Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-05-25
Sharp Words.

"Nonsense p' said Mr.. Wheaton shortly.
Mrs. Wheaton's face flushed scarlet; she |
looked upSf him, and If mistake not, |
sharp reply got up as far as her throat, but \
she choked it down it did not part her lips |
She looked furtively at me, but looked |
steadily at the fire. Mr.. Wheaton all the |
time was quite unconscious OF the stir his |
word had made in one tender and sensitive
heart. Then Mrs. Wheaton murmured
something about her scissors and slipped
out of the room.
Mrs. Wheaton had ventured TO make some
remark on some business question I think
| 1t concerned the morality of some Wall
street operations. The subject was one
with which she had no great acquaintance,
and perhaps her woman wit was at fault
Indeed, remember thinking at the time
that it was, at least in part; but what she
said was not nonsense.
After Mrs. Wheaton had gone out there
was moment or two of silence then |
broke it. Mr.. Wheaton and are old friends,
and presumed little on that fact.
"Tom," said |, how long have you been
married ?"
"Twenty-four years next May" said he.
"a year from next May, if we both live so
long, will be our silver wedding. And yet
it seems but yesterday that Lucy and | were
| bltlRuluI
mas that ran away from home for my hol-
idays, much to the vexation of my sisters,
because ] found greater attractions at Lucy
Vines.
al wonder" said l, speaking slowly and
musingly, and as it were to myself" won
der if that Christmas holiday you would
have spoken to Lucy Vine as you spoke to
your wife Just now ?"
allow 2" said Mr.. Wheaton and he turned
sharply upon me.
Nonsense - | repeated and l threw
into my own voice all the vigor and the
sharpness there had been in his. 1t was a
hazardous experiment, but Tom aud were
old friends; at all events, there was no
drawing back now.
He looked at me sharply for a moment,
and looked at him then his eyes went
back to the fire. "Shoh !" said he speaking
to himself, al wonder and then turning
quickly back to me, DO you suppose she
minded it 2"
"What did she get up and go out for
without word in reply?" | asked.
J "To get her scissors, believe" said he.
i laughed at him. at is taking her a
3 long time to find them," I replied. "Yes,
! she did mind it. If you had seen the quick
flush in her face, and the quick look first at
you and then at me, and the choking at the
throat, and the nervous movement of the
hands, you would not have doubted that she
minded it. Suppose she had said to you
Nonsensel and fred 1t at him as ex-
. plosively as could; show would you have
, liked it?"
He shook his head slowly he was still
= studying the fire.
: "Suppose had said to her, Nonsense p
! (explosively as before); show would you
! 4 have liked it?"
81 would have said you were no gentle
!, man." said MIR. Wheaton " but--but" -
a But what 2" said |.
"Why, John a fellow can't be studying
g all the time how he'll talk to his own wife
e you know. If he can't be free at home he
y cant be free anywhere. She ought not tc
be so sensitive. She knows | didn't mean
!, ANYTHING"
"Tom," said |, {" if any one else accused
, you of saying something when you didn'
Q mean anything, you'd get redder in the fac,
y over it than she was just now. You mean
" exactly what you said. You thought wha
II your wife said was nonsense, and blurted i
right out"
"Well, it was nonsense" said Mr.. Whea
y ton.
al am not so sure of that" said ! ; "bu
" if it were, that was no reason why you shoul
II tell her so.'
"Do you always weigh your words whel
talking with your wife, as if you were in
witness box before Philadelphia lawyer
a "No matter what l do" said |. "Pei
a haps | have learned lesson here to-nigh
:. that will make me more careful hereafter
8. OF one thing | am very sure, Tom if W
ar were as careful of our wives after twenty
m five years of married life as we are of ou
"A girls in courtship"-
Ia But did not finish my sentence; for JUS
10 at that moment the door opened and Mr.
sS' Wheaton came in. | had barely time
ID notice that she had forgotten what she wen
Al for; for she had no scissors in her hapC
m when Mr.. Wheaton, in his warm, impulsiv
II way, reached out his hand, caught hers, dre'
4 her to him and said, Lucy, my dear, NJ
~ Laicus here has been giving me a regula
ID going over for speaking to you as | did ju;
" now. 1t was nonsense, you know; but ha
% no business TO tell you 50; at least not |
a that brutal style"
,f She flushed redder than before; the
m stopped down. brushed the rich, black hal
ee off from his forehead; put kiss upon it
Y. thanked me with her eyes; and then sai'
81 declare | forgot my scissors after all,
and slipped out of the room again.
"Well, john" said Mr. Wheaton, grasl
ing me by the hand, am much obliged I
ne you. l remember Lucy always had sens
4 tive soul wonder if have been prickin
I'D II with sharp words without knowing it a
at these years. think Ihave learned lesso
ny tonight which shall not soon forget
W al think have learned one too" r
Is, piled. d."-Christidn Union.