Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-05-04
HARRY HARCOURT'S DREAM.

Harry Harcourt was not given tc
dreaming on ordinary occasions IN
fact, he seldom dreamt at all, for he
was q sound sleeper, with stomach
like an alligator's and conscience
like baby's.
An easy conscience and good di-
gestion are the best promoters OF heal
thy sleep the world over, and do moi
wonder that Harry Harcourt slept well
Harry Harcourt had a hobby. Most
practical and impractical people have
hobbies. My hero's hobby was the
financial, political, legal and every way
possible superiority of mems response.
bilities over women's duties in raising
Il family and providing for the house
hold.
Mrs. Harcourt was sale little wom-
an with big family. Pale little wom'
en- are very apt to be mothers of big
families. They are like decaying ap.
pie trees-exceedingly fruitful because
of their predisposition to early death,
Mrs. Harcourt's children were boys,
rudy, rollicking, jolly little r9mping
fellows, whose knees would pop
through their trousers and whose ell
bows would get ragged in spite of their
pale mothers untiring assiduity.
If had nothing more ID do than
you have, Mrs. Harcourt, | am sure
would Keep the children's jackets and
trousers in ORDER" said Harry Har-
court one day. when Ben and Billy
came rushing into the great unfinished
farm house, driving q tandem team oil
the other boya, and tracking mud upon
the newly mopped floor.
The boys walked the baby who had
Just fallen asleep after an hour of in
cessant rocking while the mother had
YEARLY piled her needle and they up.
set her work-basket in heap as they
galloped around the room in high glee.
Harry always says, Mrs. Harcoart,"
when he means to be extremely digni-
fed.
Mrs. Harcourt was not always az
meek as she looked, and her husband
had many a time discovered it to his
cost. She had will Of her own when
aroused, and Harry HarcGurt had once
more unwittingly aroused her by rid
ing his strongest hobby directly athwart
her sense of justice, when she was ner-
vous from over exertiOn.
'If had nothing more to do than
you have, Mr.. Harcourt, or if l had
the control of my own earnings as You
do, I'd once in awhile be able to buy
the children something new to wear, 80
that they wouldn't always have to de.
pend upon patches?',
GHhat'a all q yUpmup RDpua ahput
economy. You'd break me up in three
months if you had free swing at the
finances. New clothes for the children,
indeed. Let 'em wear their old ones!'
chats what they have been doing
all along, Mr.. HarcOurt, and they were
mostly made up of old clothes in the
first place. If / was only free from all
the unpaid drudgery that you impose
upon me without any remuneration
whatever | would earn money and bay
clothes for the children rs fast rs they
are needed; but ! have to be cook,
nurse, laundress, washer, dairy
maid, scullion, mop-rag, needle woman
and general scapegOat all the time, and
all for the sake of being supported. II
wasn't so when / was school-ma' am.
| had my own money then, and 40
thanks to anybody for it, either"
After delivering herself of this TRADE,
Mrs. Harcourt shook the screaming
baby till it grew silent from sheer ex-
haustion, and then laid it back in the
cradle, while she renewed her efforts
with her needle.
She was patching n pair of old and
dirty trousers which had reached the
vexatious age that required patch upon
patch TO make them preSentable.
81 could do more work than you dc
Mrs. Harcourt, and get along with less
money, and carry rail on my shoulder
all the time, at that" said Harry Har-
court, COutemptuously.
could you now?' asked the pale
little woman, with a bitter smile.
"Of course | could. Women have nc
responsibilities. l support my family
and bear all the burdens of life. | can
remember, too, since reflections are in
order, Mrs. Harcourt, that there was
u time when had no cares nor respou.
sibilities, no wife nor children to bother
me, and nothing under the sun to ruff {
my temper"
The indignant husband did not an
swer i'll words, but he gave vent to a
prolonged whistle and left the room
banging the door after him with a vim
that Jared the whole house and sci
her nerves a-tingling like so many
stinging bees i'll swarming time.
The baby sobbed itself into a grieved
AID uneasy slumoer, the tandem team
and rollicking drive of boys skurried
of into the woo1shed, and the house
was still again.
In little while the trousers were
mended, but the. overturned contents
of the upset work basket fairly appsll.
ed her rs she contemplated the prom
iscuous pile-socks, out at toe anC
heels and ragged in the ribbings; shirts
minus buttons, with sleeves torn at the
elbows; and wristbands frayed at the
edges, jackets with Innings torn anC
pockets worn into shreds; more trous
ers, Il torn mitten, two school books tC
cover, and lunch-bsg to supply with
nsw strap. 1t was almost supper
time, too, and this was Saturday.
Mrs. Hsrcourt was far too conseien
tious to do any work on Sunday tina
could be avoided, and all this amoun
OF "easy, irresponsible work" must h;
finished before she could sleep.
Monday would bring another schoo
day, and it would also bring about the
inevitable washing. The children
Unjust look like other children" if thei
mother lost her life in the effort TO kee,
them scrubbed and fed and whole anl
clean.
Mrs. Harcourt tiptoed softly out o
the room.
The baby Was nervous, like herself
no wonder poor thing-and was easil,
awakened from its fitful slumbers.
There was no kindling wool for tn,
kitchen stove, but Mrs. Harcourt wa
used to that. She split piece of pitcl
pine into splinters and soon had = roar
ing fire and red hot oven. In he
haste TO prepare the meal before tn
baby should awake and cry, she burn
her meat and scorched her pototoe
and burned heavy crust on her bis
cult.
So the supper was indigestible-al
unusual thing-hut Harry ate hearth,
and as usual retired early to rest, leay
ing his pale-faced wife to wash tn
disnes and scrub the children, and Al
ter they were safe in bed, apply hel
self to finish the huge basket of mend
ing bsfore the mantle clock shoul
chime the hour of midnight.
Harry Harcourt felt a little anxiou
and trifle mean as he watched he
n 4. n