Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-06-25

Thompson, but with her own unaided
! strength she could do nothing to get out
of the rut in which she was toiling and
j suffering.
When returning from his work Mr..
Thompson met q neighbor with whom he
| stopped and had long talk, SO that he
found his supper awaiting him when he
reached the house. Husband and chill
dren were soon rapidly satisfying their
hunger, but Mrs. Thompson could not
eat. She was sitting in her accustomed
place, and they were eating in their usual
manner, yet the CHATTER of the knives,
their rapid motions, all seemed so strange
and far away to her.
Mr.. Thompson did not notice that his
wife was not eating. He did not notice
how pale she looked, or the trembling of
her hand as she passed them food. His
supper finished he fastened out to do his
chores. Mrs. Thompson did not get her
work g. out of the way" as soon as usual
that night, and when it was done she
thought the extent of her strength was
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 q question that caused all thoughts
of sympathy from him to be dispersed.
| Ibid you finish those pants to-day?"
"No," she replied, with a little start.
"There's been SC much else to do /
couldn't get time to sew any"
ado you suppose l am going to wear
these all summer?" said he, glancing
| Joxp, or l,;c fbscE runp1ap frOuoarr
| those pants amt done tomorrow l shall
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, tor 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 unwholesome 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 nc
other way; / must make them tonight
| She lit candle and sat down to her
evenings task. Slowly the needle crepi
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 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 1t is sure
sign that he will be either brute or a
coward-a brute if he marry 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
| SuuSIGu HUH du uuhluG uSlillS
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 go 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.
Mr.. 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 a
! chair. Thinking that his wife was asleep
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't you going to get us any break
fast to-dayy' he asked.
| Mrs. Thompson started up at the sound
| 4. .a1 nnlrl IN