Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-04-01
CURING A GRUMBLING HUSBAND.

EVERYBODY said that esquire" Hall
was lucky man. No matter how I'M
promising the season, he always had
something to sell. His large and fertile
farm showed careful culture; his stock
never grew lean for the want of food and
shelter; and last, but not least, he never
left his farming implements lying around
exposed to the weather-in fact, he was
held up to be model farmer in every
respect.
The Squire stood very high in the esti-
nation of his neighbors, but not more SO
than he did in his own. He was lord and
master not only of his farm, but of his
entire household, from his wife down to
Rover, his dog, including hired man and
the halfdozen scions of the house of
Hall. He sold all the products and made
all the purchases for the family without
consulting anyone's wishes but his own.
And what was worse, he had a very dis
agreeable habit of grumbling whenever
called upon to replenish the sugar-box
or tea canister.
We now present him to our readers,
standing with corrugated brows wiping
his hands on the huge roller towel His
wife with the air of a culprit had just in
formed him that the tea was out, and the
coffee and sugar nearly so.
You don't say So" he exclaimed
wrathfully; that's always the cry; if
faint one thing it's another. don't see
where everything goes to that's brought
into this house. If this extravaganza is
kept up much longer We'll all have to go
to the poor house. The drought ruined
the hay crop, and cut down the corn to
half crop. The bugs ate the potatoes up,
and the last wind-storm blowed nearly all
the apples off; but no matter whether
we have anything to sell or not, there is
always enough to be bought"
The Squire finished his TRADE by TAX
ing his seat at the well-filled breakfast
table, where he solaced himself by
drinking four cups of strong coffee,
well sweetened with sugar, that proved
conclusively that he preached economy
better than he practiced it. He dis
patched his breakfast in grim silence,
and then mounted his horse and rode
down to the Corners" to the grocery.
Mrs. Hall MIXED COWS, fed calves,
pigs and chickens, washed dishes, made
beds, got the children ready for school,
sand did a thousand and one other things
that fall TO the lot of a farmers wife.
And while her hands were busy hermind
was employed also. She felt her heart
swell with indignation when she looked
back over the fifteen years of her mar
ried life-years of hard and neverending
toil-and remembered that she had never
made a household want known without
being lectured for it, as if she had COM
mitted some capital offense.
"pll never ask for another pound of
groceries while | live" she mentally eX-
claimed, dashing the hot tears passion
ately from her eyes.
q do my duty faithfully under all cir
cumstances, and ! won't be treated like
dog any longer. will have little self
respect, anyhowl'
The Squire returned in couple of
hours and laid three diminutive packages
on the kitchen table with the air of one
giving so many drops of his hearts
blood. Mrs Hall made no remark, but
smiled to herself when she noticed the
limited quantity her liege lord had sup
piled. The week passed by quietly, and
Saturday morning the Squire came from
the corn field with a huge pumpkin, and
told his wife he wanted some pumpkin
pies made and al early dinner got, for
there was to be a political meeting at
the school-house, and he was going.
Political meetings were the 'Squire's
hobby: he was hot-headed partisan,
and there was nothing he enjoyed better
than seeing his political opponents
"chawed up" as he rather inelegantly
expressed it.