The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-05-09
decens before Mr.. Batterby

ourselves decens before Mr.. Batterby
4 comes.
And ust then there was q ring ut the
door and u telegram from Mr.. Batter y
that business would keep him down.
town till betwe n nine and ten O'Clock.
''And now we needn't dress, oyous-
" or ed Mime. Pumpern excl. 81 shall
finish this square be ore 60 TO bed.
am determ ned on it. ;"
But it did seem to Mrs. Batterbv as II
the children were never so worrisome
b ore. What was the reason three
year-old dith should be so tir some
about getting to bed? And tien q Ter
she was there she wanted the pillow
fixed, and the sheet smoot ed, and a
drink o water, and at the last moment
she called her mamma back lecause she
hadn't said her prayers. III II Ken
the impatient M 'ther again reached
the stairs the little voice allied:
Mamma, mamma. Edie wants
dollie."
i he usually gentle mother, frantic at
separation from her "trazy quilt, re-
turned, and sn tch ng up the battered,
bald headed OBJ ect of Ed e's affections
F, tossed it into the cri1.
There, dollie, get into bed with
you," she said, ross V. "YOu haven't
/ got to say anv more pray ers, be, ause
you haven't got any soul"
die snatched up her child and turned
on her mother with flashing e, es.
Tee hab dot tum t1ul, tool" she
roared.
mrs. Batterby, smit'en W tn remorse.
kissed her child and soothed her, and
vet it did not occ to the mother how
strong and baleful must be the influence
which could render h t us hard and
pelu ant to her darl ns Edith, patient
and tender and consIderate of the fre!-
ings OF dOll.e's mother as she generally
was.
The next day Nine. Pu~pernickel
departed, bnt the evil which she had
dIssem mated rem aimed. Mrs. Batterby
grew worse daily until she became u
hopeless era .y-quilt maniac. At last
the dusty antels and book-she 5,
the rent table-cloths, the hildren' but
t Mess garments and his wife's
neglected toilet began to force them
selves even upon Mr.. Bat erby's unob-
servant eyes. He began 10 trace Il con-
nrction between these things and the
d ,tferent squares of silk patchwork
some one of which was AWAY pinned
on the inside of The nursery door APP
paren ~ casual inquiries as to his wife's
employments and occup tons on differ
ent days led onl to disclosures that
some other feminine SUI erer from the
IN hnl lnI IN I Il
lie, ton of rags. or that AIRS. Batterby
rad been to some neighbours to leave a
bundle of promised scraps for another
icted creature. or tina some rpcen ly
inc II ated woman had ca led for d,rec-
tons and advice out her qui t.
The de oted husband, his ATTENTION now
dr:,vn to the sub e t, was alarmed to
otsrrve how fixed hold the ri lie
mania had taken upon his poor
wiie's aberrated mind. 1t WAS only. I'M
day she aimed from or alive work
upon tn destroy er OF domestic hap
pin SIS. Butt was, a terra MY a phy>i-
cal abstinence for her husl and marked
her long memor ling gaze u on the il
Illuminated texts a owe the pul pit where
in { e grayhar d IN :nist,r was mpr S.
ne upon his hea els the spiritual dark
ness tn ancient Jews. Su sequently
he saw the rnanental "conventir nall
forms, md the be ding of t, tints re-
produced IN the era v Guilt. He even
thought with a cold thrill Of fear that
she mi Int have so far 20 gotten the
teaching of ner chi. dhuod As to take the
needle on Sunday. But no! She was
the mother OF sunday school scholars
He ban shed the thought. He noted
her row g, absrra ted gaze over the
congregation, and he OWNED the envy
and co etOusness her soul as her eve
caught he beau y some new tint in
bonnet trimming
One cold morning Mrs. Fatter' VS.
mother came in rom the suburbs. and
surpr sed her daughter with Wis t.
Now mrs. Batter Y was al o q model |
of tilial G on. tne of the things |
she has learned witho recourse to |
books is that wOt an shou d ALWAYS |
live to be grandmother. because her |
daughters never appreciate her till they, |
in their turn, become mothers. But no |
sooner were the old lady wrappings
o than the a quilt was brought to |
notice, and the daughter uld not b.
t make any but nom nta V
digres j IN on any other subject: but
there she sat. only st piping luctaEt-
ly for lunch, Feather S ilching' on her
. S uare" as if her next days bread de-
pended on gettiny it done before n ght
Nv ell, good-by." sail the cd lad, at
parting. If they con Iude to senu you
TO the asylum at Batavia, tie | them to
let e know immediately"
And she went ba X to the suburbs
with a tile chill of disappointment at
ler heart.
But while Mr. Batterhy was racking
MS brain TO know how he could surrep-
.itiously M mister % h wife's diseased
mind a nd rovidence was sending a
lie sing in disguise. 1t was something
ike the sensat onal society drama where
he sickness of the child recalls the err.
NJ wife back to Writ e.
l. tile Philip fell sick. 1t was on'y
he chicken pc but as the family by
stefan said. lit was n once IN hun
Ire times that there was such a severe
,ase.';
The morning of the fourth day Of his
In SIS. as the M ther sat hol ling in her
,entle arms the little su!ier.r. whose
Nv lien face was covered with the con-
uent erupt. on and who e beautiful blue
yes We're closed by the disease. little
Idle came and looked at her blind
,aby brntner very Thought ,llv.
.'Phillie dom to dep she lisped.
20 no. dar ing mamma hopes not"
"Namma wouldn feel so vewy bad.
Mamma uld work all re time on her
azy twill zen,' reio:ned Edie gravely.
The unconscious r'proach went