The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1883-12-14
SELECT STORY.
SLAVE OR WIFE.

| "Ten o'clock, and the lnnch basket
not ready to take to the ield--as
usual " granted farmer Brewster, az
he threS himself into rocking chair
in The kitchen an famed his flashed
face with hi4 straw hat. "A quarter
cf an hour wasted very likely, waiting
here. Right in the midst of as fine
hay day as any man would wish 10
see. Now, my mother used to have
her lunch ready TO the minute when.
e?er we came for it, and | don't see
why
His jeremaid was checked by the
appearance of his wife, who came out
of the pantry, lugging along the great
lunch basket, almost too heavy for her
strength.
Farmer Brewster was young man
in spite of his grumblug. Only twen-
ty-three, tall, straight, healthy, with
blue eyes, rosy cheeks, fair curly hair
and handsome face when il was not
darkened, as now, by scowl of dis
content
An only son, he had inherited
large and handsome farm, clear of
mortgage and debt, which supplied all
the wants of his household most lib
orally and gave him nice little sum
of money to deposit in the bank each
year.
There was no reason why he should
be mean, and yet miseily habits were
gradually growing upon him far faster
than he knew.
| Nor was there need of grumbling
over the household arrangements, since
the wife of his choice was a farmers
daughter, who knew we'll how to work,
and who had taken delight in setting
her home in fautless order when first
she came as a bride TO the pleasant
Brewster place.
The same order reigned still, from
garret TO cellar of the old square house,
but Mrs. Brewster went through her
tasks mechanically now, or with ner-
vous haste aud hurry that made them
almost uncomfortable sometimes.
The constant drop of water will wear
away stone and the constant fault
finding in which her husband saw fit
to indulge had nearly worn the patience,
the hope and the endurance out of the
young wife's heart.
The comfort and happiness Of that
home hung upon thread, which fray
ed more aud more, hour by hour, un-
der the pain of uumerited blame.
Yet George Brewster saw nothing of
this until the morning of which l
write.
"There is the lunch, and It is exactly
five minutes past ten," said Mrs Brews-
ter, setting the basket down with some
emphasis at his feet. 81 was delayed
that much with the butter. 1t had to
be seen to before the sun got too
high"
MY mother always charmed before
breakfast" observed George, rising
slowly TO his feet.
His wife said nothing, but the color
rose hotly in her cheeks till the lost
bloom of her girlhood seemed to have
come back again, and she raised her
eyes to his with look that started
him.
| Very handsome eyes they were
dark, soft and velvety, with world of
love and tenderness in their depth.
| Yet now they met his own coldly
and sternly, with such an expression
that he exclaimed
Good gracious, Lefty! You look as
| if you hated me.
81 am afraid do," was the aslound-
ing reply.
And with swift glance at the clock,
Lefty hurried down into the cellar with
a knife and pan to make her prepara-
tions for dinner for six hungry hay
makers
"Afraid she hates me My wife !!
She that was Lefty Glover !" muttered
he to himself in lis bewildermont
"Why what on earth! She must be
going crazy or something or other
'Letty !" he called at the cellar door.
''lt is ten minutes past ten" she an
swered from the depth of her cellar.
"If / don't see about the dinner it
won't be on the table at twelve to the
minute, as your mother used to have
it. | can't come"
"Well, if this don't beat all, said he
to the maltese and white cat, who as
cended from the cellar and rubbed
herself against his legs.
A shout from the hay field reused
him to the recollection of the days bus
mess.
lie went out and dispensed the treas
ures of his basket among the hungry
men, who praised Letty's cooking with
every mouthful they swallowed.
sits enough to make an old bach
elor like me sit down and cry to eat
such raspberry shortcakes as that, said
Solomon Wyse, wiping the crumbs OF
the feast from his lips before he drank
hard cider from the Jug "Tell YOU
what it is, George, you drew prize
when you went courting"
$50 he did, And here's her good
health" chimed in another mower, as
he took up the jug.
George assented vaguely.
They were talking of his wife-hi'
wife who was afraid she hated him.
Never had two hours between lunch
and dinner passed so slowly.
AS he rode round and round the fielC
with sharp rattle of the moving ma
machine he guided in his care, bis minC
was continually busy with Lefty 'slooks
and her words, and his eyes often turn
ed toward the cream colored farm
house, behind whose spruce greer
blinds his wife was busy preparing din
ner'
81 used to think how happy / shoulo
be if ever persuaded her to com
here" he thought. SIT is two years
why, | declare it is two years this yer,
day that we were married wonde
if she remembers it. But it isn't YER
likely, when she says she is afraid sh
hates me-"
Did she remember All, in that re
membrance lay the sting
All that morning while she &C
breakfast at five o'clock, and washe
the dishes, swept the rooms, made tn
beds, churned butter and prepared
: lunch for six men, her heart turne
bach to the other morning twenty-fou
months ago, when the bright-eye