Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1875-06-18
Cured of His Madness.

cured OF HIS Madness.
Everything goes wrong" said Mr.. Trip
Ter, laying down his knife and fork with the
face of u martyr.
There are some people in the world with
whom everything seems chemically to go
wrong-there are some whose first ~infantile
wall is uttered in the minor key, and who go
on lamenting through life; snd of this much
abused class Mr.. Nathan Triplcr was a burn
ing and shining light.
whats the matter, dearP" questioned
Mrs. Tripler, who sat opposite to her hus-
band with a round-eyed baby on her knee and
two or three little ones clamoring for their
share of the mutual meal on either side of
her.
Mrs. Tripler was a trim, neatly-made lit
tie woman, with blue eyes and faxen hair
a woman who might have been pretty, could
she have Invested herself of q certain fright
ened, apprehensive look that came over hor
face whenever her liege lord spoke or look
ed toward her. Not that Dorothy Tripler
was actually afraid-her husband had never
either beaten her or used corrective meas
ures, but when q man begins to find fault. n
woman is never easy in her mind lest some
domestic screw should be waxing loose.
81 can eat a mouthful Dorothy, ~ croaked
Mr.. Tripler, dolefully. ''Such cooking and
such food! You may as well turn that new
cook of yours into the street at once"
but, Nathan IL am very sorry, | cook
ed the breakfast myself, dear, this morning.
Isn't it niceP"
Mice? Yes-very nice for those who can
digest feathers and drink dish-wateri"
The biscuits are fresh and hot, Nathan"
81 don't want to be poisoned with hot
bread"
And l thought the beefsteak was unusual
ly tender"
No reply. Mr.. Tripler had folded his
arms, and was gazing with an expression of
distracted despair at the ceiling.
"Will you have another cup of c~offeeP"
mildly questioned his wife.
Coffee? Is that coffeeP Really, 1 thought
it was hot water that had got into the urn
by mistaken
81 will order some fresh made" said
Mrs. Tripler, with her hand on the bell
rope.
You will do no such thing, ma'am if you
please" said Mr.. Tripler, shortly; my APP
petite is destroyed.
"Will you have eggs bolled?"
mo"
'There is some very nice ham in the pam
try"
81 dare say-there always is when 1 don't
want IT,"
81 am very sorry, Nathan" said poor little
Mrs Tripler, despairingly.
Yes she was sorry, this faithful, much en-
during wife; nor did the frequent repetition
of this domestic storm Mt all abate her PEN
itence and sense of guilt. Some women
would have got accustomed to this daily dis
turbance and thrown it of as a robin casts
the dew from her wing. Not so with Dor
othy Tripler. She was too sensitive, too
delicately organized to laugh off her troubles
as some surface-deep characters would have
done. So when her husband had departed,
still grumbling under his breath, as he slam
med the door, she leaned her throbbing
head upon one weary, little hand and MUIR
INJURED softly to herself:
80, l wish Nathan was different"
Then as if she had uttered high treason,
she started to her feet, checked the sensa-
ton of repining, and began industriously to
prepare the three apple-cheeked, tow-head-
ed little Triplers for school.
"It's Monday morning, and Nathan don't
like them to be late" thought the meek
spirited wife.
Meanwhile, Mr.. Tripler was slowly walk
ing down the path through tho wild solitary
glen that led to the road where, twice a day,
the Lendville stage rolled by, conveying pas
sengers to the train ut Martins station. II
was cheaper to live IN the country, and so
Mr.. Tripler lived there, although as far as ac-
tual tastes went, he didn't know u buttercup
from n bnrdock.
AS Nathan trudged along, thinking how
best to get rid Of some troublesome shares
OF railway stock that were sinking uncom-
fortably on his hands, no suddenly became
conscious of the presence of a man, stout
and middle-aged, with n head as smooth as
a billiard ball. who was sitting on n boulder
OF moss grown stone just where the path
way merged into the Lendville road.
"Good morning, sir" said the stranger.
"Have a seatP"
Mr.. Iripler had no very strong social ele-
ments in his nature, so he stinly inclined
his head and kept on his way. But the first
he knew two iron grasps were on his Shout
der, he felt himself twirled around, like a
human humming top, and seated with more
force than was exactly agreeable on the
boulder.
"What do you mean
"Dear MeTn suddenly interrupted this un
comfortable companion, ''what a very nicl
hat you have, Now, what do you say to ex
changing hatsP Mine is a very nice straw
but l find it somewhat heating to the brain
"You are welcome, sir" faltered the trem
ulous Nathan, speaking all the more rapid,
in that the freakish maniac had already def
ly effected the change.
"And your coat too,-nice, cool linen
Upon my word, now that is infinitely prefer
able TO tins swallow-tailed concern of mine
with brass buttons. Yes it fits me very nice
ly. hope you don't object to the accommo
dationPn
MINOR ialtered Mr.. Tripler.
"Well, good morning" said the stranger
looking around with a bewildered air. 4"
don't really see where my chief orderly
i told him to be here precisely at min