The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1883-09-06

mo, that's the plague ont; always
want their money soon as their work Is
done, and be glad to git it afors. I'll war
rant"
Mr.. Stickney gave grim chuokle rs
he tilted his char backwards.
"Why is it tina farmers wives should
have to wait so long for their wages. l
should rebel if I were one" Miss Motley
said, demurely.
Farmers wives! They don't have
any wages" he said, surprised.
''They ought to, then" was the quiet
response.
They have all they want-food,
clothes, and git carried to church
and stores and camp meetin'. What
more can a woman want?"
"a feeling of independence such as
the possession OF even small wages, If
paid regularly and cheerfully, alone can
give" was the firm rejoinder.
well, never heard my wife COM
plain"
But don't you think she might have
a cause for complaint, Mr.. Stickney?
Doesn't she ever say anything about the
books the children are needing, or the
shoes that ought to be mended? There
are so many things"
"Lal children are always wantin'
somethin'; but as for Harner. she knows
how to wait. I have to wait for my
money"
"But when you get the cash for load
of hay and potatoes, does she share half
and half with your"
"Of course she does. Who pays the
taxes and all the store bills, and works
on the road, and keeps ihings going gem
erally?"
isn't that Offset by her keeping the
have noticed sometimes, when man in
creases the number of bis hired men, he
never thinks of supplying additional
help indoors, although the work has
been all the woman of the house could
we'll do before. Then she gets sick, and
extra money is paid out, which, if ap.
piled before, might have saved much
suffering"
Mr.. Stickney was getting uneasy, and
Ellen Motley knew when she had eaid
enough, and now carried her work into
the house.
IT tell ye what" said the farmer not
long after to his wife, "this ere school.
ma am beats all a.talkin' to me. She
says I ought to buy An origin for Min"
"She has been SO kind as to give the
child music lessons, and says she has
quite taste for il. Don't you think it
would be better than buying the land of
Westcott? We have land enough, now
Albion can never be farmer
The gentle suggestion did not at once
appeal to the practical sense unused to
luxuries.
"Seems to me you're gettin' to have
expensive tastes, Harner. These vim
min folks'll be the ruin OF me. Why,
t'other day 1 was p'intin' out the place I
thought of buyin' for Albion against his
marryin' and settlin down, and tellin'
how he wouldn't need it now. and she
up and says he would want the money
that the farm would have cost to pre-
pare him for different situation than
the one lie dreamed Of; aud said I
dunno bout hts succeeding in anything
else, but she stuck to it he would"
The organ was bought-one of the
many innovations that almost impercep-
tibly introduced new and better way
OF living in the Stickney family. 1t was
set up in the place of the sick-bed which
had occupied the sitting room for SO
long q time, and no one seemed more
pleased than Minna's father to hear her
performances upon it. He would stretch
himself upon the lounge and tell her "to
play away and rest him q spell, and say
the sound of the music ripping of from
her finger tips was like the dripping OF
rain upon tin roof.
About mile from the little country
village of Countrycorn, some fifteen
years later, q stout woman was toiling up
the hill leading to farm house. 1t was
after ten in the evening, and no moon.
She hurried on alone, and at last came
to the door, where she stopped almost
breathless. Entering the kitchen, q
lamp on the table revealed the figure of
. man DOING in chair by the stove, pipe
in hand. She touched him, and he started
up, exclaiming, Jimmy, is't you?
Where ye bin to enneywsy? Never
knew We to be of so long at night"
"I've bin down to the town hall, Ed,
TO lecture-didn't know of il till 1 got
over to Slocoms. They was all goin' i,
and l went along. The hall was full.
and who do you suppose lectured? You
wouldn't guess from now till the middle
of next week. DIR. Albion Stickney?
Yes, sir. And his mother was there
with . new bunnit on, and his father
dressed up in his go-to meeting clothes
as much Is to say, Hes my son; I
raised him. Lor'! ye never saw such .
change in anyone-so slim and tall. l
never could have believed he'd grow 80