The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-01-26

good wife as she has always been, ex-
cept that one time. Ugh! | hate to
think of it."
One day-it was Monday evening
Mrs. Gretchum was taken seriously i'll;
so i'll that Mr. Gretchum fastened after
the doctor himself.
80 Charles, how could you?" she
asked, "when you know you want to
save every cent"
EVERY cent? exclaimed the doctor.
woman, do you know that you are
saving at the spigot and wasting at
the bung'P You are killing yourself
at hard work. A strong constitution
you have, or you would have sunk be-
fore this. If raise you from this spell
of sickness you must have one of the
best nurses and all of the dainties your
means will buy"
Yes, SIR said Mr. Gretchum, look
ing very serious; but as soon as the doc
tor had gone he burst out with: Hang
it all! Just as Teller is getting along
alright, along comes some great trouble
and knocks it all in the head. Mary,
your sickness will put us dollars be-
hind"
81 am so sorry" she murmured.
Never mind the nurse. lean wait on
myself during the day. l guess the
children will be good"
You can't, you know" he said,
drawing the pillow out from under her
head and beating it up. As he did so u
pretty little purse fell at his feet.
He was astonished, for he had always
said but one purse was necessary for
husband and wife He opened it and
found ten dollars in it.
Opening his eyes very wide he held
it up before his wife, saying: Whose
money is this?n
"Mine," she cried out, eagerly grasp
ing for it.
MAY 1 ask where you got it?" he
inquired, coldly.
Confusion crept all over the sick
woman. Herlips refused to speak, and
so she just lay and stared helplessly be-
fore her.
Did somebody gre it to you?" he
scowled.
She shook her head, and then whis-
pered: 81 earned it,
Earned itn' he cried, with sicken-
ing dread "How?"
Il cannot tell YOU" she whispered,
while she wiped beads of anguish from
her burning brow.
"But | insist upon knowing he
Numbered out, springing to his feet and
beating the air with his fist.
Springing up in bed with what
seemed supernatural strength, with
eyes that seemed like burning Goals of
fire, she cried out: Then know,
Charles Gretchum, that your wife, hav-
ing made VOW before Heaven that she
would never come as a beggar to you
for money again, she had to devise q
way to furnish herself with the neces-
sary means to keep herself and little
ones out of rags. She could not write,
for not one woman in a thousand makes
anything by writing for the press; she
could not teach, as she had her own
children to look after; she could not
sew, as continual sitting is more wear
ing upon her than anything else. There
was nothing left for her to do but to
take in washing, by which she made
about two dollars a week. Out of that
sum | have clothed myself and children
decently and had something left to give
my church, which you would never
permit me to do out Of your funds, you
remember"
elf it was not for scandal | would
leave you forever from this hour, for
daring to so disgrace me-" he cried out,
excitedly.
His wife laughed a wild, ringing,
hooking laugh, which was followed by
piercing shrieks one after another.
Mr.. Gretchum forgot everything else
in his alarm. In vain he threw his
arms around her; in vain he strove to
soothe her-the shrieks only became
more heartrending.
Again was he obliged to seek the
doctor.
"Hysterical! Terrible excitement.
Brain fever is ineyitable!' pronounced
the doctor, slowly.
Day after day the poor woman raved
in her delirium, uttered heart-rending
shriekS for her husbands love to be re-
stored; asked his forgiveness one mo-
ment, and the next vowed that j." she
didn't care. 1t was cruel and mean.
She would go out alone into the world,
where her services would be appreci-
ated and paid for, and not work eter-
nally for her board alone"
For a long time she lowered between
life and death, and then a strong con-
stitution triumphed, and once again she
moved around her home the same gen.
tie wife and mother she had been pre-
vious to her sickness.
"You must provide her with help for
long time" was the doctors parting
INDUCTION. "American women of the
common class are being overworked.
You men, in the prime of life, are in a
ruddy glow of health, while your wives,
if they have reached their prime, are
old as woman ought to be at the age
of seventy. Husbands see it for them
selves, and cry out on the nuisance of
the marriage laws. All sham. 1t is
the way husbands treat their wives,
making slaves of them from the very
first moment child comes into the
house. Wives are goaded to death.
They fill the insane asylums, they drop
into premature graves-all because their
husbands feel that the work they do is
nothing, since it brings in no money.
Husbands should pet and caress their
Il G..