Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-10-16
Weaverville, Oct. l6, 1875.
WORDS OF COMFORT.

Mr.. Soper's wife has been very sick for
some weeks but although extremely re-
duced in body and mind, there is still
enough of the true woman remaining in
her, which led her last Monday, in faint
whisper, TO ask her husband, who had
entered the sick room with funereal cast
of features, what was the news.
"Well," answered Mr.. Soper, sitting
uneasily down on the extreme edge Of
chair, and balancing his hat on his fingers
by the brim, there ain t nothing TO speak
of IN p'ticulaT. S'pose you heard Of Miss
Coles death. She was taken the same
time you was"
81 should think, James," said Mrs.
Soper, with feeble emphasis, that il
you couldn't find somethin' more cheerful
to say to your poor sick wife, you'd hold
your tongue"
" Cert'nly," said Mr.. Soper. meekly,
"only news is so sca'ce. Lemme see" he
continued, looking thoughtfulIy into the
crown of his hat, as if he had reserved
fund of gossip therein you heard bout
Mathy Carter's breaking her leg"
A snappish nod of the head from the
invalid signifed to Mr.. Soper that he was
on dangerous ground but after mo-
ment's reflection, he frightened up visibly
as he said;
You orter been TO town metin' Mon
dy. The towns voted to have a new
hearse, and | was never SO glad Of any
thing in all my life."
"Jamcs Edward Soper," whispered his
wife, with painful intensity, be you a
natra born fool, or be you a looking
forred to get rid of me ?"
As the latter view had never presented
itself to Mr.. Soper in the light Of his wie's
inquiry, be looked very much subdued,
and scratched his head with an air OF
painful abstraction, as Mrs. Soper said
again with fearful voice.
"Oh, you en- go. If you can't spare
few moments to set with me, an jest
give me some little interestin' news-I
don't want you to stay against your in
clination," she continued, with the sigh
of Il martyr.
Mr.. Soper hastily expressed his willing
ness to remain and desire to please, so
after brief interval Of thought, he con
tinued reAectiyey:
Wall, lemme think. ! was over TO
the widder Stacy's las night to see if |
could not make trade for Jersey heifer,
an tell you, M'ria," said Mr.. Soper,
enthusiastically, :" if she amt harnsun
crtter | never see one"
An ominous light appeared in Mrs.
Soper's sunken eyes, ana if her husband
had been observing closely, he would
have seen a restless motion Of the hands
indicative Of an apparent desire to make
personal attack upon some one or some
thing, but he saw nothing and continued
"She's just about the right size an hel
skins as white as snow. She's got the
pootiest legs" continued the unrcfectiVC
Mr.. Soper, with descriptive motion o.
the hand "an' when you come to talk
about shape-Why, M ria" said Mr.. So
per, rising from his chair in his warmth
"shell measure two feet across heI
breast"
The scream which came from the af-
fiicted invalid at this juncture was OF such
a piercing shrillness that Mr.. Soper placed
his fingers in his ears, and Mrs. Soper's
mamma, who was in the next room, APP
peared on the scene III the twinkling o
an eye.
"Oh, you awful brute p she exclaimed
as she bathed her daughters brow will
hair oil in mistake for camphor, while
the wretched man feebly endeavored tC
explain that he was only telling Mrs
Soper about Jersey hcifer that he was
going to buy.
"Thore, ma" said Mrs. Scper, with 4
gasp, " Pm better now"
" You'd better leave the room," sale
the matron, with II word of sgniloan
wrath in her eye, and the unfortunate
Soper departed, muttering, as he slammed
the door behind him, that he'd be maste
in his own house some day; but that has
MT been yet, for Mrs. Soper has recovered
and her mother has taken up Il perma
nent residence with them.
To this day they don't speak to th'
Widow Stacy, and Mr.. Soper's reiterated
explanation has always been received il
diruiHn1 and inprn1u Inns silnnca