Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-07-29

| freed him, came to Jarvis mills, friend
less and penniless, the heart of the pro-
prietor swelled with Indignation at such
| injustice. He was eloquent on the SUBJ
ject, at home and abroad, and won
dered how any one could be so cruel and
selfish as to commit such an outrage
against Justice. He had called him a
robber many a time, but now Donald
Jarvis looked to himself very much like
the old shareholders Massa Brown
had taken the proceeds of Cufee's labor
for his own without "thank you" for
it. True, whea Cuffee eat be had given
him food, when he was sick he had
given him medicine, and he had clothed
him, too, just as he himself thought
best. Mr.. Jarvis had married a loving,
conscientious woman, and for fifteen
years had appropriated her labors. Her
recompense had been food and clothes,
such as he thought best for her. A lit
tie better than Cufee's, perhaps, but the
similarity of the cases did not please
him. He had expected his wife to 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 OF liberty than Cuffee had in
bondage. Was Donald Jarvis no better
than Massa BrownP
His brain seemed to be in muddle,
and he looked so strangely that his wife,
anxious to break the spell, took his
arm. saying 'sLet us go home, dear. tea
must be waiting for u.s." He took off
his hat in dreamy way and they walked
home in silence. The children ran joy
ously to meet them. The yard was so
fresh and green, and the flowers SO
many and bright, that he wondered he
had never thanked Nettie for them all.
Hitherto he had looked upon them as
his, but now he felt that his interest in
them was only few dollars, that
would not have amounted to anything
without his wife's care. His children
were tidy and sweet, and everything
around and in the house had that CHEEKY
look that rested him so after the hard,
dull day at the mill. They sat again at
the table, which had been a source cf
comfort and pleasure to him so many
years., and he wondered how he could
have enjoyed it so long without even
thanking the woman who had provided
it. True she had used his money in
bringing it all about, but how else could
his money be of use to him? Who else
could have turned it into just what he
needed day after day for yearsp And he
began to have an underlined feeling that
it took more than money to make a
home. He glanced at his wife's face as
he buttered his last slice of bread.
1t was not that of the fair, rosy bride
whom he had brought to the mills years
before, but at that moment he realized
that it was far dearer to him, for he
knew that she had given the bloom and
freshness of her youth to make his
home what il was. His daughters had
her rose-leaf cheeks, his sons her youth
full vitality, all had her cheerful, win
some ways, and comforted him now as
she had in those days when, hardly
knowing what care meant, she had
lived for him alone.
And new thought came to him.
"Who was comforting her now when
she had so much care?n Was not that
what he promised to do when he
brought her from her old home? He
sighed as he thought how far be had
drifted from her while holding her in a
bondage equal to Cuffee's. Nay, he fel t
that her claims were far more binding
than any which had ever held the
negro, and that his obligations to her
were so much the greater.
Something called the children out
doors, and Mr.. Jarvis took his easy
chair. His wife came and stood beside
him. '' fear you are not well, Donald,
or are you displeased with me?'
He drew her into his arms and told
her how her words had showed him
what manner of man he was, and there
were words spoken that need not be
written, but from that day forth diff
ferent man was the proprietor of the
Jarvis mills, and there was q brighter
light in Mrs. Jarvis eyes, for at last she
had something of her own, nor has she
regretted that she "applied for wages. y