American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-07-24


Kate" said Fred. complainingly. "Ior
know my ear is perfect and yet you viii
persist in spelling the harmony"
- didn't know"
"No, that's it. if you did you might
possibly get to be in time a tolerable
player. Bat play on, since Ned asked
you. | can endure good deal"
Kate continued.
Horrible! Wretched,' exclaimed
bred
.Odd chords. you know" explained
Mr.. Taylor.
Yes, the oddest-on ever heard, "
said Fred, sarcas ically.
| Mr. Taylor said no more, but inly
| thought his brother-in-law conduct
detestable. But the others knew that
it WAS almost an exact repetition of Mr..
Taylors the evening previous. when
Dora instead of Kate hal played the
piano.
After their guests had retired. Mr..
Taylor said to his wife, II pity poor
Kate"
'.Why9" asked his wife. unconccrn-
| ediy. rs she began putting her hair in
| crimpS.
| "WhyP" he echoed. Cant YOU
see that Fred is a perfect bear? But
of course you can't; you never see any,
thing" But his wife did not reply
and he said, presently, How long viii
rou stand at that glass, frizzing your
hair that looks great deal better
4 pla;n?"
al thought you liked it better crimp-
ed; you said so last week"
| You are the most exasperating
woman, throwing mans speeches
/ back at him in that way! l may have
said so last week, but now [ think you
| look better with Your hair plain. You
are just like Fred. You want to find
| fault all the tima and then make it ap-
pear L am to blame
Every well,' said his wife, briefly;
and she turned down the gas that he
might not see her tears.
The four sat down next morning at
an excellent repast, but Mr.. Taylor said,
as he cut his steak, ~ wasn't aware
before, Dora, that you considered sole
leather a fit substitute for beef.
1T is not very good, know, Ed
ward, but it was too late to exchange
it when found it was not the sirloin
ordered
Fred elevated his eyebrows, expres-
siyely. Med, if you call this tough,
you should see the steak Kate treats me
10. Sole leather! why sole-leather is
tender by comparison. Ours is more
like rubber. | assure you this is choice
eating to me, accustomed to SO much
worse"
Kate bit her lip and her face flushed
in her efforts to avoid laughing at Fred's
extravaganza and her brothers sur
prised look. Finally she burst into a
hearty laugh. You can see how lit
tie she cares for my comfort" said
Fred.
"Hystericsr' thought her brother,
80 no wonder" He ingeniously changed
the conversation to more agreeable top
les. but his manner to Fred was a trifle
cold and constrained.
Thus matters continued for two or
three days. Whenever Mr.. Taylor
made suggestion" as he delicatcly
expressed it. Fred capped it by finding
fault with Kate, until without thinking
himself in the least to blame, yet out of
pity for his sister, he began to be more
prudent of suggestions" Fred, how
ever. found plenty of margin for COM
plant. 80 Kate" said he coming from
his room where he had been tumbling
over the contents of his valise, I" have
q dozen shirts here and not single
button on the whole dozen.'
VERY true," said his wife, .'you asked
me to remove them, fancying studs
would be BETTER
'sWhere are the studs, then?''
''Why, l don't know. l am sure.'
mo, you never know where anything
is. My mother used to say she could
find any article she wanted in the dark
est night. Would it be asking too much
of you. Mrs. Hastings. to offer a sug-
gestion?''
Il should suggest" said Mr.. Taylor,
al
you have on
80 thank you, Ned, so they are. You
see l have to look out for myself en-
tirely. Kate is so Indifferent. AS for
the buttons. 1 did ask her to remove
them, for they might as well all be off
as only half. l never mind one missing
button"
Don't you think, Fred,' asked Mr..
Taylor. as they walked down street to-
gether. ''that you are little hard upon
Kate?''
Hard upon KateP" echoed. Fred
''What can you mean?"
'.Finding so much fault with her,
''Why. | never find fault, only offer
a suggestion now and then"
''Forcible ones, Fred, or so they seem
to me. Kate never used to be SO care
less and indifferent as you now seem to
consider her,
s'You don know heras well as 1 do.''
said Fred, shortly.
Mr.. Taylor flushed with anger. ''Well,
it is not creditable either to your heart
or manners to speak of your wife and
my sister in that manner"
"Humph," muttered Fred.
''Kate is very sensitive"
''Exactly." said Fred, drily.
"And she is so good a sister I am sure
she cannot be other than a good wife.
That you cannot appreciate her does
not alter facts said Mr.. Taylor, in
censed still more by Fred's Indifferent
manner.
At this point, however, it changed.
"Ned. you are right, Kate is all and
more than you say of her. and 1 appre-
ciate her fully. Iwould not wound her
feelings for the world"
''Then, L must say, you show your
affection for her in peculiar way"
said Mr.. Taylor, drily, "that's all
DO you appreciate your wife?"
81 hope So" said Mr.. Taylor, sur
prised at the question.
"Is she good wifeP''
Certainly, she is. When l married
her five years ago. said Mr.. Taylor,
''she was the one woman in ali the
world for me, and I have never changed
my opinion regarding her,
'Sensitive?" asked Fred again,
briefly.
Eyes, rather. WhyP''
"Only this, 1 have been trying lately
to show my appreciation and love for
Kate in the same manner that YOU show