Huntsville gazette., 1884-11-22

turn down the leaves of your book"
and he cuffs the boys ears soundly,
WHO holds up his book to protect his
head.
'And who made that pencil mark in
your book. Who drew that house on
the fly leaf. heyp So you won't an
swer me-" and twisting his fingers in
the boys hair he lifts him from the
chair, and lets him drop.
''Will you tell me who ruined that
book?''
l. II did, pa @
Taking the book from the boys hand,
the considerable father cuffs the boys
head with it half dozen times, remark
ing:
+ s.You trifling young scamp. Here /
have to sweat and toll all day long to
! buy books for you to ruin" and he
| throws the book in the corner.
Mr.. Huffy begins to feel little bet
ter. He walks up and down the room
with his hands behind him. At last.
turning to his wife he says in his usual
| pleasant tone of voice:
''Am / going to have any dinner to-
day, or not? Here I've been waiting
for hours and hours, and no dinner"
''It's not twelve o'clock yet. l didn't
know you were coming home so early"
81 didnt ask you what o'clock it was,
or when was to come home, but l
want to know if I'm to get any dinner
to-day, for if I'm not, can 90 some
where else. | am just sick and tired of
the way things are managed in this
house. Dinner should be on the table
when | come home, so | will not be
obliged to wait for hours and hours. |
suppose. after awhile I'll have to 90
down on my knees and beg her lady
ship to give me- a cold potato"
Mrs. Huffy goes out into the kitchen
to see if dinner is done. John, the old
est boy follows her out into the kitchen.
His mother is his only friend.
Why amt you a better boy" she
says. ''Why will you provoke your
1 father by making marks in your
books" . fHz EFF
"Those marks are the same ones for
which he has punished me four times
already
s'You should have told him So"
:..He knew it well. enough. Ii. I had
opened my mouth he would have been
beating me yet.
The mother is silent, for the poor boy
is only telling the truth His father is
4 brute. He beats them when they an
swer, and he beats them when they re-
fuse to speak. The poor wbman knows
it only to we'll She. would have left
him long ago had it not been for the
children. She can not leave them ex-
posed to his cruelty.
The voice of the father is heard in
shrillsaccents: f ST.
''John, come here, sir"
The boy humies into the room.
Pointing to the book in the corner,
: where he himself threw it, Mr. Hutfy ex-
claims
'1s this place for your book. I'll
teach you to take better care of your
books and from the sound of blows,
and his loud cries, the poor mother in
the kitchen knows that her favorite
child is punished again.
But let rs drop the curtain. Mr..
Huffy is only one of class Of men who
make their homes a hell on earth. petty
tyrants who intimidate women ana
children. because nobody else is afraid
of them. But when Mr. Huffv leaves
his house, he becomes a changed man.
He who is always snarling at his own
wife, with what beaming smile he lifts
| his hat to ladies of his acquaintance on
the streets. If he meets an acquaintance
accompanied by his children, how Mr..
Huffy pats the little ones on the head,
shakes hands with them, and praises
their intelligence:and good looks. 1t is
evident that Huffy at home, is not Huffy
on the street. = Teaas Sifhngs.