Stephens City star. (Stephens City, Va.) 1881-1883, 1882-11-18
borne to press on her slender shoulders,
in order to "salt down. his dollars.


Had she not duty to perform?
Ought she to allow him to preach and
never to practice? Had she not rights
to be respectedp which were not by her
husband; for, she reasoned, if he
allowed her to do what could be done
by an ignorant Irish woman for 50
week, then he rated her at that price.
"Widder Patch has had a rough time
ont" said Neighbor Jones she is
going to the Westw'rd to Tom if she
sells the medder, and Jane is going out
to work. She's tried sewing, but it
don't agree with her, and Dr. Snow
recommends housework as healthy
business"
"'Tis healthy business" chimed in
John. "Now, my wife is good deal
better than when / married her. Why,
she never did washing in her life
until she came to the farm. I think
washing and general housework is
much better than piano-playing and
reading"
$50 1 say to the girls, who poster me
to buy an origin, Better play on the
washboard, enough sight" was the ele-
CANT response.
care you going to buy the cranberry
meadow, John?" Mary asked as she
saw her husband making preparations
to go from home.
"Yes-why?"
"Can you afford it?"
"We shall have to fgger little
closer in order to do it; but it is going
cheap"
"You will have to give up Tom
Birch, won't you, and do the chores
yourself %
81 have thought of it; but Tom is
poor, and to give him home is deed
of charity. No, we will save some
other way"
"How much do you pay Tom?"
"Three dollars and his board. And,
by the way, he says you didn't wash
his clothes. Washing and mending was
in the bargain"
81 think Tom will have to go, for l
have hired Jane Patch. She will be
here tonight. Two dollars week /
am to give her. You want to practise
Bear We one another's burdens as we'll
as preach from the text, so I will give
you chance. 1 will take my turn at
sitting on the cool piazza after tea
with neighbor, while you do the
chores. 1 think the time has come
for some Of my burdens to be lifted.
BY exchanging Tom for Jane, you will
have one dollar week for the cram
berry meadow. You say strong, active
Tom is in need of home; he can make
one for himself anywhere. 1t is deed
of charity to give Jane home, and an
act,of mercy to give your wife little
rest"
Before John could recover from his
astonishment, Mary walked out of his
sight, and taking the children went to
the shut-up parlor. Throwing opes
the windows to let in the soft summer
air, with baby in her lap, she sat down
at her piano and began to play "song
without words, piece John had loved
to hear when he use to visit her in her
home, where she was a petted girl.
The song crept out through the open
windows and around to John as he sat
on the porch, and memory compelled
him to give the song words. Not
musical poetry, but rather somber
prose, where in washing, ironing, hard
days at the churn, hours of cooking for
hungry men, stood out before his
minds eye in contrast to the fair
promises he had made the pretty girl
he had won for his bride.
Jane Patch came that evening, and
at once took upon herself many of Mrs.
Clark's cares, and no one greeted her
more cordially than the master of the
house. Nothing was ever said about
her coming, and Tom Birch did not go
away; SO Mary knew that her husband
could well afford the expense.
She told me how she helped to make
one man thoughtful and unselfsh, as
we sat on her cool piazza oneI hot
August night; and Twas glad that one
woman had grit enough to demand her
rights. If John Clark had been poor
his wife would have borne her burden
in patience, but she had no right to
help make him selfish, and Indifferent
as to her health and comfort. Boston
Waterman.
1t was a feminine Chicago disciple