The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-05-09
The Two Troubles.

IT was cold evening in NOyembC
e That two laOOrers wended their wa
if along the streets Of 4 mauufaeturiu
l. town.
s Slowly they PROCEEDED, net xchane
8 Ing 2 word until the uae " hOm "
!. may call Smith halted JefcIe 2 nea
= little house and unattached the gate
e Then theIe was such a look Of despai
Sieaming from his eyes, that his com
s paniOn murmured, 1--WE must trus
p IN God, Smith,"
YES ne articuiated giOOmily, anl
! went into his house, and from the
. cradle took up the baby.
, Il do wish YOU would put that child
( down and get ready for supper" ex.
claimed his wife.
"What in the world is the matter
with you tonight" she asked.
His voice trembled as he repli,.l, Il
have been discharged"
"Hhcre ~ eXcl9imed his wifcguick-
4 Is, pushing back her chair; 'sjIsl what
/ might have expected / declare.
Smith, yOu will torture me t1d,-tlh. -
ann sorry but / cannot help it,"
Sorry, No, you are not sorry al all.
lOu would Just as lief see your WI.
Lydia you are cruel. / was not the
only one discharged. There was Jim
HaWlcy and ever 80 many others.
business is dull"
"Busine.s is duil - she mini,rktd
after him. always an excuse for a
worthless man. To think that Won
should be discharged now just As our
rent is due and then We are out of
wood; and look at my shoes, won t
| you? my feet are on the ground.
wish / had never married YOU" and
she uttered words more and more
bitter, until at last, driven almost to
a state of frenzy, the wretched man
rushed from the house to the tavern.
! In the meantime James Hawley, his
| companion in Labor, entered his home
with \ very sad cOuntenance. Bat
| before lie had stepped over the TIRES
hold q lnvingp pair OF arms were thrown
arUnnd his neck and 4 pair of sweet
/ lips were pressing 10 his lie return
ed the salut:On sadly, aud then in
quired for the baby.
'She is sleeping sweetly in the era
die. She has Oeen a perfect little dar-
ling all day. Supper is waiting, so
make haste. Here is warm water and
a towel. Are you not later than usu-
al tonight? ~
ayes, Mary; bring bad news to
you"
"Bad news! :" she exclaimed.
eyes was discharged Tonight"
'iIs that all 2" asked the wife, ~
thought it was something terrible"
"And is it not terrible enough I?
What will become of us this winter ?'
"GOd will not let US suffer, james"
"GOd bless you, dear Mary"
"And now let us haYe supper" ," eX-
claimed the wife cheerfully. "See,
have your favOrite dish-shOrt-cake
aud toast. Do not let your troubles
impair your appetite, and then, after
tea, We'll talk it over"
In the evening it was determined
that the quarters rent should be paid,
and coal obtained, and the remaining |
money placed in the wife's hands to |
Oe dealt with.
Then Mary suggested that the front |
room should be let out. Further than /
this they could have no plans.
Three months have passed without 1
a days work all that time, and now
quarters rent is due. In vain
the laborer thrusts his hand into his
empty pockets, and in vain racks his
brain for some solution of the prob
lem how the rent is going to be paid.
The IOdger had paid his money month
ty, but that was not enough to meet
the sum, if he had it, and of course his
wife had spent that Just as fast as she
had received it, and it was an every
day wonder to James how Mary man
aged so well.
With feelings of deep despair he en-
tered the house. The table was spread
with the same favOrite dish. There
was the shOrtcake and toast, fanked
with a golden lump of butter, and
plate Of honey and deep dish OfrOast-
apples, to be served with sugar and
cream, while at his wife's plate sat
the steaming teapot. As James
took it in, all at one glance, he great
ly wondered at the frugal, yet COM
way of living. How his wife
had been able TO make that small
amount Of money last so long was
mystery to him, and yet he cOuld'nOt
help wishing inwardly that she had
been more economical; then perhaps /,
The rent might have been paid.
He refused to sit at the table, plead
ing that he had no appetite. And
great large tear arose in the strong !
mans eyes, rs he informed his wife [
that On the morrow they would be-
.urned from their home, to go, he
knew not where, rs he had not \ dol
ar IN his pocket 10 secure room else
where.
''Is that itr' exclaimed his wife, in
| soft tone, and tripped up stairs, and
iOOn returned and placed two ten dol
ar bills in his hand.
"Where did you get them over on
lis hands though TO ascertain wheth-
n they were really genuine or not.
''I earned Them" replied his wife
,ayly. az knit afghan5, shaWls, chill {
lren's hoods, sacques and socks, at '
irst only for those whom / prOviden-
tally heard, wished articles of the .
Kind, and afterwards was employed TO ]
urnish a trimming establishment '
With my work" q
"And kept it 4 secret from me?"
"Yes, because [ thought yOu would
,e wearied for fear / was doing too
much. I love to knit dearly, and con-
ider it more OF 4 pleasant pastime
han labJT." 4
"GOd be praised for giving me such n
wife ~ exclaimed the husband, ear i
testify; and pressing his wife and I
hid closely to his bosom said: 'Her s
hildren arise and call her blessed y
Ter husband does so also and praIseth i
Ter, for many daughters have done 4
but thou eXcellest them a
Ill n
Twenty years nave passed, aud a
ames Hawley is = rich man. But y
Oseph Smith IS 4 confirmed drunk e
rJ, while his wife has long since r
asscd from earth, Il victim Of misery Il
nd want. h