St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-01-21

row the money from his cook. | was so
mortified And not long since the berry
woman came with such nice berries to
sell, and my little girl, who was not
well, wanted some very badly, but |
had not even five cents to pay for a
handful fol her. Yesterday a friend
came to me to assist in work of
charity. 1t was a worthy object and |
lOnGed SO much to give her a little
money for so good a purpose, but
although the wife of 4 rich man, | had
no money. OF course | might ask my
husband for money, and if | told him
all about what l wanted with it and he
approved of my purpose, and was in
good humOr, he would give il to me
but, sir, it is terribly slavish to have to
do so, even if l could run to him every
time | wanted anything. People say |
am Il fortunate woman because my hus-
band is rich but | often envy the fac
tory girls their ability to earn and
spend their own money. And some
times l get so Wild thinking about my
helplessness that if it we're not for my
children | think should just drop into
the river and end it ALL"
"Nettie Nettie Jarvis What are
you saying ?" cried the startled husband
at last, for the far away look in her
eyes as if she did not see him, but was
looking to some higher power to help
her, touched his pride if it did not his
heart, for he had a good deal of pride
in a selfish sort of way.
He was proud to he able to support
his family as well as he did. He was
proud to think he did it himself. He
was proud that when his children want
ed new shoes he could tell his wife to
take them to Crispin's and get what
they needed. He did it with flourish.
He was not of the stingy kind-he lik
ed to spend money; and when Nettie,
who was once the most spirited young
lady of his acquaintance, came meekly
to him for a new dress or cloak he was
sometimes tempted to refuse her money
just to show her how helpless she was
without him. Yes, he was proud of his
family and wanted them to feel how
much they depended upon him. He
would have felt aggravated if any one
had left his wife legacy, thus allow
ing her to be Independent of his purse.
The idea Of her earning money as the
other wOrk-folks did, never entered his
mind. He supported" her, that was
his idea of their relation He never had
happened to think that it was very
good of her to take his money and
spend it for the good of himself and his
children. He never had thought that
any other woman would have wanted
big pay for doing it. He had even
thought himself very generous for al
| To
the family comfortable. Things began
to look differently to him just now.
Could it he that he was not generous
not even just-tO his wife Had he paid
her so poorly for her fifteen years OF
faithful labor for him that if she had
been obliged to begin the world foI
herself that day, it would have been
as penniless woman, Notwithstanding
the houses, the lands and mills that he
had SO often tod her were all hers Fol
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
at the Office window, looking down a
the little houses where the millhands
lived. Could it be possible that hi:
wife envied them anything? Could i
be that he was not as good Il man as he
thought? He had felt deeply the wrongs
of the slaves, whose labOTs had beer
appropriated by their masters, anC
when a negro who had worked twenty
years for his master before the enamel
patton freed him, came to Jarvis's mil
friendless and penniless, the heart o
the proprietor swelled with indIgna-
ton at such injustice. He was elO
quent oil the subject at home anC
abroad, and wondered how any one
could be so cruel and selfish as to com
NIT such an outrage against justice. H'
called him rObber many time, bu
now Donald Jarvis looked to himsel
much like the old slave holders "Mas
sa Brown" had taken the proceeds o
Cuffee's labor for his own without evel
"A "thank YOU for it. True, when Cuf
fee ate he had given him food, when IN
was sick he had given him medicine
and he had clothed him, too, just as h
himself thought best. Mr.. Jarvis hat
married a loving, conscientious woman
and for fifteen years had appropriate
her labors. Her recompense had beel
food and clothes, such as he though
best for her. a little better than Cuf
fees, perhaps but the similarity of tn
cases did not please him. He had ex
pected his wife to be very grateful fO
what he had done for her, but now h
wondered that she had not rebelle
long ago. Had his lite been a mistake
, Had his wife no more money or libert
than Cuffee had in bondage Was Don
aid Jarvis no better than Massa Rrown
His brain seemed to be in muddlt
r and he looked so strangely that his wife
anxious to break the spell, took hi
: arm, saying, Let us 90 home, dea1
: The tea must be waiting fOr u.s. II
r took up his hat in a dreamy way, an
+ they walked home in silence. The chill
r dren ran joyously to meet them. Th
r yard was so fresh and green, and tn
r flowers so many and bright that b
t wondered he had never thanked Netti
q for them all. Hitherto he had locke
. upon them as his but now he felt thu
+ his interest in them was only few do
n lars. that wouldn't have amounted I
. anything without his wife's care. II
n children were tidy and sweet, and ey
erything around aud in the house la
| that CHEEKY look that rested him so a
II tel the hard, dull day at the mill. The
II sat again at the table which had bee
\ source of comfort to him so man
years, and he wondered how he cOuI
: have enjoyed it SO long without thanl
| ing the woman who had provided
l. True, she had used his money in brini
f ing it all about, but how else could h
IS money be of use to him Who ell
q could have turned it into just what
d needed day after day for years And
o began to have an undefined feeling tn
.r it took more than money to make
It home. He glanced at his wife's face
: ] Lu ltnral Ii. llst slica of Lreal