The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-04-27
Disconnected Wife.

OEdI EGld L-CNNI
ST shall 60 crazy Five children all
clsmoring at once, the preserve ket-
tie boiling over, the pickles ferment-
ing, moths in my Sunday shawl, and
the dog running away with the soup
bone for dinner"
And Lefty stood in the middle o.
the room, holding her bead with both
heThands, as il she momentarily ex-
pected to sail up into the air like a
balloon
Lefty was very pretty, after an odd
gypsy type, with great dark eyes, a
brown ana healthy skin, and hair as
black SIS q crows wing; and this
round of daily cares and duties to
which, as-the wife of poor young
carpenter, she was condemned, had
planted q wrinkle on her velvet
smooth forehead.
John Wyngard burst out laughing,
and that, in Mrs. Letty's case, proved
the one hair that broke the camel's
back. She began to cry.
Nov, Lefty, don't be a goose,n
said be, soothingly. "Why, wnat do
You know about real trouble Pr
ST don't care,n sobbed Lefty. "I'm
tired of it all. I'm tired of patching
old clothes, and hashiug old meats,
and boarding old pennies. Pm tired
off,
"Your husband and your children"
gravely interrupted Mr.. Wyngard.
sis that it, Lefty ?"
Mrs. Wyngard pouted and was si-
lent. She didn't like to own IL, but
for the moment she almost felt that
she was tired of them.
ItI might have married RICH" she
said, slowly twisting the bRby's bib
strings around aud around her finger.
81 might have been Howard Linds-
ley's wife, and he is a very wealthy
man, they tell me-"
sits pity you didn't" said John,
provokingly.
"Yes, it is pity" said Lefty, stung
beyond endurance, as she tiounced
out of the room.
And then, as she sat down to sew a
button on JOhnny's jacket, and braid
little Helen's hair, and show Rosie
about the arithmetic sums, and final
ly, when the four eldest ones were
packed off to school, to bathe the baby
and rock it to sleep. Lefty Wyngard
could not help thinking how much
brighter her pathway would be if, in
stead of saying "nO" to handsome
Howard Lindsey, she had uttered the
other mOnosyllable. Not but what
she loved John better, by far, than
Howard-but this wearing, grinding
succession of petty cares and toll was
sspping all the life and elasticity out
of her.
She looked disdainfully down at the
faded calico dress she wore, patched
and darned in more than one place.
"If 1 had married Howard Linds-
lev" she said TO herself" could have
worn silks and jewels every day, with
hired servants TO wait on me, and an
elegant carriage 70 drive out in when
ever 1 pleased. Oh, dear, what q
world of trouble this is"
And as Mrs. Wyngard laid her lit
tie rosy checked infant down to sleep,
she felt as il her lot had fallen in
thorny places.
Just as she had taken her place
once again over the brass kettle in
which she was trying to do up some
rocky pound pears, which q neighbor
knocking at the door.
"Come inn said Lefty, and the
housekeeper from Hsdfield Hall, the
big mansion on the hill, came mine
ing across the threshold.
Lefty busted off chair, in consid.
erable of furry, for Mrs. Ellison
was a grand lady in her way, who
wore black silk and laces, and hEd
her bonnets directly from New York
miIliner every spring and fall.
'FWon't you sit down, Mrs. Eli
son ?n said she, coIoring to the roots
of her pretty hair and secretly hop
ing that Mrs. Ellison did not observe
the patch on her calico dress.
"Thank you, my dear-I am in a
great hurry,n said Mrs. Ellison. 81
have some fine laces and muslins, and
Valenciennes handkarchiefs here
from my lady at the Hall. The laun-
dress hasn't come down yet, and she
amt willing to trust the lsdy's maid
with lem, and they must be ready by
1ark-and so told her knew a per-
son in the village that was q master
hand at laces and fiutiDg and such
like, and depend on you, my dear,
to do 'em up for me-"
"She'll pay you a dollar, at least,'
said Mrs. Ellison. HShe amt none OF
the stingy sort, my lady ain't.D
A dollar in Lefty Wyngardis eyes
was no inconsiderable sum. A dollar
would buy the new shoes that Rosie
needed so badly-or flannel for the
babyis winter sacks-or half a hun
dred other necessaries which Lefty
could think OF.
"Yes," said she, 'sI'n do ii. NV
preserves will soon be finished. Lay
the bundle on the table, please. So
the new family have arrived at the
Hall at last ?"
Mrs. Ellison nodded assent. She
had lived housekeeper with the Had
fields, of Hadfield Hall, for twenty
years, and was sorry enough when
the old place went into new hands.
But situation was situation, SO she
had stayed on.
"Yes," said she. Mr.. and Mrs.
Howard Lindsley."
Lefty gave sucn a start that the pre-
serve kettle nearly tipped over into
the fire.
"LindsIey IN cried she, with little
hysterical laugh. "What a funny
name 20
"Handsome, stylish people, with
more money, to all appearances, than
they know what to do with, went on
Mrs. Ellison. 81 just wish you could
see her dresses and jewels Stepha-
ME, the French maid, showed me
when she was unpaeking 'em, and it's
as good as play %
Lefty said nothing, but stirred busi-
ly away at her preserves, while the
old hOusekeeper maundered on about
the wealth and grandeur Of the new
posessors of Hadfield Hall. And all
this might have been hers
"When shall / send for the laces ?ii
Mrs Ellison finally asked, when she
rose to deDaFt.