Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-06-04

going to help her now. And then Tony
would drop his voice:
"Just think of it, She made nineteen
trips to get me out of that scrape, and
spent ninety-ive dollars, all of which
money she scraped together herself By
jinks, get to thinking about it some
times when | am at work, and | pound a
horseshoe all to flinders before l know
what | am doing. She's a wonderful
woman, sir, and-and she's my wife. She
can run the boat to suit herself now, sir. !"
Tony meant what he said. His wife's
individuality was the controlling one at
the Corners. In time there was carpet
on the floors, and then, wonder of won
ders to Tony! a common but pretty pat
tern of paper on the walls. Tony be-
came Observation-Disclosures to his wife.
"Couldn't he make pictureframes, brack-
cts, and other ornamental and useful
articles for the hOuse?" Of course he
could, and he took great delight in it.
He couldn't sit down and tell his wife,
in words, how much he was surprised at
her better self, nor how grateful he felt,
nor how much he loved her, but he could
work it out, and all his spare time was
devoted to doing things that he imagined
she wanted done. He was simple and
awkward in springing his surprises on her,
or in discovering what she desired, but
the very simplicity of his action made
his acts the more pleasant and touching
to his wife.
Tony became proud of his house. He
would shoe horse with the old skill and
carefulness as to details, and would talk
as much while doing it, but now all the
talk was about his own home; and when
the work was done he would maneuver
to have his customer go in and look
round, as he expressed it; would take
him in to show him new f1Our-barrel he
had made, or a new rat-trap, when all the
time he meant to show him the paper on
the walls, the carpet on the floors, and
the general features ofhis cozy little home
He was always inviting people to dinner
now, too. He made childish parade of
his wife and her accomplishments. This
became a habit with him, and, uncOn-
sciously, people encouraged him in it.
Tony was no longer a freebooter, and
made no more raids on Sunday He
"hooked" no more roasting ears or
watermelons. He carried off no more
rails, and was never accused Of shooting
other peoples chickens or hogs.
AS the improvements at the house as
sumed decided shape, improvements were
inaugUrated at the shop. The rambling
old building was Strengthened up and
frightened up, the fences were made new,
the garden flourished in proper season,
and an air of comfort pervaded TOny's
Corners.
Tony went to church regularly and al
ways took the whole family; and at
church he made much of little things. He
devoted more attention to keeping his
children quiet than to the sermon. The
children always had their pennies to put
in the contribution-box, and the day the
baby accomplished the feat of dropping
a bright fve-cent coin in the box without
grabbing for the other coins already in
was an hour of triumph for Tony. There
was something pathetic about these little
oddities that appealed to all the tender
ness there was in peoples hearts.
In time, Tony would have been indig
nant had any one asserted that he was not
a member of the church. He wasn't clear
in his mind as to when he "joined," but
new customs had crept into his home, new
thoughts into his mind, and new senti-
ments into his heart. People said there
was a great change Of heart, and, as Tony
was proud of the evidences of such a
change, the people were probably right
The movement with Tony was steadily
progressive He CROPPED blindly at first
but in time the resolution Of the man and
his versatility of talent showed in good
works.
He was now spoken of as Mr.. Hard
scrabble, and he neighbored with all the
people. He didn't get above his work,
but he took his work up to higher plane.
Mothers never objected now to their son
lounging about Tony's shop. The boys
liked to be with Tony, and even the men
were rather glad when circumstances
made it necessary to go to the shop.
The great change in Tony's life was at
first attributed to the retormatOry infu-
ence of prison discipline. But, in good
time, people saw with clearer eyes. He
commenced living a better life, not so
much as a matter of conviction as to
please his wife. Under this influence his
convictions were reached and the man
was aroused He liked the better life and
chung to it. The people now understand
that the instrument used to work the great
change in Tony Hardscrabble was his
wife, and they speak tenderly of her, re-
membering what she was and what she
is.-Hedrth and Home.