Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-05-10
HARRY HARCOURT,S DREAM.


dreaming on ordinary occasions in
fact, he seldom dreamt at all, for he
was a sound sleeper, with stomach
ike an alligator's and a conscience
like baby's.
An easy conscience and good di-
gestion are the best promoters of heal
thy sleep the world over, and do not
wonder that Harry Harcourt slept well,
Harry Harcourt had a hobby. Most
practical and impractical people have
hobbies. My hero's hobby was the
financial, political, legal and every way
possible superiority of mems RESPONSE
bilities over women's duties in raising
family and providing for the house.
hold.
Mrs. Rarcourt was a sale little wom-
an with big family. Pale little WON
en- are very apt to be mothers of big
families. They are like decaying ap-
pie trees-exceedingly fruitful because
of their predisposition to early death.
Mrs. Harcourt's children were boys,
ruddy, rollicAing, jolly little r3mping
fellows, whose knees would pop
through their trousers and whose Ell
bows would get ragged in spite of their
pale mothers untiring assiduity.
IF had nothing more to do than
you have, Mrs. Harcourt, I am sure ]
would keep the children's jackets and
trousers in ORDER" said Harry Har-
court one day, when Ben and Billy
came rushing into the great unfinished
farm house, driving tandem team oil
the other boys, and tracking mud upon
the newly mopped floor.
The boys walked the baby who had
just fallen asleep after an hour of in.
cessant rocking while the mother had
YEARLY piled her needle ; and they up
set her work basket in q heap as they
galloped around the room in high glee.
Harry always says, Mrs. Harcourt,'
when he means to be extremely digni-
fed.
Mrs. Harcourt was not always SIS
meek as she looked, and her husband
had many time discovered it to his
cost. She had will OF her own when
aroused, and Harry Harcourt had once
more unwittingly aroused her by rid
ing his strongest hobby directly athwart
her sense of justice, when she was ner-
yous from over exertion.
"lf | had nothing more to do than
you have, Mr.. Harcourt, or if had
the control Of my own earnings SIS yoH
do, I'd once in awhile be able to buy
the children something new to wear, SO
that they wouldn't always have to de,
pend upon patches?',
That's all a woman knows about
economy. You'd break me up in three
months if you had free swing at the
finances. New clothes for the children,
indeed. Let 'em wear their old onesf'
That's what they have been doing
all along, Mr.. Harcourt, and they were
mostly made up of old clothes in the
first place. If / was only free fro1n 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
are needed; but I have to be cook,
nurse, laundress, dish-washer, dairy
maid, scullion, mop-rsg, needle woman
and general scapegoat all the time, and
all for the sake of being supported. 1t
wasn't so when | was school-ma'a am.
| had my own money then, and go
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
cradle, while she renewed her efforts
with her needle.
She was patching q pair of old and
dirty trousers which had reached the
vexatious age that required patch upon
patch to make them presentable.
Il could do more work than you dc
Mrs. Harcourt, and get along with less
money, and carry q rail en- my shoulder
all the time, at that" said Harry Har.
court, contemptuously.
Gould you nows" asked the pale
little woman, with bitter smile.
"Of course / could. Women have nc
sponsibilities. [ support my family
and bear all the burdens of life. I can
remember, too, since reflections are in
order, Mrs. Harcourt, that there was
time when Ehad no cares nor respon,
sibilities, no wife nor children to bother
me, and nothing under the sun to rufflt
my temper"
The indignant husband did not an
sWer IN words, but he gave vent to 8
prolonged whistle and left the room
banging the door after him with q vim
that Jared the whole house and sci
her nerves a-tingling ike so many
singing bees in swarming time.
The baby sobbed itself iRto gieved
and uneasy slumber, the tandem team
and rollickipg drive of boys skurried
off into the woodshed, and the house
was still again.
In 8 little while the trousers were
mended, but the overturned contents
of the upset work basket fairly appsll
ed her as she contemplated the prom
iscuous pile-socks, out at toe anc
heels and ragged in the ribeings; shirts
minus buttons, with sleeves torn at the
elbows; and wristbands frayed at the
edges. jackets with Innings torn anC
pockets worn into shreds; more treus
ers, torn mitten, two school books Il
cover, and lunch bag to supply with
new strap. 1t was almost suppe!
time, too, and this was Saturday.
Mrs. Harcourt was far too conscien
tious to do any work on Sunday tina
could be avoided, and all this amour
of "easy, irresponsible work" must b,
finished before she could sleep.
Monday would bring another schoo
day, and it would also bring about tn,
inevitable washing. The children
unjust look like other children" if thei
mother lost her life in the effort to keel
them scrubbed and fed and whole ant
clean.
Mrs. Harcourt tiptoed softly out o
4hn rom