Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-03-10
A CROSS WORD.

"Lucy, If you mean to sew this button
on, l wish you'd do it, | can't wait all
day p .. ..
Tom didn't speak cross, only emphatic;
but [ wss out of temper that morning,
and my head ached from sitting up too
late the night. before. Tom had gone to
a superior the second time since our
marriage-giyen by one of his bachelor
friends and had come home very much
the worse for it. 1t had provoked me
intensely. So [ had followed him to bed
in sullen silence, and awoke none the bet
ter pleased after my sleep, on the morn
ing alluded to. 70 make the matter
worse, just as he spoke to me about the
bottua, the knife I was cutting the bread
and butter with, slipped, iufctins deep
cash in my hand and the baoy awoke,
and sent up the sharp little cry from the.
cradle, all IN one and The same momen t..
"You can wait as we'll as [ did last
night !" l replied, sharply, really angry
at last. "Don't hurry NE, | do all [ can,
and more than am able to do with one
pair of hands "
Tom dropped his button aud turned to-
wards me with startled "Why Lucy -
Don't Lucy me p | retorted, throw
ing down the bread, and catching up the
baby, while Jbe blood streamed from my
hand over her white frock You We
done enough. you We broke my heart |
wish | had never seen you, wish | was
back with my father aud mother"
[ b.oke down with hysterical burst
Of tears, aud seeing the blood on my hand
Tom came and knelt down beside me.
Why, Lucy" he said, his voice and
eyes full of tenderness, You've cut your
hand Why didn't you say so? Here
give me the. child, while I bind it up; see
now it bIeeds.''
He held out his hand for the baby
but [ snatched her away, and went on
sobbing.
- Don't cry, Lucy" he continued,
stroking the hair back from her forehead
please don't. I know Eve done wrong
dear, but l didn't mean it, [ fell in with
some of my old companion. and they
persuaded me against my will. But it's
the last time, Lucy, the very last time
Why didn't l turn to him, then, aud
help and encourage him? Becanse my
mean temper got the better of my wo
mans heart.
"Oh, yes y I said sneeringly; sit is
easy enough to make fine promises, you
told me the same thing before. How can
you expect me to trust you now, after
last night Z"
Tom was spirited and quick tempered
great loving hearted man always are
He sprang to his teet like flash and be
fore [ had time to think or speak, had
left the room. [ tossed the child into
the cradle, and rushed to the door, but
1t vast o late, he was gone. [ Just
caught glimpse of him as he was turn.
ing the corner. -a
[ went back to the little breakfast
room How black and drear it looked
and what sharp, stinging thorn there was
at the bottom of my heart [ loved Tom
and he loved me. We had been married
on y eighteen months, and this was our
first quarrel. I sat down with the abe
in my arms, and fell to thinking. All
the old happy days came back; and one
in particular, when we sat in Dunbury
Wood. 1t was in autumn and all the
world seemed blaze of gold, as the sun
sank down, and as L sat there, with the
last rose of summer in my hair, knitting
a purse for Tom.
"Lucy" he said, as [ wove in the last
golden stitches, "you've knit my love
my very life--up in that purse. Tell
me now, before you finish it, how is it to
be? Am to leave you and-and-oh
[ won't think Of it esen-Lucy, it would
be too dreadful p az
"No, Tom," [ answered; "you are to
have the purse, and the hand that knit
it, too" 4u4 @ a
Poor Tom he cried then just like a
little child-he, the bravest man In the
town Of Maidstone
mo fault t. find, only he's little to
wild, too fond of gay company; but yon
must tame him as your mother did me
Lucy" H.2a
That was my fathers advice on our