Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-06-25
Five Minutes Work.
BY MRS. FRANCES b. GAGE.

few stitches into my coat; it's getting SO
shabby. uf00.ga HsSss.s SO lsFe0fe
"It's SO Frank; but really I think you
had best take it TO the tailor"
"Take tito a tailorl BY George! but
that's a huge idea. Why there's not five
minutes work to be done, and the tailor
would charge a dollar"
''Isuppose he would, but / dom see how
/ can do it to-day. Walter is very fretful,
and you know he kept me awake nearly
all nightr i-.a.,. 81, ,,
Little imp! it does not seem to me there
ever was so cross a young one. Always
some excuse We'll, you must mend my
coat, anyhow :isg fse.3. jas ,s .5r
! 81 will try and find time.n
I "Try LUST let him squat twill do him
good strengthen his lungs m
"Then, you know, it is ironing day."
/ "Well, how many more excuses? I'll
put it on, rips and all, if you are going to
make fuss.
''Oh, no, Frank did not mean to make
a fuss but it's long job, and one / am
not used to and with my dinner to get,
and baby, and ironing do not see yet,
how L can get it done, But I'll do my
best.u f.eI 81, b. ,rs .b.i..ro. ,fr
Such was the conversation that passed
between q young husband and O wife of
eighteen months standing.
Frank Burton was what the world calls
real driver. He made anything that
went through his hand insure to his own
benefit. = Everybody liked him because he
was so frank and withal SO honest and up
right in all his dealings with his custO-
mers.B He was well educated for business
man !; lived in society /; had made up his
mind that he could support wife, and, ac-
cording to his reckoning, save something
to boot. Yes, to be sure he could. There
were six dollars week for board, one dol
lar week for washing, and then quarters
and dimes innumerable for taking his Ia
dy acquaintance to ride, to the theatre, to
ice cream saloons, balls, operas, etc.
up his YEARLY account c That's huge;
enough to break a fellow; thousand a
year it won't do I'll marry and settle
down!p -, nv
So he applied to Lizzie Forsyth to be his
wife; and he was soon in possession of
her.
Asnug house was rented and the work of
supporting wife began in earnest. The
five rooms cost two hundred dollars year,
and were prettily furnished, Lizzie pre-
ferred to do all her work. Sometimes by
her needle she earned a dollar extra.
Then, as it was little lonesome for Frank,
he drought home several clerks as day
ibearders, at four dollars a week. Still,
with all this, he would tell his acquaiDt-
ance how much less it cost him to live
now he supported wife. He never
seemed to realize that she it was who was
saving all these expenses, and that if he
had not earned q dollar, her busy. hands
would have paid the rent and kept him
from starving,
So the matter stood when he asked his
wife to mend his coat. Lizzie drew deep
sigh after he was gone and hurried her
dishes away as fast possible. I
The coat was of broadcloth, and was his
wedding garment; but it was well nigh
wearing out, broken under the arms, the
cord and lining in rags, the sleeve Innings
broken loose, buttons worn off; in fine,
there was nearly a days work. She sat
down to the coat with hearty good will,
determined to do her best. Her needle
few fast, but every moment it had to be
laid down to see to dinner or hush the
baby. The hours wore away, and though
she did all she possibly could, the job was
still undone at sundown. Is Iu.s1 S ra
Walter cried necessarily. He looked
pale, and his eyes were dim. She then re-
membered Franks words, "let him
squall, y and let him cry half an hour or
more.ae laag issa faHa
Oh, how it wearied her to hear her dar-
ling cry for, its mother. Tears swan in
her eyes as she thought of her hard days
work and the want of appreciation of her
labor. She knew she was making his old
coat look almost as well as new. But he
would never think of the toll she had put
upon it. "And what if he DON'T" she
mentally said; 81 shall in my own spirit
know all that I have done, and that is
enough ,.ssf.@
|. But Lizzie was strong hearted as well as
loving and dutiful. So she shook off her
discomfort, and became as cheerful as pos
sible. Then she worried through supper
getting, and with much managing had all
things done by the time that Frank. came
| in with his companions. aioai
"My coat done, Lizzie +? u F
"No, not gutter lan 'e'if9
ssThere's woman for We, boys. One
| half Of them would let husband go oct
of the elbows a week before they would
turn aside from any plan OF their own
All the ironing completed, LII DE bound,
Lizzie.p
| Lizzie was taking her buiscuit out of the
oven, and the young men did not see the
dep flush of pain that flashed over her
weary features.
4 stWill YOU bring in pitcher of water,
nlease ?n she said pleasantly.
| saThere it is again; when / was a bach L
had nothing to do but hand my coat over
| To the tailor, pay him dollar, and twas
done in a jiffy, and not any grumbling.
No water to fetch when a fellows tired,
eithero :,
.TLizzie was nervous, was tired with
| household work and care. She could not
endure his baliinage, although half play
ifsIl.i She hastily set the biscuit on the
| table, and saying simply supper is ready"
stepped in the bedroom and then burst IN
7 to tears Her tears did not flow long,
though she was deeply and wrongfuliy
Ihurt in her feelings. Her heart gained In
/ its natural relief, and after pretending that
she was getting Walter sleep (whicn she
actually did she bathed her eyes and came
out, washed her dishes, and sat down again
Ito the coat
Frank sat watching her flying fingers
for an hour or two, as he laughed and talk
ed with his friend, thinking to himself
that every turn would be the last, at nine ,l
O'clock she had set the last stitch. Inc