The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-12-20

| IL had been enjoyable Tor me also, as
James sister had married my nearest
friend. Dick Knowles and / had been
School-mates together, and had grown
up like brothers Dick owned some
valuable Land in the southern part of
the State, but he felt as | did, that the
two sisters ought to live near each
other, and sublet his farm so that we
could all pass our lives pleasantly to-
gether. Our proclivities, tastes, senti-
ments, and opinions had all run in the
same channel, so that heretofore it had
been difficult to get up an argument
between us.
But of late all this pleasant harmonyhad
turned to discord. Dick Knowles chose
to ignore the highest principles in pol
litics, and had begun to champion a GER
tain party feeling that was very repug-
nant TO me. How in the world a man with
his probity of character and rectitude
of feeling could deliberately put aside
the very elements of honest success. |
could not conceive. Why. his own wife
disagreed with him, and deplored with
me the path he had chosen in the Presi-
dental canvass. Not that ! particularly
cared TO argue the matter with Maria.
She was the wife of my friend. and
however erroneous Dicks opinions
might be, it was best for his wife not to
question their sagacity.
Besides, she was my wife's sister. and
by some miserable misconception of the
elements of right and wrong, my wife
had actually taken part with Dick in
his alienation from party Tsiaoinle. |
,thi',ls - frs, sh.-,, -.,ss only trying in her
womanly way to help Dick out. Jane
. had the tenderest heart in the world,
; and always flew to the succor of those
in distress; but when she found that
Dick was swimming with the tide OF
popular opinion about him, and was
perfectly able to defend himself. why
! did Jane still cling 10 her Objectionable
, ideas Of right and wrong? Why did
] she allow herself to adopt a style OF
language that was so distaSteful to me?
, A door mst, indeed! A machine for
keeping the farmhouse in order! Not
! so grateful as she might me if the farm
didn't happen to belong to her! Was it,
indeed, come to ttis?
l lay the lash upon the launches of
my mare which almost Sprang out of
her harness, poor beast! and went fly
ing down the road in a tempest of
alarm. ! was in a reckless and almost
desperate mood, and in no humor to
meet with patience the ignorant, coarse,
and repelling class of politicians that
hang about country town. | would
in fact, have gone out of my way to
avoid them, if Dick Knowles had not
3 been, perhaps, the most aggressive of
them all. One word led on to another,
! clustering boasts We're followed by
STAINLESS assertions, until, stung to fury,
| cried out, ''Who among you will back
up his opinion with hard cash? | will
bet my farm against any mans farm of
equal value in this crowd that my choice
will be the choice of the people!'
"Done!' said Dick Knowles. SIS my
property worth as much as yours?"
"A trifle more, think, / replied.
Then let that trihe be thrown in the
weight of good cause" said Dick
Come, boys, let's adjourn to the law
yer's office across the way, and have the
separate deeds put up for stakes in such
a way that we can't back out"
The rabble shouted and applauded,
and with the good-natured profanity
that characterizes a mob of that kind
ratified the stupid and reckless deed by
drinking at the public bar at our ex-
pense.
Then we rode home my brother-in-
law and |, in a somewhat wiser and
sadder mood. The reins lay loosely
upon the back of my poor spent mare,
and Dick held those of his own spirited
bays firmly in check. John" he called
to me across the road, IF | said any
thing out of the way down there, I'm
sorry for it, The fact is, l was mad as
a hornet when left home. Maria is
one of the most perfect women God
ever made, but she's got some peculiar
views lately
81 have no fault to find with Maria
views" | said.
"Wcll, no matter, anyhow said
Dick, raising his voice and pounding,
his fist upon the dashboard of his buggy;
"a woman has no right to NEEDLE in
these things
There | agree with you, Dick" |
said Women don't understand these
matters. Jane is one woman among
ten thousand, but she made some re-
marks this morning"
Jane knows what she is talking
about" shouted Dick.
1t was all | could do to keep from
springing out of my wagon and having
it out with my brother-n-aw there and
then, but | whipped up my unfortunate
mare, and called out to Dick that we
had left our differences in the hands of
the law; and from that time till the
election was over Dick and | merely ex-
changed gruff word of recognition
when we met.
Some time after, | was surprised at
church one morning to find that Jane and
Maria were no longer on speaking terms
with each other. As their Sunday silks
rustled together they seemed to partake
of the combative clash of contention.
The whole thing began to strike me as
being ridiculous, until Dick Knowles
suddenly grasped my wife's hand with
the old heartiness. l Immediately
stretched my hand over to Maria with
like fervor, and we all went our WAYS,
the bone of discord still between u.s.
On the homeward way tried to rea-
son with Jane upon her differences with
her sister, but she would give heed to