Daily Republican., 1881-07-22
WIFE OR SLAvE9

tDreW nllns6It into the rocking chair
the kitchen and fan ned his tlushtd i ia
with his straw hat.
"a quarter of.an hour wasted vel
likely, waiting here Right in Il
midst of as fine hav-day as ma
would wish TO see. Now, my moth,
used to have her lunch ready to IL
minute whenever we came for it, and
don't see why"
His jeremiah was checked by th
appearance Of his wife, who came ont
the pantry tugging along the grea
lunch basket, almost too heavy for he
strength.
Farmer Brewster was young ma
in spite of his grumbling. Only twenty
three, tall, straight, healthy, with blu
eyes, rosy cheeks, fair curling hair
and handsome face when it was no
darkened, az now, by a scowl ofdiscon
tent.
AS anonly son. he had inherited
large aud handsome farm, clear of mort
gage or debt, which supplied all tn
wants OF the househo' d most liberal ant
ga, him nice little sum to deposit il
the ba"k every year.
There was no reason why he shOul.
Re mean and yet miserly habits wer'
gradually growing on him faster thar
he knew.
Nor was there need of grnmbling owe
the household arrangements, since tn,
wife of his choice was q farmer.
daughter, who well knew how to work
and who had taken delight in setting
her home in faultless order when Isl
she anne, as bride to the pleasant
Brewster place.
The same order reigned still from gar
ret to cellar OF the square old house
but Mrs. Brewster went through her
tasks mechanically now, or with a
nervous haste and hurry that made
them almost unendnrable sometimes.
The constant dropping of water will
wear away q stone; and the constant
fault finding in which her husband saw
fit to indulge had nearly worn the pa
tience, the hope and the endurance out
Of the young wife's heart.
The comfort and happiness of that
home hung now upon q thread, which
frayed more and more hour by hour un.
der he pain Of uninerited blame.
Yet George Brewster saw nothing of
this until the morning Of which |
write,
"There is the |, n h, and it is exactly
five minutes ra>t ,en.' said Mrs. Brew
1ter setting the basket down with some
emphasis ut his leet. "I was delayed
that much by the butter. II had TO be
seen too before the sun got too high
"Mv mother always churned before
observed George, rising
slowly to his feet
His wife said nothing, but the color
'oSe hotly in her cheeks till the lost
bloom of her girlhood seemed to have
'ome back again, and she raised her
Eyes to his with a look that startled
.im.
He went out and dispensed the lrea-
nrers Of his basket among the hungry
men, vino Iraised Letty's excellent
cooking with every mouthful thev swal-
owed.
'lt is enough to make an old bachelor
ike me sit down aud cry to eat such
shortcake as that" said Solo
non Wyse, wiping the crumbs of the
east from his lips before he drank hard
ider from the jug. "Tell you what it
), George, you drew prize when you
rent 0Ourting."
$50 he did. And here's her good
ealth, chimed in another mower, as he
Dok up the jug
George asseDtrd vaguely.
They were talking of his wife-his
'ife, who was afraid she hated him.
Never had the two hours between
inch and dinner dragged 50 slowly
AS he rode round and round tie field,
18th the snarp rattIs Of the moving
lachine he guided, in his ears, his
lind was continually busy with Letty's
,oks and her words, and his eyes turn
| often toward the cream. colored tarn-
ouse, behind whose spruce green blinds ,
is wife was busy repairing dinner.
Very handsome eyes they were-lar |
ut and velvety, with a world of love
nd tenderness in their depth.
Yet now they met his own cOldly and !
ernly; with such an expression that he
,claimed;
Good gracious! Lefty: You look rs
you hated mel"
81 am afraid DO" was the astound-
{ reply.
And with a swift glance at the clock
city hurried down into the cellar, with
knife and pan, to make her prepa-
tions tor dinner for six hungry hay
akers.
Afraid she hates me! My vile! She
at was Lefty Glover" muttered he to
msclf in his bewilderment. "Why,
hat on earth! She must be going
azy or something or other"
"Lotty!' he called at the cellar door.
"lt is Ten minutes past ten," she an
iered from the depths Of the cellar.
f ] don't use about dinner now il
)I't be on the table at twelve to the
iuute, as your mother always used to
we it. can't come"
"Well, If IT, is don't heat ALL" said he
the maltese and white cat who as /
nded from the cellar and rubbed her
Il against his legs.
A shout from the bayfield, reused him
the recollection of the days business
II used to think how happy l should
if l ever persuaded her to come
re-" he thought. at is two years.
ly, declare it is two years ago this I
ry day that we mere married!
,nder if she remembers it? But it {
IT likely, when she says she is afraid I
Q rates me.
Did she remember? Ah, in that very
nelnbrance lay the sting!
All the morning, while she got break {
It, at five o'clock, and washed the ;
shes, swept the rooms, made beds, t
nrned butter and prepared a hearty I
lch for six men, her heart turned back
that other morning twenty -foar {
'nths ago, ,!whentbe bright,eyed, rosy t
eekel country maiden rose at four f
lock to complete her preparations f.r
. wedding-day. Il
How good, how kind, how handsome |
: George was then. How his eyes l.
lowed her, how his love blessed her t
Vas it her fault that the bloom and i
luty of life had departed in those two h
'rt years?
cooking back she could see no day in $
ich she had shrunk from continual 81
no day in which she had not at G.