The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-06-04

~" hNl now htiplt-- she was NlthOu
him. Yes, he was proud OF his power
over his family. and wanted them 4.
feel how much they depended upor
him. lie would have fell aggrieyed \
any one had left his wife legacy thu,
allowing her TO be independent Of hi.
purse. The idea Of her earning money
a. his other work folks did, never en-
tered his mind. lie supported her.
hat was his idea Of their relationsl liz
never had happened TO think that il
was very good Of her 70 take his none,
and spend il for the good Of himself and
his children. He never had thought
That any other woman would have
wanted biz pay for doing IT, lie had
even thought himself very generous for
allowing her money to get things 10
make the family comfortable. Things
began TO look differently 10 him lust
now Could il be that he was not gen
erous. not even just 10 his wife! Had
he paid her 50 poorly for her fifteen
Years Of faithful labor for him that il
she had been obliged to begin the world
for herself that day. it would have been
a penniless woman, Notwithstanding
the houses, and lands, and mills. that
he had so often told her were all hers;
for he knew. as every one else did, that
not one dollar Of all he had. would the
law allow her to call her own.
How fast he thought. standing there
al the oiiicc-window looking down at
the little houses where the mill-hands
lived. Could it be possible that his
wife envied them anything? Could it
be that he was not as good man as he
thought? He had felt deeply the
wrongs Of the slaves whose labors had
been appropriated by their masters.
and when negro who had worked
twenty years for his master before the
emancipation freed him, came ~ Jarvis
Mills friendless and penniless. the heart
81 the proprietor swelled with indigna-
tlon al such injustice. He was eloquent
on the subject at home and abroad, and
wondered how any one could be so
cruel and selfish as 10 commit such an
outrage against Justice. He had called
him a robber many time, but now
Donald Jarvis looked TO himself very
much like that old Shareholder Massa
Brown had takenthe proceeds II Cuil'ee's
labor for his own without even a sthank
you for il. True, when Cuifee must
eat he had given him food. when he was
sick he had given him medicine. and he
had clothed him. too, just rs he himself
thought best. Mr.. Jarvis had married
a loving. conscientious woman. and for
fifteen years had appropriated her la
bors. Her recompense had been food
and clothes, such as he thought best for
her. A little better than Cuffcc's per-
haps, but the similarity did not please
him. He had expected his wife 70 be
very grateful for what he had done for
her, but now he wondered that she had
not rebelled long ago. Had his life
been mistake? Had his wife no more
money or liberty than Cuffce had in
bondage? Was Donald Jarvis no bet
ter than Massa Brown?
His brain seemed to be in middle,
and he looked 20 strangely thar his
wife, anxious TO break the spell. took
bis arm. saying, Let US 60 home,
dear. ten must be waiting for US" He
took his hat in dreamy way and they
walked home in silence. The children
ran joyously TO meet them. The yard
was 50 fresh and green, and the flow
ers 50 many and bright. that he won
dered he had never thanked Nettie for
them all. Hitherto he had looked upon
them as his. but now he felt that his in
terest in them was only few dollars,
that would not have amounted TO any
thing without his wife's care. His
were tidy and sweet and
everything around and in the house had
hat CHEEKY look that rested him 50
after the hard. dull dav ut the mill.
They sat again at the table, which had
been source of comfort and pleasure
20 him so many years, and he wondered
how he could have enjoyed il so long
without even thanking the woman who
had provided il. True she had used
ais money in bringing il all about, but
now else could his money be of use to
liml Who else could have turned il
nto just what he needed day after dAv
or years? And he began to have an
indeiined feeling that il took more than
money 10 make home. He glanced nj
lis wife's face as he buttered his last
lice Of bread.
II was not that Of the fair. rosy bride
whom he had brought to the mills years
before, but at that moment he realized
hat il was far dearcr to him. for he
thew that she had given the bloom and
reshncss Of her youth to make his
rome what il was His daughters had
Ter rose-lcaf cheeks, his sons her Youth
al vitality, all had her cheerful, win
ONE WAYS. and comforted him now as
he had in those days when, hardly
moving what care meant, she had lived
or him alone
And q new thought came to him.
Who was comforting her now when .
he had SO much carcr' Was that not
rhat he promised to do when he
rought her from her old home? He
ighed as he thought how far he had I
'rifted from her while holding her in
ondage equal 10 Cuflec's. Nay. he felt
hat her chains were far more binding
han any which had ever held the negro.