Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-06-15
JOB SPINNING'S WORK,

d Ill,
salary so small that / won't disgrace these
! columns by telling it; and Mrs. job who was
| financial genius, stretched it, and met the
| ends over the year; and there were three little
| Spinnings of that abhOrred class of infants
| who are periodically taking every possible dis
| ease, or being brought home with the breath
| and teeth knocked out of them, or failing in
| these, fall back on hives and sore ears and
Mrs. Job dOctOred and preceDted these three
| little Splnnings, made their clothes, made her
| own clothes, made Jobs, made everything in.
fact, but flour, meat, coal and groceries, for
which she hadn't the receipt, all i'm the shortest
! conceivable time, running the household ma
chine with prodigiouS dash, energy and fric-
| ton.
The consequence was pain in Mrs Jobs
back every night, and twist in Mrs. Jobs
Then. as Mrs Job was heroic woman, she
suffered in silence, making the tea as if she
were dying, and laying the cloth as with her
last grasp, narrowing Jobs tender soul by the
piteOuS spectacle.
There was also family tradition that Mrs.
Job was In feeble health, and only prevented
from commencing mysterious process called
running down. and sinking into an early
grave by unWinking watchfulneSS on Jobs
part.
man; a soreiy tired man; turning the corner
with a feeble step, and lingering heavily in his
own door; but between the tradition and the
piteOus spectacle he found no chance to bring
This tired man in and rest him, but hung him
up with his coat on the hall peg, and came in
fresh, cherry, sparkling job to take the baby
orally By nine O'Clock Mrs Jobs back and
temper were apt to be comfortable, and Job
was dead tired
One morning Job said, as he put on his hat
My dear, l see that you are running down
again.. L shall be home very early this after
neon"
spree; fami lar institution hugely relShed in
the Spinning family, consisting of trip across
The ferry-a finer thing properly done, than
you may imagine-and lunch of buttered
crackers: therefore Mrs. Spinning hurried
what she called her busy cares out of the
way. scrubbed each little Spinning within an
a f1utter, with the hand of the clock at three,
for that was Jobs hour on early afternoons,
and Job had never disappointed Mrs. Job
since their wedding day.
There is a first time appointed however. for
all that can be said and done, and on this Oc
casiOn Job did disappOint his wife. He came
home late and looking gloomy and found Mrs.
Job pathetic.
Il should not have cared for my own disap
pointment," she said. II am used to that but
..DisappoimIment.' repeated job absently.
'Oh yes"' and subsidized again into his gloomy
thinking, and that was all the explanation
that Mr.. Spinning ever offered for keeping his
wife waiting in bonnet and shawl for two
hours by the clock. He was in frightful
humor, and answered Mrs. job who had been
teasing him lately to insure his life. so like an
Ogre-Or, not &c be pOetical, like other wOmen'S
husbands when out of temper, that she drOp ped
the subject aghast, and never dared to renew
came home late again-thing unprecedented
in their married annals. On the next night he
was later yet! After that he was regular only
i'll being late.
Mrs. Job was woman of energy, also
woman of some sentiment. When husbands
change morally, for the worse, she knew that
good wives make themselves physicians to the
case, and, in home reading at least, always eff
feet a cure. Mrs. DR.. job resolved that she
would try TO touch Mr.. Spinnlng's better ma
tuTe and this is how she did it.
Lob home late - 10
cloth laid, the steak on the gridiron, the little
Spinnings trying to keep their eyes open, and
signedy sewing. On Jobs entrance she laid
aside her work. with a gulp indicative of
swallowing much undigested sorrow, looked
at her husband with red eyes and nose and
watery smile, and set about the supper as one
dOubly enfeebled by the pangs of sorrow and
hunger, but resolved to bear all meekly with
out complaint.
In fact, rousing from his haggard stupor,
Job did ask, with something of the old inter
est, Was anything the matter?'' Mrs Job set
her lips. 1t would take week to tell in order
all that she thought was the matter: and then
with a second edition OF the watery smile,
No, nothing" says the little woman, signing
and with the look of one who is telling noble
fiji. Job rose abruptly and went into the ad-
joining bedroom.
The brute"' she said to herself; ''but I'll
show him whether 1 am to be trampled on or
not! No talk now OF appealing to his beitAr
feelings. The natural woman was in such
rage that she could not listen to Mrs. DR.. job
unless that eminent practitioner should sug
geSt some OF the Sterner modes of treatment.
Keep his supper for him indeed! Coming
home on the FOL owing evening Job found Mrs
JOB grlmly sewing, and the room wearing that
put-away -for-the night appearance so peculiar
ly agpravating to hungry and tired folks.
Isn't il late?" ask d Job, glancing at the
clock, Wi ONE diSnay.
I'VE have had our Supper, if that is what
you ID, an" says Mrs: Job, suddenly facing
MIN. hours ago? But there Is bread in e
him. and blistling for battle. But Job did not
take up the gage, but looked at her with ten
der, sorroWfu, pitying gaze, and, signing went
When a physician finds patient getting
beyond his ski he calls in a brother practi
TONER; and Mrs. DR.: JOB, thinking the moral
ling laid the case before Mary Ellen. ''0 puA-
Mary Ellen was Mrs. Jobs sister, lived in
the lower half of the house, and never had
believed in Job Spinning.
There Is woman in the case" pro-
Mrs. job fifed: . Mary Ellen, don't be-
leve it! Job Spinning isn't that MANI
Mary Ellen smiled superior.
Men are men, and not women, Jane, and
facts are facts; and if JOB don t spend his
Job is all right, and don't say he amt but
The first question always ask about husbands
is, what do they do with their time and their
money? and then judge according.
There's different ways of putting facts
said Mrs. JOB, much wilted, but still vaguely
convinced of the monstrosity of Mary Elen's
cOncluSlOnS when dpplleu 10 JOD; and We al
know you always were jealous about job
that slipped OFF her tongue without intend
lng.'and don't believe it, Mary Ellen, say
what you like"
= None so bind as them that won't see and
for jealous cried Mary Ellen very red. II
must first see something to be jealous of-not
10 say that you needn't be mad at me, Jane,
as ain the woman he's after any how,
" call that low" observed Mrs. Job hastily
picking up her work basket and retiring with
much dignity. Not for worlds would She
have cried before Mary Ellen; but sitting by
her own fire she could do what she pleased.
and then, her hysterical passion over, she
still sat, watching the fire CLEAN on the wall:
| aud in the silence, broken only by the falling
of coal, or the measured ticking of the clock
came back TO her bright morning in their
welded lives when Job had brought home
that very clock and set it up on the Shelf tell
| ing her 1t would say, as long as il could lick
| faithful for ever; faithful for ever! and Mrs
| Job said to herself that the clock had licked
/ out many an hour that found her fretful but
| never one that did not find him patient and
| minutes enough in which she had been selfish.
| but never one where he was not self DENYING
| and what was the use of his faithfulnesS.
| Mrs Job started and gave a little scream
JOB, coming in softly, had touched her on the
/ shoulder before she was aware-and starting
| up, she faced him, hesitating and flushed
| - What, crying?" asked JoJ in a troubled
| way.
| No not CRYING ~ returned Mro roh o.,,,,