The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-05-29

just think OF il she made nineteer
trips to get me out OF that scrape, AN,
spent ninety-ive dollars, all of which
money she scraped together herself. BY
links, get 10 thinking about it sometimes
when | am al work. and pound horse
shoe all 10 flinders before l know what
am doing She's wonderful woman, sir
and-and she's my wife. She can run the
Loaf 10 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 wonders "a
Tony, common but pretty pattern o
paper on the walls. Tony became Jack-of-
all-trades 10 his wife. Couldn't he make
picture-frames. brackets. and other orna-
mental and useful articles for the housey'
OF course he could. and he took great de-
light in il. He couldn't sit down and tell
his wife, in words. how much he was sur
prised at her better self, nor how gratified
he felt, nor how much he loved her, but he
could work IL ont. and all his spare time
was devoted to doing things that she imag-
ined she wanted done. lie 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 a. 10 details. and would talk as
much while doing il. but now all the talk
was about his own home; and when the
work was done he would vancouver to
have his customer go in and look round, rs
he expressed il; would take him in TO show
him a new flOur-barrel he had made, or a
new rat-trap. when all the time he meant
10 show him the paper on the walls, the
carpet on the floors, and the general fea-
lures of his cosy home. lie was ALWAYS
inviting people 10 dinner now. too. He
made a childish parade of his wife and her
accomplis This became habit
with him. and. unconsciously, people en-
couraged him in il.
Tony was no longer freebooter. and
made no more raids on sunday. He
- hooked ' no more roasting-ears or water
melons. He carried off no more rails. and
was never accused of shooting other peo-
pies 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. tie fences Were made new.
the garden iiourished 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 de-
voted more attention To keeping his chill
dren quiet than To the sermon. The chill
dren always bad their pennies to put in
the contribution-box and the day the
baby accomplished the feat of dropping a
bright fiye-cent coin i'm the box without
grabbing for the coins already in. was an
hour OF triumph for Tony. There was
-omething pathetic about these little oddi-
ties that appealed 10 all the tenderness
there was in peoples hearts.
I'm time. Tony would have been indig-
nant had one asserted that he was not
member of the church. He wasn't clear
III his mind as 10 when he Joined" but |
new customs had crept into his home, !
new thoughts into his mind. and new
sentiments into his heart. People said
there was great change OF heart. and as
Tony was proud of the evidences of such |
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 talents showed i'm good |
works.
He was now spoken of as Mr.. Hard |
scrabble. and he neighborcd with all the |
people He didn't get above his work. |
bur he took his work up to a higher plane. |
Mothers never objected now TO their sons |
lounging about Tony's shop. The boys
liked to be- with Tony. and even the men
were rather glad when circumstances
made il necessary to go TO the shop.
The great change in Tony's life was Mt |
first attributed 10 the reformatory ini.u-
ence of prison diseinlina Rut ~ GOOD Il
time, people saw with clearer eyes. He |
commenced living better lite. not so
much As matter of conviction as to please
ms wife. Under this influence his convic-
tons were reached and the man was
aroused. He liked the better life and
clung TO IL. 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.
remembering what she was and what she
is.-Hearth and Home.