The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-09-03
Miscellaneous.
MAD IN SPITE OF HIMSELF.

Everything goes wrong, said Mr.. Tripler,
laying down his knife and fork with the face
of q martyr.
There are some people in the world with
whom Everything" seems chronically to go
wrong-there are some whose first infantine
wall is uttered in the minor key, and who
go on lamenting through life; and of this
much abused class, Mr.. Nathan Tripler was
burning and shining light.
whats the matter, dear?" questioned
Mrs. Tripler, who sat opposite her husband
with round-eyed baby on her knee, and
two or three little ones clamoring for their
share of the matutinal meal on either side
of her.
Mrs. Tripler was trim, neatly made little
woman, with blue eyes and flaxen hair-a
woman VINO might have been pretty, could
she have divested herselfof certain fright
ened, apprehensive look that came over her
face whenever her liege lord spoke or looked
toward her. Not that Dorothy Tripler was
actually afraid-her husband had neither
beaten her nor used coercive measures, but
when a man begins to find fault, woman
never is easy in her mind lest some domestic
screw should be waxing loose.
81 can't eat mouthful, Dorothy" croak-
ed 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, II am very sorry, but ]
cooked the breakfast myself, this morning
Isn't it nice?"
"Nice? Yes-vcry nice for those who can
digest leather and drink dishwatcrw
"Thc biscuits are fresh and hot, Nathan.
81 don't want to be poisoned with ho
bread"
"And I thought the steak was unusually
tender"
No reply. Mr.. Tripler had folded hi.
arms and was gazing with an expression O
abstracted despair at the ceiling
"Will you have another cup of coffee
timidly questioned his wife.
"Cofee? Is that coffee? Really thought
it was hot water that had gotten into the urr
by mistake r'
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, "NIy ap
petite is completely destroyed"
"Will you have an egg boiled ?"
"No."
"There's some very nice ham in the
pantry"
Il dare say-there always is when DOM
want it"
81 am very sorry, Nathan" said poo
little Mrs, Tripler, despairingly.
Yes, she was sorry, this faithful much en-
during wife; nor did the frequent repetition
of this domestic storm at all abate her pen
itence and sense of guilt, Some womer
would have got accustomed to the daily dis
turbance and thrown it off as the robin cast
the dew drops from her wing. Not so Will
Dorothy Tripler. She was too sensitive, to-
conscientious, too delicately organized t,
laugh off her troubles as some surface deel
characters would have done. So when he
husband departed, still grumbling under hi
breath, as he slammed the door, she leane,
her throbbing head upon one weary littl
hand and murmurcd softly to herself
"Oh, / wish Nathan was dillerentw
Then, as if she had uttered high treason
she started to her feet, checking the sensa
ton of repining, and began industriously t
prepare the three apple-cheeked tow-heade
Triplers for school.
cts Monday morning and Nathan don
like them to be late" thought the meek
spirited wife.
Meanwhile Mr.. Tripler was slowly walk
ing down the wild and solitary glen thg
led to the road where twice a day, the Lend
vile stage rolled by conveying passenger
to the train at Martins station. 1t wa
cheaper to live in the country and so Nj
Tripler lived there, although, as far as actui
tastes went, he don't know buttercup fror
burdocll
As Nathan trudged along, thinking ho
best to get rid of some troublesome shar,
of railway stocks that were sinking uncon
Portable ON his hands, he suddenly becam
conscious Of the presenceof man stout an
midde-agcd, with a head as smooth an
shining as q billiard ball, who was sitting q
boulder of moss-grown stone Just whe
the pathway merged into the Lendvile roa,
"Good morning, sir," said the strange
"Iave a seat?"
Mr.. Tripler had no very strong social el
ments in his nature, so he stilly inclined Il