Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-06-25


reached at last. Was she going to be
sick, or was it only her disbursement
that made her feel so? She was on the
point of telling her husband about her
being so tired that she did not feel well.
as he sat in the doorway smoking his
pipe so cOntentedly, but he suddenly
asked a question that caused all thoughts
of sympathy from him to be dispersed.
did YOU finish those pants to-dav?,
"No,'; she replied, with a little start.
"There's been SO much else to do I
couldn't get time to sew any"
"Do YOU suppose | am going TO wear
these ali summer" said he, glancing
down at his thick, wooden trousers. If
those pants amt done tomorrow I shsll
know the reason why" So SAYING, he
got up and started toward the door.
Keep those young ones from tearing the
house down." was his parting Injunction
as he passed out the gate. Mrs. Thomp-
son was spared this warfare, for the chill
dren were tired with hard play and soon
went to bed, leaving her with naught but
| her own thoughts for company. They
were unpleasant and unwhOIesome COM
panionship, vet she could not drive them
away. She thought of the work that
must be done tomorrow. There was the
churning. She must not let the cream
stand another day, for she would suffer
from her husbands reprOaches if he did
not get the highest market price for his
butter. She would have a great deal of
baking to do, for Mr.. Thompson had en-
gagged three or four men to work for him
a few DAYS. 81 shall have no time to sew
tomorrow" thought she. "There's no
other way; l must make them tonight. y
She lit candle and sat down to her
evenings task. Slowly the needle crept
in and out through the coarse, blue cloth,
but the harassing thoughts came swiftly
and reveled in her brain until it seemed
as though she would go wild. She
thought of what her mother had often
said to her when she was keeping COM
pany' with James Thompson: James has
such queer ideas of wOmanhOod, ] fear he
will make your life unhappy. He seems
to think a wife should be strongly fenced
within the bounds of her husbands law,
or she will become an enemy to his pros
perity and happiness. When l hear a
young man telling how he would bring
them to time if he had such and such
women to deal with, | think it is a sure
sign that he will be either a brute or a
coward brute if he marry a gentle,
sensitive creature-a coward if he marry a
vixen"
Mrs. Thompson remembered how she
regarded all such sentiments of his as
uttered only in Jest, and she went from
her fathers house, where she had never
suffered from an unkind word, trusting
him perfectly. But her mother had been
right in her estimate of the man. How
she yearned for her advice and sympathy
now! But she must bear her burden
silently, for her mother had long been
| beyond the reach of earthly care and sOr
row. But oh, how could she 90 on in this
way, without the love of her children,
without any influence over them! She
thought there was something about her
self that incurred their dislike, not think
ing that their conduct was the result of
the training they had received, or their
lack Of training on her part. OF course
the children cared for her, and would
know it if she were to leave them forever
But Mrs. Thompson did not think of this.
She looked upon her life as useless She
told herself that she could not help it if it
were wrong; she longed for the time to
come when her weary hands would be
crossed forest in the grave.
The clock struck eleven ere the last
stitch was taken, and Mrs. Thompson
Crept YEARLY to bed, thinking that she
must go right to sleep in order to become
sufficiently rested for the next days work.
MIR. Thompson spent the evening merrily
at Benson's, playing cards with the boys.
There's nothing like being right up
and down with women folks" said he to
himself with dissatisfaction, as he saw
the trousers hanging across the back of
r.h, IL, l ,,1x1
he said not word, but went to bed and
was soon sleeping soundly. But Mrs.
Thompson had become too excited to
easily forget her troubles in unconscious
ness. And when at last, long after mid
night, sleep came to her, in her dreams
she lived over again the trials of the day,
only the bitter pain seemed to have been
doubled
In the morning Mrs. Thompson was
not up at her usual hour. And when Mr..
Thompson and the boys came in with the
milk there was no sign of breakfast. The
stove was cold. Mrs. Thompson was not
in sight. Mr.. Thompson went to the
bedroom door and saw that his wife had
not yet arisen. The thought did
not occur to him that she might be sick;
but he remembered that it was late when
she went to bed and he thought she had
oversight herself
Ain'tyo going to get US any break
fast to-day ?" he asked.
Mrs. Thompson started up at the sound
OF his voice and replied meekly, in
strange contrast with her wild looks,
Ges, it will be ready in a few minutes"
Then she sank back on her pillow and
murmured that she must get to sleep or
she could not go through with the work
tomorrow.
Then it was evident to Mr.. Thompson
that her work was Through with" for
many days to come. The milk was left
unstrained and unskimmed; the pigs
went united; there were no preparations
for breakfast; but Mr.. Thompson sent for
Mrs. Blond to come while he went Tor
doctor.
In her delirium Mrs Thompson gave
expression to the melancholy thoughts
that were making her life so miserable.
She would cry piteously that no one cared
for her-that she could not go on in this
way. She would pray wildly to God to
do something to make things different.
She would call her children by name and
entreat them to tell her why they did not
love her.
One pleasant day the children were all
out on the sunny side Of an old building
used for various purposes. They were
not at play. They found no enjoyment
IN their usual sports. The father said
nothing about their going to school, and
they went or stayed at home, just as they
pleased. They missed the nice dinners
that their m O+bar ,,ro,>ored for them for