The Republican journal., 1873-04-24


up" he said pathetically, and though tor
lures would not have wrung from her the
confession, it was equally true that Laviny
needed him to keep her down. Some
leaven is safest hidden in it's three meas
ures Of meal. Certainly, in her husbands
presence, Mrs. Hinkle had been patient
Griselda compared to what she now was,
freed from home restraints. She fretted
and tumed in an explosive manner, rising
in unwonted fermentation in the Tripp
household. She hated his folks, she hated
Reuben for not hating them, she hated
herself for having borne their interference
50 long, and declared she had not ''the
temper of fy''-which. indeed was
quite true. But as the week wore on with
out bringing the coveted vision of her hus-
band at her feet, the effervescence of her
mood was fast subsiding, when the rumor
that Miss Phebe was welding her domes-
tic scep're agitated it anew Pretty work
it was, to be crowded out of her own
home by his folks, She knew not why
Reuben did not come What if he should
never come? For the first time this
thought intruded itself, and in her anguish
she sought relief in the camphor bottle
What right had Phehe in her kitchen So
lacing Reuben with delectable cookery
when he should have been hungering in
solitude after his wife ? She declared such
conduct would provoke a SAINT, though
she did not give her authority for this con-
yiction. One thing was sure Phebe
should not have the washing of her tea
spoons, and without delay Mrs Hinkle
sent a juvenile Trpp to remove these and
other personal valuabIes, choosing the
dinner hour for the errand that the scenic
effect might be greater When Mr.
Hinkle was forced to stir his tea with u
fork, perhaps he would be in more haste
to concliate his wife The plan was well
laid but it failed in the execution through
the tardiness of little Joe, who. having a
woodchuck to attend 10 on the way, did
not reach his uncle's till the remains of
the dinner lay cold on the pantry shelf,
and Mr.. Hinkie was half mile away at
his afternoon blowing
Miss Phebe sent the spoons obediently,
inwardly resolved that Reuben should not
know of this proof of "Laviny's ugl-
ness fer she was well aware that only
her own repeated assurances that Laviny
would soften toward him if lett to herself,
had kept him passive thus far.
Seems if | wasn't doing the hand
some thing not to 90 nigh her." he often
said. Il wonder whether or no she amt
counting on my fetching her?'
eff she comes of her free will she'll be
likely to stay put" Miss Phebe would an
swer but You try to drive her. and you
know what Laviny is"
Mr.. Hinkle did know, unfortunately,
and, knowing, schooled himself TO patient
waiting
Thus the days wore on, and he plodded
through the Spring work, cheered little
il spit OF himself by Miss Phebe's earnest
efforts at making him comfortable. while
Laviny. mortified and then alarmed by his
non-appearance, worried herself into a
course of exasperating sick-headaches,
and in every sense shut out the sunlight
from the house of the Trips. In the
midst of paint-scrubbing Mrs Tripp found
no leisure to devot to her com planning
sister, but left one of her children to wait
upon her, Mrs Hinkle felt abused When
had Reuben been too busy to bathe her
aching temples? Little Joe made her
nervous as u witch, and one day she told
him SO, and q moment after had the salts
faction OF hearing him say to his mother
in the kitchen that he ''couldn't get along
with Aunt Laviny nohow."
" hN' lHttt was ltot WI IetuDCH Hfttl
said-Reuben, who had never spoken
hastily to her in his life Was she an un-
comfortable person to live with?n
"Taint in the power OF mortal man to
get along with you, Lavny." The words
came back to her with the startling torce
OF q proof text and haunted her attprwarl
continually.
1t must nave been in lhubarb time. for
dandelion green's had gone by, when one
morning little Joe rushed in with the ter
rible tidings that ''Uncle Reuben had
fallen kerchunk from beam in the
barn.
Mrs. Ilnkle tore the bandages from
her head and stlrted ND
''Where's my bonnet, Susan? Pm 90
ing home !"
maybe he isn't badly injured Wait
till we hear further" urged Mrs. Tripp.
tell you Pm going home, Susan
Trpp! Where's my bonnet ?"and snatch
ing it by the string, Mrs Hinkle sprang
intothe wagon Just vacated by her nephew,
and drove away at a doctors pace
Little Joe turned a series of somersaults,
and then lay writhing on the grass in lit
of uncomfortable giggling
'Didn't Aunt Laviny streak it ?' shout
ed he. "And uncle Reuben wasn't hurt
mite, but she wouldn't let me tell her!
Tee-hee-hee !"
Yet, though no bones were broken by
the fall, it is 4 fact that Mr. Hinke found
his two hundred pounds ayoirdupois con-
siderably shaken, and he was actually, ac-
cording to his wite's prediction, camping
down on the lounge in his boots" when
opening his eyes, they rested on her
frightened face in the doorway.
"Why, bless you heart Come right
in, Laviny," said he And she went in,
and shut the door
Five minutes afterward, as Miss Phebe
lifted the latch she heard her sister.in-law
say:
81 know I have hectored you awfully.
Reuben, but l do mean to live peaceable
now, and put up with your folks"
And Reuben answered heartily: 81
haven't blamed you a bit, Laviny.
knowed twas Miss Niddlins' work. But
after we'd lived together so long, she
might have let us be till God divorced u.s."
[Harpers' Bazaar
The Nation, commencing on the pres
sure lately brought to bear on governor
Dix in behalf of Foster says:
Probably few of the well-intentioned
persons who were so urgent for the COM
mutation of Fosters sentence knew pre-
cisely what their petitions involved but
perusal Of prison statistic and reports for