Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-01-18
The Things Of Others.

The Things Of Others.
A gloomy March morning had dawned on
our village, and our neighbors in the small
brown house, near to the corner of our
street, were more blue aud dismal than the
day. Mr.. James Symonds had scolded his
wife, because his breakfast was five minutes
late, and because one button had come off
his working coat. breakfast was always
behindhand; he was always late at his
work, unless he hurried fast enough to break
his neck his buttons were always starting
off for want of stitch, something that
wouldn't take half a minute !" When Mr..
Symonds had said this he shut the door
hard, and went miserably down the street.
Our neighbours bad temper seldom lasted
ten rods beyond his home his repentance
often came before he was well started on
his walk and even while he was uttering
reproaches he was dimly feeling that he
should be miserable all that day,-he al
ways was wretched when there had been
fuss at home. He always had visions of
Mary taken suddenly ill, and of the house
filled with neighbors trying to help her or
of Johnnie terribly hurt; or of the baby
sick with the Group. All such days he
trembled and turned pale whenever a
strange head appeared at the top of the
open stairway and he would catch him
self listening to any strange voice in the
shop below, dreading lest a messenger had
come to summon him on account of some
fearful calamity. The shop was too far off
for him to go home to his dinner he al
ways took that meal with him in tin pail !;
and when he had gone to his work in
pleasant mood, he and half dozen fellow
workmen sat down together, talking over
the news, comparing notes of family ex-
penses or, when the boys were away, tell
ing stories of their children's progress in
walking, talking, etc. When, as it often
happened, things went wrong in the morn
ing, MIR. Symonds found that he must do
errands at noon then, after hurrying down
a few mouthfuls, he went out and walked
all the rest of the hour. He could not bear
laughing and talking freely with his COM
rades while his wife was unhappy. Many
time he would gladly have gone all the way
to his house just to see that Mary and the
children were all right, only he was ashamed
to show her how troubled and anxious he
was and he could no more have put into
words his sorrow for ill temper ESQ he
thought), than he could have changed into
real angel, then and there
Mary, for her part, would have died sooner
than have helped him on with any such con-
fession. She always shut her lips fast to-
gether, and went about her work with the
air of a martyr, while her husband was in
the house. The forenoon was always
passed in recounting to herself the wrongs
and iniustices of which she was the victim (;
the number of things which she had to do,
cooking, washing, ironing sweeping, mend
ing, with two troublesome children always to
look after-one just running about, the other
in its cradle how could any woman see to
buttons, and get meals to minute, when
her hands were tied half the time So at
home Mrs. Symonds dwelt on her troubles,
and worked her husbands unkindness into
the dish-washing, the sweeping, the clean
ing up generally, even into the washing and
dressing of the little ones. The sense of in
justice met her in all the familiar objects in
her little kitchen and when she had
carried Johnnie up stairs, and had set him
in high chair, out of harms way, while
she made the beds, her enemy had gone up
before her, and meeting, tortured her there.
She wondered how it would be if she were
TO die, whether James would then be sorry
whether he would learn how much she had
had 10 do, and if he would not feel that
he had been all to blame But by-and-by,
when the homework was done up, her hair
combed and her dress changed, as the after
noon grew on, she thought less of herself
and her troubles, and more of Johnnie's lit
tie speeches,-what pain it gave her 10
think how little she had noticed them at the
time; of the way baby was beginning to
hold things; and she longed to tell James
these small marvels. She knew herself too
well to presume that she would do anything
of the sort. Had not her husband been
cruel and UNJUST was it not his place to
make advances? He should at least say
that he had been wrong, just that, and she
would overlook all. But she would like TO
have one talk with him, and show him how
things really were; she did think he ought
to see that now he only thought of late
breakfasts and missing buttons, never Of her
Thousand duties and cares. "Perhaps, after
all, it would be better if she or one Of the
children should die; then these miserable
troubles would come to an end ;"-she shud-
dered as she said this about the children,
and didn't mean it at all. Mary, too had
really her fears about something dreadful
happening to james or the little ones, but
she kept it farther away, and pretended
that she was courageous.
Late that afternoon, James, going near TO
the front shop-windows saw man in a
chaise below, leaning forward and talking
eagerly to one of the firm. lie could not be
mistaken he saw his master point straight
up to the window where his own bench
stood, and he distinctly heard the question,
"What does the docter say ?" The answer
did not reach him, but James turned deadly
pale and sick he staggered shudderingly
back to his little corner, his whole body re-
solved into the act of listening. He knew
that the strange man tods coming to find
him, and he only waited to hear the dreaded
step upon the stairs, and TO see one of the
boys delightedly point out himself, as a per
son OF great consequence, at that moment
A few minutes went by; he had not hearC
the chaise driven off, but nobody came fol
him. Half an hour had passed, when on,
OF the boys rushed excitedly in, to say tha
the old building was really to be altered
now he had heard Mr.. Cilley talk it al
over with one of the owners, and it was al
settled, he guessed he shouldn't wonder i
workmen were there next Monday. Ther
James Symonds blood ran freely one,
more; the man in the chaise the pointing
up at his window, the question about tn,
doctor, were explained. Doctor Bent wa
one OF the owners, and had hitherto gon,
against any change.
Was ever any man so relieved and happ,
before Grateful tears would come int
his eyes, as he bent lower over his work
and he made a swift, but earnest humble
resolution that very moment
On that same afternoon Mary, in tryini
TO find some new playthings for Johnnie
had overturned on the table box contain
ing her own little treasures, things whicI
had not seen the light for many a yeal
Among these were some small reward-cards
with texts and notices, which she read owe
as she took them up, recalling the old tim
.ha.. nh D. Il rtsI tls.... l.
and learned all there was on them befor
night. Now, while she was sewing agar
and Johnnie was playing with bright shell
and her own old cupand-ball, tae word
kept running in his mothers mind, al
honor preferring one another. Let nothin
be done through strife or vainglory; but i
lowliness of mind lot each esteem other be
ter than himself. Look not every man o
his own things, but every man also on Ii
things Of Others"
What does looking on the things {
al IL