Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1871-06-08
THE BRAVE WOMAN.

lowed to sleep in the morning without
this everlasting racket raised about his
ears Children crying-doors slammiRg
I will know the reason of all this up
| roar
Mr.. Luke Darcy shut the door of his
bedroom with considerable emphasis,
and went straight to the breakfast par
lor.
Ali was bright and quiet and pleasant
there; the coal swapping and sparks lying
in the crate, the china and the silver
neatly arranged on the spotless damask
cloth, and the green parrot drowsily wink
ing his yellow eyes in the sunny glow of
the eastern window-Bedlam plainly
wasn't located just there, and Mr. Darcy
went stormingly up stairs to the nursery.
| All the field of battle was gained at
last Mrs. Darcy sat in her little low
chair before the fire, trying to quiet the
screams of an eight-months-old baby, scion
of the house of Darcy, while another-a
boy of five years-lay on his back, prone on
the floor. kicking and crying In an ungov-
ernable fit of childish passion.
Mrs. Dar-cy!" enunciated Luke with
| a slow and ominous precision, "may in
quire what all this means Are you aware
| that it is fifteen minutes past lime
O'Clock Do you know that breakfast is
waiting"
"I know Luke-I know" said poor,
perplexed Mrs. Darcy, striving vainly to
| lift the rebellious urchin up by one arm,
"Come, Freddy, you are going to be good
now, mamma is sure, and get up and be
| washed"
No-o-i" roared Master Freddy, per-
forming brisk tattoo on the carpet with
his heels, and clawing the air furiously.
Like an avenging vulture, Mr.. Darcy
pounced abruptly down on his son and
heir, and carried him promptly to the
closet, and turned the key on his screams.
"Now, sir, you can cry it out at your
leisure. Evelyn, nurse is waiting for the
baby. Well go down and breakfast"
but, Luke" hesitated Mrs. Darcy, "you
| won't leave Freddy there"
won't would like to know why
| not It's temper, and nothing else, that
| is at the bottom of all these demonstra-
tions, and I'll conquer that temper, or I'll
know the reason why. 1t ought to have
been checked long ago. but you are so ri
diculously indulgent. There is nothing L
| 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, Luke ?"
Mr.. Darcy raped sharply at the panels
of the door:
care you sorry for your naughtiness,
young man."
A fresh outbVrst of screams and a re-
newal of the tattoo was the answer.
"Pm sure he is sorry, Luke" pleaded the
all-extenuating mother, but Mr.. Darcy
shook his head.
Entire submission is the only thing 1
will listen to," he said shortly. II tell you,
Evelyn, am determined to uproot this
temper"
Evelyn, with dewy moisture shadow
ing her eyelashes, and dull ache at her
heart, followed her liege lord down to the
| breakfast table, with as little appetite for
the coffee, toast and eggs as might be.
A tall, blueeyed young lady, with pro-
fusion of bright chestnut hair, and cheeks
like rose velvet, was already at the table
when they descended, by the name of Clara
Pruyn, by lineage Mrs. Darcy's sister. She
opened her eyes rather wide as the two
entered.
"Good gracious, Evy, what's the mat
ter?"
Nothing" answered Luke, tartly
Mrs. Darcy, you appear to forget that l
have eaten no breakfast"
Something is the matter, though"
said Clara, shrewdly. "What is it, Eve
lyn? Has Luke had one of his tan
trums?"
Luke set down his coffee-cup with
sherp click.
You use very peculiar expressions,
Miss Pruyn."
Every true ones," said Clara, saucily.
Evelyn smiled in spite of herself.
cts only Freddy, who feels little
cross, and"
"a little cross" interrupted the indig-
nant husband. 81 tell you, Evelyn, it's
quite time that temper was checked. Oh,
that parrot! what an intolerable screech-
| ing he keeps up! Mary, take that bird
| into the kitchen, or shall be tempted to
wiring it's neck Strange that man can't
have little peace once in awhile! What
does all the eggs, Evelyn? l thought l
had asked you to see that they were boiled
fit for a Christian to eat"
Mr.. Darcy gave his egg, shell and all,
vindictive throw upon the CRATE. Evelyn's
brown eyes sparkled dangerously as she
observed the maneuver, but she made no
remark.
"And the plates are as cold as stone,
| when I've implored you, again and again,
that they might be warmed, Well, shall
eat no breakfast this morning"
"Whom will you punish mosta" de-
manded Miss Clara. Evelyn, sgive me
another cup of coffee; it's perfectly de-
lghtful"
Luke pushed his chair back with ven
geance, and took up his stand with his
back to the fire, both hands under his coat
tail.
"Please, SIR" said the servant, advanc-
ing, the gas bill; the man says would
you settle it while"
Mop roared Luke, tempestuously.
| I'll have no small bills this morning, and l
wont be so persecuted!"
| Mary retreated precipitately. Clara
raised her long brown eyelashes.
do you know, Luke" she said de-
murely, / think you would feel great
deal better if you would do just as Freddy
does-lie down flat on the floor and kick
your heels against the carpet for awhile.
It's an excellent escape valve when your
choler gets the better of you"
Luke gave his mischievous sister-in law
a glance that certainly ought to have ami
hiIated her, and walked out of the room,
closing the door behind him with a bang
that would bear no Interpretation. Then
Clara came around to her sister and
buried her pink face in Evelyn's neck.
"Don't scold me Evy, please; l know
I've been very naughty to tease Luke So"
| "You have spoken nothing but the
TRUTH" said Evelyn, quietly, with her
COfdl lips kCOupTesStu, dHu sCdIloI spOG
burning on either cheek "Clara, some
times wonder how I can endure the daily
cross Of my husbands temper"
Temper!' said Clara, with a toss of
her chestnut brown hair. "And the poor,
dear fellow hasn't the least idea how disa-
| greeable he makes himself"
"Only this morning." said Evelyn, he
punished Freddy with unrelenting severi-
ty for a fit of i'll huwor which he himself
has duplicated within the last half hour.
1 am not moralist, but it strikes me that
the fault is rather more to be censured in
a full grown, reasoning man than in a
child"
Evelyn" said Clara gravely, edo you
suppose he is beyond the power of
cure ?"
"I hope not !; but what can do?"
"Shut him up, as he shut up little
Freddy?'
Eveiyn's merry, irresistible laugh was
checked by the arch, peculiar expression
in Clara's blue eyes.
"The remedy needs to be something