Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-11-27
M1LLERsBURG HOLMES COUNTY, o. THURSDAY Nov 81 1873
"wiIl you bring in a pitcher of wa.

"WiH you bring In pitcher OF wa
ter?" she said pleasantly.
SThere it is again; when 1 was s
batch, 1 had nothing to do but hand my
coat over to tailor, pay him dollar
and it was done ina jiffy, and not any
grumbling. No water to fetch when q
fellows tired, either"
Lizzie was nervous, was tired with
household work and care. She could
not endure his badinage, although hall
playful. She hastily set the biscuit on
the table, and saying simply supper is
ready, !" stepped into the bedroom and
then burst into tears.
Her tears did not flow long, however,
though she was wrongfully hurt in her
feelings. Her heart soon gained its
natural relief, and after pretending that
she was getting Walter asleep (Which
she actually did, she bathed her eyes
and came out, washed her dishes, and
sat down again to the coat. At nine
o'clock, she had set the last stitch. The
coat looked like new one all around.
Asshe finished, she looked up with a
shade of sadness upon her brow.
"There, Frank,I have mended your
coat thoroughly. 1 guess it will last
another year now"
@Quite job, wasn't it? Longer
than thought" said he deprecatingly.
Chow much clear cash have you
made to-day Frank?" asked Lizzie, in
very earnest tone.
"What do you want to know that
for?" was his answer.
''For my own satisfaction; certainly
should feel an interest in all of your
affairs"
swell, 1 think the shop has cleared
twenty dollars.''
"How much do you count your own
services worth ?''
"Not less than five dollars day."
"How many hours do you labor?"
"Ten is the legal time nowadays"
81 don't generally work that many.
But what are all these questions for?n
because, Frank, we are husband and
wife. We expect to live the rest of our
lives together, and if there is harmony
in our marriage relation, there must be
justice and right, you may call me daily
to appreciate anything you can do. You
have earned five dollars to-day, and the
shop has cleared twenty. Yet to save
you one dollars, 1 worked ten hours on
your coat, and six on your breakfast,
dinner, and supper and making our
home pleasant and comfortable. To
save you that dollar, have had to hur-
ry all day, to put my work out of my
line, and to really neglect our boy, who
should be our first care, and the last
thing under any circumstances to be set
aside"
81 had not thought of that.''
'I know that you had not, Frank, so
1 shall freely forgive you but 1 must in
sist that hereafter may be allowed to
be my own judge of what work I had
best do, and shall not expect to be
threatened or hear myself accused of
not being willing to do my duty"
Frank felt the force of her words and
sat silent.
"One thing more, Frank, want to
say while I'm about it that don't want
to hear you talk about supporting your
wife. will not be supported while
am able to support myself. 1 find on
looking over my books, that the profits
of my labor amounts to five dollars a
week, and the board of yourself, myself
and the baby besides. Then 1 do all
your extra work and my own. All this
saving has gone into your capital to be
invested, and to help you make your
twenty dollars day. Out of this comes
the five dollars you call the worth of
your days work, while 1 must labor
with weary limbs and aching head and
eyes to save you one dollar, in mending
an old coat, which when done, would
not sell for the amount of your ten
hours work.
"You are making out pretty strong
case against me Lizzie"
"No, Frank, not case against you, 1
could net do that; but am stating
facts. One thing more. have been at
work three hours since supper, and you
have been entirely idle, not even rock
ing the cradle, while have been OBJ
liged to do half dozen things"
"Lizzie, don't say another word, and |
I'll never do SO again." said Frank,
springing from his chair to jog the
cradle, where the boy was nesting.
"You shall never mend another coat"
eyes, but will,' answered Lizzie,
advancing to the cradle, only don't tell
me ten hours work can be done in five
minutes, nor ask me to let the baby
squall again.
She lifted Walter from the cradle. |
They stopped to kiss his fair, rosy cheek
but made a mistake and kissing each
other, while Frank whispered:
"God bless you, Lizzie, l never
thought of all this before. 1 won't do
it again.
Six years have passed by and Frank
has kept his word.
Card from A loafer.