Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-05-23
HARRY HARCOURT'S DREAM.

Harry Earcourt was not given to
dreaming on ordinary occasions; in fact,
he seldom dreamed at all, for he was a
sound sleeper, with stomach like an
alligatOr's and a conscience like baby's.
An easy conscience and a good diges.
ton are the best promoters Of healthy
sleep the world over, and do not won
der that Harry HarcoUrt slept well.
Harry Harcourt had hobby. Most
practical ard impractical people have
hobbies. Ny hero's hobby was the i'm
aginary financial, political, legal and
every way possible superiority of mems
responsibilities over women's duties in
raising a family and providing for the
household.
Mrs. HaIcourt was pale little woman
with q big family. Pale little women
are very apt to be mothers Of big fami-
lies. They are like decaying apple
trees exceedingly fruitful because of
their predisposition to early death.
Mrs. Harcourts children were boys,
ruddy, rollicking, jolly little romping
fellows, whose knees would peep through
their trousers and whose elbows would
get ragged in spite of their mothers I'M
thing assiduity.
. 1t l had nothing more to do than
you have, Mrs. Haroourt, I am sure /
would keep the children's Jackets and
trousers III ORDER" said Harry Harcourt
one day, when Ben and Billy came rush
ing into the great unfinished farm
house, driving tandem team of the other
boys, aud racking mud upon the newly
mOpped floor.
The boys walked the baby, who had
just fallen asleep after al hour of inces-
SAINT rocking while the mother had wear
lily piled the needle; and they upset her
work-basket in a heap as they galloped
around the room IN high glee.
Harry always said, Mrs. Harcourt, :"
when he meant TO be extremely d1gni-
fed.
Mrs. Harc0u3t was not always as meek
as she looked, and her husband had
many time discovered it to his cost
She had viii of her own when aroused,
and Harry Harcourt had once more I'M
Willingly aroused her by riding his
strongest hobby directly athwart her
sense Of justice, when she was nervous
from Over-eXert1on.
If [ had nothing more to do than
you have, MIR. HarcOurt, or If [ had the
control of my own earnings as you do,
Ia once in a while be able to buy the
children something new to wear, so that
they wouldn't always have TO depend
upon patches p
That's all a woman knows about
economy. You'd break me up in three
months If you had free swing at my
finances. New clothes for the children,
indeed. Let them wear their old ones!''
That's what they have been doing
all along, Mr.. Rarconrt, and they were
mostly made Of old clothes in the first
place. If I was only free from all the
unpaid drudgery that you impose upon
me without any remuneration whatever,
[ would earn money and buy clothes for
the children as fast as they were needed:
but [ have to be cook, nurse, laundress.
washer, dairy maid, scuIlion, mop
rag, needle woman and general scape-
goat ali the time, and all for the sake of
being supported. It wasn't SO when
was a school-ma am. [ had my own
money then, and no 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