Morris tribune., 1882-06-15
FIRST AND LAST QUARREL.
BY ROSE TERRY COOKE.

"Well, dono as do"
And they had just been just six weeks
married, these two.
Pretty Sallie Masters and Will Gray
we're poor people; he was farmer, and
she had worked in a factory in Lynn.
1t was like a new life to get out into the
sweet country, but she knew nothing at
all about farm work and cared less; it
was all new to her, and at first was very
hard.
Then she had quick temper and a
quick tongue, and Will was the only son
of a widow and had always had his own
way.
His mother was dead when he mar
ried Sallie, or he could not have brought
wife to the lonely farm, for it would
not support three people as yet though
Will worked hard to make it pay, and the
year before he had received five hundred
dollars from railroad company for the
right to run their road straight through
his front yard.
This seemed fortune to Will, and he
thought verylit of the road being only
few rods from his door, in comparison
with the money which enabled him to
buy wood-lot bordering on his farm
and piece of meadow o1fthe other side
But when Sallie came there she COM
planned good deal of the noise the en-
gines made, and scolded to think the
wagon never could come up to the door,
for she was afraid to cross the track in
it, and the barn lay on the other side of
both road and railway.
However, thing that can't be cured
must be endured, so she set herselfto
the endurance.
But butter-making and cooking were
worse troubles to her, and to-day Will
had grumbled at the specks in the but
ter, and pushed his plate away at break
fast because the buckwheat cakes were
would freeze in the pantry, so she set
them on the shelf above the stove, and
they were spoiled.
How she wished that she had had
home and a mother to teach her home
duties, Instead of being an orphan ever
since she could remember and working
so many years in factory.
But Will never thought of that; he
fancied woman knew Homework if she
did not anything else, and he had to
take long drive to-day and should
miss the good breakfast he really need
ed, and he felt very cross.
He pushed his chair back and said:
~ can't cut those thingsn'
"Well, you no need TOP snapped Sally,
who was just ready to cry, but would
not show it for the world.
81 had ought to have some breakfast
to 60 thirty miles on, and Pm goin' over
to Mystic to-day"
you can eat over there. s'pose 'Phro-
ny knows how to make good things"
II bet she does!" said Will, emphati-
cally.
Now 'Phrony was a pretty, bright;
capable girl, Willis own cousin, and he
had never thought of marrying her.
She was just like his sister, for till very
lately Uncle Dan had lived on the next
farm, and the children had always play
ed toge Their.
But Sally had met Sophronia before
and after her own marriage, and in her
foolish heart had grown jealous of her
beauty and capacity to do all kinds OF
home work.
This morning the mention of Mystic,
the village where Uncle Dan lived now,
was the drop too much.
Sally's face famed and her ewes grew
dark.
Perhaps you'd better 60 to Mystic
when you get there SEEM things amt
to your ikin' here!" she said with bitter
emphasis.
'Mabbe I had, if yon can't learn how
to cook .vittles half way decent" was
Wills spiteful response.
"Well, I dono as do" he replied,
and walked across to the barn.
Sally was 30 angry that she few around
the kitchen as if She stepped OIL air; she
was in one of those RACES that exalt the
body with the passion of the mind, and
make any action easy while the inner
tempest lasts.
1t seemed to her as if she heard in her
own cars the boiling of her rage; she
certainly did not hear outdoor sounds
at all; it was accidental that in stepping
past the window, she saw Will drive off
down the hard road without so muchsas
looking back to his home. She had not
heard the sleigh-bells at all.
If some one else had been there for
her to talk to, probably she would have
cooled down sooner, as speech is a safety
valve many times in an over-burdened
heart.
But she was all alone in the house,
and the nearest neighbor lived round a
hill out of sight.
And as she few round putting the
dishes away and setting back the table
in the bare, silent room, its only outlook
sheets of dazzling snow, grey woods
with here and there dull-green cedar,
or round, fiat cyprus on the barren
hillside. and one expanse Of stainless,
sunny blue above, her thoughts ran riot.
She looked back to the time of her
marriage, and scorned herself for having
believed Will ever loved her. Jdst for q
few hard words you ask? Yes, only
that
"Words break no bones," the proverb
says, but they break hearts, which is
worse; and words mean very much to
women, though very little to man.
Will, by this time, was whistling along
in the old sleigh, not thinking at all Of
and flour he must buy in Mystic, the
weight of his pig-it was 90 near killing
But poor Sally, pitiable as well as
blameable, for to have quick, high tenn
per is worse for its possessors than for
anybody else, still brooded over her
She blamed Will for his hateful words.
excused herself and pitied herself for her
lonely, motherless life and inexperience.
and planned great many things to saw
and do that should show Will she would
not be trodden on and abused weakly
and meekly. She finished her active
work, built up the fire and sat down to
her mending; but by this time she had
come to tears she felt so sorry for her
sef-and they fell so fast she could not
darn.
just then the morning train Numbered
by and spun out of sight round sharp
curve.
She remembered that she must 20 out
and gather the eggs as she always did
about that time-she was 80 afraid to