Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-05-25
THE SURPRISE.
ny Mss nASNSAu y. LUST.
fFrom old and New.l


to thg corner Of our street, were more
blue md dismal than the day Mr.
Jamf Symonds had scolded his wife
becaase his breakfast was five min
utes laie, and because ono button had
como OF his working coat. Break
fast was always bchindhand he wa;
always late at his work, unless he
hurricd fast enough to break his neck
hi&tstions were always starting of
Tor want ora STITCH, something thai
wouldn't take half minute When
Mr., Symonds had said this he shut
thee door hard, and went miserably
down the street.
Cur neighbor's bad temper seldom
lasted ten rods beyond his home; his
repentance often came before he was
wei started on his walk and even
While he was uttering reproaches he
was dimly feeling that he should fee
miserable all that day-he always
was wretchcd when there had been q
fuss Of home. IL always had vision:
of Mary taken suddenly i'll, and Of the
house filled with neighbors trying tC
help her or Of johnnie terribly hurt
or Of the baby sick with the Group
All such days he trembled and turned
pale, whenever strange head appear
ed at the top of the open stairway
aud he would catch himself listening
to any strange voice in the shop be
low, droading lest messenger hac
come to summon him, on account ot
some fearful calamity. The shop wa,
too far oil for him TO 90 home to hi;
dinner he always took that mea'
with him in tin pail and when he
had gone TO his work in a pleasant
mood, he and half a dozen fellow
workmen sat down together, talking
over the news, and comparing notes
OF family expenses; or, when the boys
were away, telling stories of Their
children's progress in walking, talk
ing, etc. When, as it often happened
things went wrong in the morning
Mr. Symonds found that he must dc
crrands at noon then, after hurrying
down a few mouthfuls, he went out
and walked all the rest Of the hour
He could not bear laughing and talk
ing freely with his comrades while bis
wife was unhappy Many time he
would gladly have gone all tho way
to his house just TO see that Mary and
the children were all right, only he
was ashamed TO show her how troub
led he was; and be could no more
have put into words his sorrow for i'll
temper $50 he thoughD, than he could
have changed to real angel, then
there.
Mary, for her part, wonld have died
sooner than have helped on with any
such confession She always shut
her lips fast together, and went about
her work with the air of martyr
while her husband was in the house.
The forenoon was always passed in
recounting to herself tho wrongs and
injusticos Of which she was the victim
the number of things she had TO do
cooking, washing, ironing, sweeping
mcndng, with two troublesome chill
dren always 10 look aftor-one Just
running about, the othor in its cradle
bow could any woman see TO buttons
and get meals to a minute, when her
hands were tied half the timcl So
at home Mrs. Symonds dwelt on her
troubos, and worked a husbands un
kindness into tho washing, the
sweeping, the cleaning up generally,
cven into the washing and dressing
OF the little ones The sense Of inius
tico m5t her in all the familiar OBJ
jccts 10. her little kitchen; and when
she had carried Johnnie up stairs, aud
had set him in high chair, ont OF
harms way, while she made the beds
her cnimy had gone up before her
and mcting, tortured her there. She
wondcpd how it would be il she
were q die, whether James would be
sorry whether he would Learn how
much .ho had had TO do, and il he
would Got feel that he had been all %
blame But by-and bye, when the
houscwork was done up, her hair
combcl and her dress changed, as The
afternopn grow on, she thought less
of hosCf and her troubles, aud more
Of Johnnie's little spccchcs-whai
pain ID gave her to think how little
she had noticed them at the time; OF
the way baby was beginning to bold
things aud she longcd to tell James
these small marvols. She knew her
self too woll TO presume that she
would DO anything Of the sort Had
not her husband been cruel and un.
just; was it not his place TO make ad.
/ yatresY lie should at least say that
he ial been wrong, just that aud she
would overlook all. But sho would
like 70 have one talk with him, and
shog him how things really were
she Did think he oughtto see that now
he Cnly thought OF late breakfasts and
mising buttons, never Of her thousand
] toil9and cares. Perhaps, after all, il
would bo better II she or one of the
children should die then these miscr
ablC troubles would come to an end
she sbuidored rs she aid this about
the children, and didn't mean it at all
Mary, too, bad really her fears about
ithing dreadful happening to
James or the little ones, but she kept
it further away, and pretended that
she was courageous.
Late that afternoon, James, going
near TO The front shop.windows, saw d
man in chaisc below, lsaniog for
wari aud talking eargcrly to one OF
the firm. lie could not be mistaken
be saw bis master point straight up "a
the window where his own bench
stood, aud distinctly heard The Ques
I iion, "Nhat does the doctor say Y'-
The answer did not reach him, bu,
James turned deadly pale and sick
be staggared shuddoringly back 10
bis little corner, his whole body re
solved into the act Of listening. lie
knew that the strange man was com.
ing to find him, and he only waited
TO hear the dreaded step upon the
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