The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-07-07
The Husband and Wife Talk.

II WISH said Mrs. Arp, 'you would
go and see what Carl and Jessie are
doing, down, at the branch / reckon,
and feet all wet, and they have both got
dreadful colds. | can't keep them
away from that branch" "a
''Didn't you play in the branch, my
dear, when you were a child,' said / 7
'sYes," said she, mournfully, 'but
nothing couldn't hurt me then; we were
not raised SO delicate in those days.
You know used to ride to the planta-
ton, twelve miles, and back again in a
day and bring bag of fruiton the horn
of the saddle, but the girls couldn't do
it now. They can go to q party in a
buggy and dance half the night, but
that is all excitement, and they are not
fit tor anything the next day. We
didn't have any dances hardly ever
we went to country weddings some
times You remember we went to
James Dunlap's wedding, when he mar
ried Rebecca Sammons. That was a big
frolic-an old-fashioned frolic. Every
body was there from all the neighbour
hood, and there were more turkeys and
roast pig and cake than ever saw, and
we played everything we could think
of. Rebecca was mighty pretty then,
but poor woman. she has had thou
sand children, too, just like myself, and
reckon she is faded, too, and tired :"
"But Jim Dunlap hasn't faded" said |.
II see him when go to Atlanta, and
he is big and fat and merry-looks a
little like old David Davis"
O, yes, of course he does" said Mrs.
Arp. ''The men don't know anything
about care and anxiety and sleerless
nights. 1t is wonder to me they die
at all y '.But have helped you all
could, my DEAR said |, .'and you see
it's telling on me. Look at these silver
hairs and these wrinkles and crows
feet and my back hurts ever and anon,
and this rainy, bad weather gives me
the rheumetism, but you haven't a gray
hair. and hardly seam on your ala
baster forehead Why, you will out.
last me and outlive me, too, and may
be there will be rich widower step
ping around here in my shoes and you
will have a fine carriage and q pair OF
beautiful bay horses, and
| "William, l told you to go after Carl
and JESSIE"
"If Vanderbilt's wife should die and
he could accidentally see you," said /,
latter I'm gone, there's no telling -
''Well, go along now and find the
children, and when you come back I'll
listen to your foolishness. I'm not
going to let you die if can help it, for
don know what would become of us
all. Yes, you have helped me, know,
and been a great comfort and did the
best YOU could most of the time, yes,
most of the tinle-and might have
done worse, and you must nurse me
now and pet me for | am getting child
ish."
''And you must pet me, too" said L.
HOf course I will said she. cam
not always petting youp Now, go
| long after the children, before we both
get to crying and have a scene. And
| wish you would see if the buff cochin
hens have Matched in the hen house."
''She has been setting about fourteen
| weeks said /, ''but she is getting old,
and these old mothers are slow, mighty
slow"
/ went after the children, and sure
enough they were fishing in the spring
| branch, and their shoes were wet and
muddy, and they were bare-headed,
and | marched them up tenderly, and
| Mrs. Arp set them down by the fire and
dried their shoes, and got them some
more stockings, and then opened their
little morning school, How patiently
these old-fashioned mothers work and
worry over the little things of domestic
life.-BiU Arp, in atlanta Consultation.