Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1883-06-02
JOHN'S UIFE.


Whatever possessed Brother John to
go up to the city and marry that yellow
haired, blue-eyed bit of school Girl.
when he could have had Just his pick of
girls nearer home, was something /
could not understand. There was Ida
Handscombe, just dead in love with him,
ms anybody could see, and the best
d-maker in the whole country, be-
side taking prizes at the State Fair for
pickles and jellies, and ever so much
better looking, too, than Myra. No
yellow bangs over her eyes she Just
combed it back off her face and did il
mp in hard knot that staid. She sent
John birthday cake, and knit him a
comforter, and everybody thought it
would be q match, but John said he
didn't like her eyes !; they we're haud
some eyes, to my idea, and could look
you through and through, they were
that clear and bright; but did you ever
know man to take advice? Marry
that ferret, said John, and never have
any peace of my life; well, I guess
not /" and with that off he goes to town
and telegraphs back. Expect me and
my wife," Dear such q shock as IL
gave me, and our spring cleaning not
done, and the minister coming to board
with us while his wife went homo on q
visit--it was trial, you may be sure
And when she did come, it was more
like having wax doll in the way than
anything else, with her big wondering
eyes, and childish ways, and silly ques-
tons, and hanging on Johns arm, and
leaning over Johns chair, with two lit
tie insignificant feet in the rungs at the
back, and her clothes | Such fallals,
Just like dolls rigging, and just set
my foot down that if she was to live with
us, she must conform to our ways. l
hadn't been forty years in this world for
white laoes and RULED aprons, she had
to wash and iron them herself. 1
wouldn't be her slave. And such silly
questions m she asked, they just made
me sick +" When did the cows shed
their horns Which COW gave the but.
termilk2 Were there any dear little
yellow chicks 2"
Dear little yellow chicks, indeed !
They were dear enough before we raised
them and got their heads of and we had
them ready for market, and il that silly
child didn't ait down and cry because
they were killed said she had named
every ono Of them and watched them
grow up. And she was our Johns
wife bah
Then she did the silliest thing Of all
went and bought book called "What
Know About Farming" and used TO
ait out under tree studying IT by the
hour; aud one night, when she went
down to tho bars TO meet John, heard
her ask:
"John, why don't You get washing
machine and wringer. and save your
own Aesh and blood. Look at the Bills
tsrs on my hands |"
And the next thing il was the talk Of
the neighborhood that We Elliots, who
had cot our faces sgainat modern i'm
provements, had given out before that
little pale-faced thing. and not only got
wringer and washer in our kitchen,
but several hundred dollars worth Of
farm machinery At work. John said HI
could afford it. but l spoke my mind
and told her what thought Of il after
he vent out 10 his work. She looked
kind Of frightened. and pretended she
was going to cry. and then she spoke VI
quick like and said;
"Sister Janet, it's triumph Of mint
over mattor. You can wash now, ant
not be ali tired out, and sick and nerv
Gus, and--and- John can afford it,"
Perhaps IL had known that she has
paid for it all. aud it hadn't cost John I
cent, might have been more forgiving
but / just Strengthened up and said
"Mrs. Elliot, you may go ON and ruiz
your husband with your boarding-schoo
idsas. but, US for me. I'll never toucl
the things. IL can work, thank good
nsss. while I've got my health. Iwasn'
brought mp in idleness."
She never took il 10 heart . bit tn
next thing knew she was at the littl
s,arlor orran she had. singing and play