, Mrs. Feston rose quietly from I'll
> table. and followed her husband L
stairs, knowing that in his prescl
state of MUD he would be though
s less enough to bang and slam abo,
p everything that he imagined was
II his way, or that he could vent Ii
le anger upon.
r She found him standing in fro
e of his bureau drawer, tlinging Shirt
c, collars, cravats and stockings rec
IS lessly upon the floor.
i 'Pd like to know where my han
he kerchiefs aIe, Mrs. FestOn p he c
i claimed angrily. THE condition
n my bureau is enough to drive
man crazy!
"It is enough to drive a won;
If crazy, l think . said Laura, piclii
rs up the scattered articles.
#. were at the bureau last. 1t is yO
ro own fault
,c My fault; Of course it is l
ST fault + snarled Mr.. Feston, giyi
.s his wife's poodle kick that sent
howlIng to its mistress. 'Anythl
but awoman's retorting, rccrimin
be ing tongue. Mrs. Feston, | wo
lS endure it any longer!"
IS Neither will L. said Laura re
oi lutely advancing as her husba
ut plunged into the closet for his bu
ISL ness coat and shutting and locki
w. the door
Il think I've endured it quite lo
rr- enough. and here is an end to il
is Mrs. Feston, open the door
lp ] shall do no such thingn
Mrs TcSton." Ioarcd her h