The Portland daily press., 1871-06-03
SELECTED STORY.
From The Cbica 20 Evening JourhaI'
HOW I LOST MY WIFE
AND BABY.

HOW I LOST MY WIFE
AND BABY.
"Crutch & Armless" did a lively business
as whoIes ale gIocers. | was clerk In their
store. My name is DoraJ-Timoihy Doray;
nv wifeS name is Lefty, for short, and my
b tby--a mighty fine boy,b the ways nick
IAmpI fodder" Mission tunes, which it is
lot necessary to specify, have forced me 10
work at saary of seventy-fve dollats pc,
,nontn to support this family, whom l nou
Irarer than all else upon earth. Al lhe .init
al my loss. or rather in the iatter pa'. y
April with other clerks, laboreu carry anu
lue. night and day, the season OF trade
being unusually active, to which we added
nur preparations for removing, on the list OF
Nav To the new store OF the firm. business
kt ut me jumping all the time. l swallowed
nv breakfast al a few mouthfus in order TO
be on time at the store. l lived so far away
over two miles-that | could not 20 to din
ner Ohentimes went without my supper,
reaching home at eleven o'clock at night.
Consequently saw fodder to speak to him
only on Sundays, and my wife perhaps an
hour or two day. No wonder she was lone
some, and given TO imasinines OF the worst
kind as 10 my condition OF body, fancying me
dead or mu;iated, the victim of some dlre
casualty, whenever failed TO come home al
my usual time. All in all, it was dogs me-
but what can fellow do when he's as poor
as an ecclesiastical mouse?
One night Lefty asked abruptly, as L en-
tered, "Seen DIR. Craven to-day, Tim ?" The
Decor is our andord-an excellent man in
collecting his rents promptly, and without the
abatement OF penny.
.Nor' was my answer. "ItS not the brst
of the month";"
but he's been here. Our rent is to be
raised ten dollars a month from the first of
May" aud she drew back as if to study my
face under the effect OF the announcement.
Then as my lips were silent, she burst out
of course. Well live and
instead OF ourselves and baby"
away from the store to hunt up
Leave it to me! I'll get one nearer the
store, cheaper rent and newer building. 1t
can be done. I'll do tit you will let me-"
"Al right. / prcphesy tears for your
trouble" in warning way.
Not more than il we stay. You don't real
ize what have to endure, with no one but
Teddy to amuse me-"
kg.'Be more social with your neghbors, " sug-
gested.
''My neighborsw scorniuly. "That's inst
like man! Do you know who are our
neiehbors? OF course not! A prosperous,
Wholesale washerwoman on one side, and a
dlapidated old, quack, doctor and his num-
mitied vile on the other; in front parade
ground for geese. Visitors none-save that
Insurance solicitor, who seems 10 come only
when YOU can spend an evening at home, and
SO spoils my happiness by his figures. be-
a. h., toha fnrx ny will 70
what a dowdy! Dirty ribbons, and fingers
and nails, and a face painted SO much that it
cracks when she laughs. 1 shall die if l have
to stay"
$40 as you like, wife; but the time is short,
wish could CO."
"Hush not word. I'll be glad to do. it.
you good old man." skipping about like lit
tie girl. an begin in the morning."
The next evening was lucky enough TO
reach home by O'Clock, and to get hug and
kiss from fodder, mapping in his mothers
arms. He had been enjoying lie with the
. widow Martins little girl, next door, and so
his dissil alton kept HIM awake longer than
usual.
IL have seen one cottage that I think viii
please you," began my vie. "Its about a
mile from your store, and we have been liv.
ing two miles away. you know. Esss.s
"Horse cars or bus TO it?"
these at present. You must walk"
Cant do it,"
dit will do you good. Walking is health
full exercise. Lives of great men all remind
us. that they were pedestrians" she urged.
Cant help it. I'm not great man. Be-
sides I've corEs and"
"Cut emp speaking with quick decision.
"What are corns compared with health and
happiness? Nothino-absolute tIifles."
Aud "a baIa ttpa and rd apd paOb.
borhood? % were my next interrogatories.
'sShade trees-one currant bush! Yard
large enough Tor a cord of wood, sawbuck
and man to saw; and the neighborhood is
quiet and moral, being near small cemetery.
Well! l know you wouldn't like the place.
I'll search again to morrow"
"That's riaht DON'T despair. Get the boy
yard that shall be large enough to tan his
hide-by the sun, of course"
Timothy! How can you talk so about our
darling! Suppose we should lose fodder"
"We'll not suppose it. Try again, Lefty
Perhaps you'll run into an atom of Eden that
will come within the limits of our spinnerless
treasury We must leave here, as the Doc
tor has rented it. So he told me to-day.
Here's the morning paper. Let's see what
palaces want tenant!
In half an hour she had a long list of places
to see the next day. We must find some.
unpleasant, through economical.
1t was all settled the next night. | knew
itby her smiles. A lovely cottage situated so
and so with two large popars in front and a
back yard large enough 10 hold our weeks
washing on the line; half mile walk, with
buses, cars aud none of the modern improve
mentS.
"Hobson's choice, my DEAR" was my com.
ment.
"The best we can get for our money, ]
think" she replied.
That settled it. The next day would be the
first of May according to calenders aid land
lords. My wife kindly volunteered to super.
intend the moving, as should be busy all
day and night at the store transferring goods
Get the honestest and weakest looking
expressman you can find, and then fee! To
move successfully, my dear, is an act more
difficult than to win battle"
SIN theory, Tim, for you," said Lefty.
"For you, tomorrow, it will be practice"
A look OF grim resolution came over her face,
and | felt that we were already half moved
l signed the leases and then we went into
the different rooms together, that l might
say, or look good-byi
"We have been happy here" whispered my
wife.
''We shall not leave the dormant echo of
an unkind word"-which was the truth.
81 am thankful we have even this poor
SHELTER" said as l closed the door to the last
room visited, never again TO De opened to me.
| had gone some distance that evening
when it flashed upon me that in the confu-
sion of my mind incident to business at the
store and the many houses TO rent, about
which we had been talking, the location OF
our new home had passed entirely from my
mind. e. 80 -H
"Put it down on paper" l said TO my wife
after returning, 81 can't trust my memory for
day or two" l put the slip in my pocket
and turned away.
"Don't 20, Timw spoke Lefty, with SUD
den and unusual sadness in her voice. Her
eyes were fearful. 'It was bad luck to come
back again."
"Pshaw! An old woman's superstition. III
see you tomorrow, all costly settled. There!
Good bye! Goodbye, Todw
"Goou-bye, papaw cried Tod; which cry
heard until l turned the corner, thanking
God for giving me such good, patient, low
ing wife, and a boy that was as smart and
strong as could be found in the city. 'Tisn't
everybody has such blessings, nor the half of
world.
That was hard work we did that night and
day Tor "Crutch & Armless." Not minutes
let up until three O'Clock in the morning,
when we had hot supper and an hours rest
Then al it we went again for the day. | Ia
bored, with my thoughts, with my wife and
her share of my trouble, and with wonder
ings as to how she was getting along, and per-
formed my duties as mechanically as steam
engine. 1t was very long day to me; and
not one OF the men was more clad than |
when, early in the evening, Mr.. Crutch came
to the office door and said they thanked us
for ho1