Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-10-13
In Doors and Out.
BY MRS. JULIA A. CARNEY.

By MRS. JULIA A. CARNEY.
aHow pleasant IL looks out there, "
murmured Mira johnson to herself, az
she stood upon the doorsteps, with the
breakfast bell raised in her hand. She
paused moment ere she rang, to enjoy
the cool breeze and look upon the picture
before her.
It was one of those close, sultry morn
ings which sometimes come, even in the
early spring, to enervate the frame and
make the labors of life seem irkscmc.
Out of doors there was light breeze,
and as she stood there in the shade and
felt it fan her heated brow, it seemed as if
it must be happiness enough to have ones
work out in the pure air OF heaven. The
sky bent down so lovingly, IS If to inclose
the world in fond embrace; the trees
were 80 beautiful In their new wealth OF
foliage; in the distance she could see the
cleaning river, and she knew the flowers
were springing 30 brightly in the shell
tered hooks along its banks.
Oh, If she only had time TO run down
and get her sonnet No, it was impossi
BILE. She was late already, and she rang
the bell with sn energy born of fear, lest
she should give way to the sudden tempta-
ton.
"Glad to hear it at last" muttered
Farmer johnson, as he started for the
house at quick pace. II began to think
she was going 10 stand out there all day,
idling away her time while we were
starving" :.
"HoW very warm 1t IS this morning"
remarked Mrs. Johnson, as she poured
the coffee.
"Guess you'd think so, if you had to
work out in the broiling sun this morn
in," growled the husband. "You VIM
min folks, who don't have anything to do
but to stay In the house all the time, cont
know what hot weather is."
Mrs. johnson thought of the kitchen In
which she had toiled all the morning.
She had LAID the table in the shaded porch.
She thought OF the hours she must yet
spend over the stove, ere the large IRON
ing and baking would be done, and din
ner ready for the hungry household. She
felt the cool breeze upon her brow; she
smelt the breath Of spring, even amid the
savory odors of the breakfast, and she
really was not in q state OF mind just
then to appreciate the privilege OF "stay-
ing in the house all the time"
al suppose the violets are in blossom, y
she answered, rather absently; "did you
see any as you come siongT
"No; had something else to think OF
besides flowers. Ii don't get that corn
cultivated pretty soon, We shall have to
eat weeds instead of corncakes for break
fast, reckon"
Perhaps his cornfields would not have
been injured by q pleasant answer to his
wife's question, but she did not say 80.
The little sigh was not intended as re-
proof to his want of sympathy, but to
herself for having for moment expected
it.
"Men can't understand women" she
said to herself softly, as she cleared the
table and went to her ironing. The little
sigh came again, however, and vague
wish that she had known this great truth
In her girlhood.
School time soon arrived, and the little
ones were to be gathered from all kinds
of exploits by the brook and from the
fields. They were to be washed and
dressed, and started on their way to
school, with clean faces and nicely conbed
locks, books all in order, and good din
ner in the basket.
Then the mother looked after them .
moment with pride and pleasure. Her
face frightened, and a smile, fair as in her
girlhood, passed over her mstrOn face.
Jennie's eyes were blue as the violets, and
Minnie's hair as golden as the sunshine.
Their "Good.by, Mother" rang in her
ear more sweetiy than the wild bird song,
and she went back TO the heated kitchen
and ardous tolls with pleasanter thought,
and therefore swifter steps.
"Foe nothing like the heavy step
Betrays the heavy heart"
Farmer johnson had something else
70 think about besides flowers" but some
how his surly answer to his wife's ques-
ton kept intruding upon his thoughts all
the morning; was it because her only re-
ply was the one little sighi
"What was the use OF . woman's think
ing about violets when she ought TO be
thinking about her work. Well, well
Edith always was fond OF flowers, and
she has little enough time to cultivate or
to gather them now" He wondered II
she ever thought OF the time when abe
had nothing else to do but to gather al
Lies flowers at her sweet wuf
A dim remembrance Of tho time when
he would have walked miles TO have
brought her some rare flowers, was in his
mind, q be turned little out of the beat
en- path, and with the excuse that he was
tired and would rest . moment in the
shade, at down upon the violet bank 1t
was but few moments, yet when he
turned again to the homeward path, his
ilbrowned hand was filed with dow
ers.
"Here's your posies," said he, rather
roughly, q he laid them on the dinner
table.
"Oh! how beautifully n she exclaimed,
almost dropping plate of food in her
eagerness. "Here are violets and spring
beauties, and, oh, here IL darling arbut-
n. How kind In you to gather them tor
ma"
The one little oct Of which the farmer
was half Ashamed had frightened the day
to his weary wife. Yes, and it, memory
would tighten many weary steps to come.