The Indianapolis journal., 1884-05-24
MRS. BAKERS RELIGION.

stove when little Tom Marsh came in to deliver
his message. She had been hard at work all
day, and was tired, warm and considerably out
of temper. She was certainly in anything but a
mood to confer favors.
NO can't" she snapped, turning upon little
Tom face scarlet from the glow of the hot fire.
Your mother ought to know better'n to send
for me. 1 told her only yesterday l was up TO
my eyes in work, and that l expected company
tomorrow She'll have to find some one else.
Goodness knows put myself out enough for
folks without being called on to be ''sck-nurse"
and she resumed her frying while Tom ran
home to report his non-success.
| Mother said Madge, coming into the kitchen
| just as Mrs Baker, having finished the frying of
the crullers, was removing the kettle Of lard
| from the stove. Give fixed the spare room up
beautifully. 1 know you'll be pleased with it.
| And to morrow I'll fill the mantel-vases with
flowers just before Mr.. and Mrs. Spear come.
| And, mother" very timidly, would you be
willing for me to ask the Shakespeare Club to
meet here next Tuesday evening! They never
| have met here, and I've been member over a
year"
| "You must be out of your senses" said Mrs.
| Baker, GROSSLY. ''Do you suppose I'd let two
dozen people come trapezing over my parlor
| carpet, and breaking, tearing and burning every
| thing! Pm not so foolish"
You speak as if they were so many wild
animals, mother" said Madge, in a tone of some
resentment
''They act like wild animals, = said Mrs Baker.
I'D like to know if they didn't burn up one of
| Mrs. Clarkes lace curtainsW
''That was an accident" said Madge "and
| not likely to occur second time. Mary Lewis
pushed the gas Jet to one side so as to see the
glass better, and didn't notice that she pushed it
right into the curtain Mrs. Clarke didn't blame
her at all"
''She can afford to have her curtains burned
A1xf <l,1 N1onf
Madge. When 1 say No mean it, as you
ought to have learned by this time"
''Pve learned that, and good many other
things, too, mother, I know often wish was
back at boarding school"
Its like you to say that 1t shows your in
gratitude"
Il don't mean to be ungrateful: but know
you don't make things very pleasant for me at
| home. Susie Clarke could have the club at her
house every night in the week if she wanted to. ;"
''There, that's enough Go up stairs until
you can learn to control your temper" said Mrs.
Baker going into the pantry; and Madge went
| out, closing the door behind her with good
| deal of unnecessary noise.
''You look tired, Sarah" said John Baker
coming in as his wife was putting supper on the
| table.
'I've good cause to look So" was the response.
I've worked like galley slave ever since sun
| rise
where's Madge beenl"
ooh, never depend on Madge. And might
her in the least"
You do the child injustice, Sarah. She's al
ways willing to help, as far as l see"
| You never see very far
| Perhaps not. By the way" with a very nat
ural wish to change the subject, Hiram Long
shot old Miss STAIRS cow to-day You know he
said he would if it ever broke into his patch
again. The old lady's bout wild over it"
Serves her right! said Mrs. Baker, CURLY.
That amt Christian-li like, Sarah"
J HE gave her warnings enough" said Mrs
| Baker, land she knew he was the sort of a man
to keepa promise OF that kind Why didn't she
| keep the COW tied upln
| ''She said the creature would break loose, no
matter how she tied her. And it does seem
| hard case. The COW was the old ladys only sup
port. was thinking. Sarah, if we couldn't do
| something for her. You being on the relief com
mittee, you know, could easily"
John Baker, do you suppose-do you actually
suppose I'm going to lift one finger to help that
old woman who insulted me ten years ago? 1t
would look well for me to be rushing to her aid
nown
81 think help would look better comm from
yoFt than from any one else, Sarah Shed know
you'd forgiven the past, and that your religion
meant something"
when she comes to me and asks my pardon
| for what she did ten years ago, I'll think about
helpin' her." said Mrs. Baker. coldly, -pleased
at her husbands criticism. 81 do my duty as
far as l see it, and fatter myself I'm as good
| as the general run o folks"
| The entrance of Madge prevented further con
| versation on the subject, and with heavy sigh
| John Baker took his seat at the supper table
He noticed that his daughters eyes were very
red, but did not question her about them, for he
suspected the cause of their condition. But he
| was more than usually kind in his manner to
| her, and on rising from the table slipped silver
| dollar in her hand, Whispering Buy yourself
| some little trinket darling"
| The unexpected gift, coupled with the tender
words, proved too much for Madge in the over
| strained condition of her nerves. Throwing her
ahn hap fafb ehal lot ho.,h hoa1
on his breast and burst into tempest of sobs and
| tears. And the eyes of her father were dim as
he tried to soothe her.
''This is perfectly ridiculous" said Mrs Baker
exasperated at the scene. "One would think the
| girl was seven years old instead of seventeen
| Leave the room, Madge, and don't come back
again until you can behave yourself"
You're too hard on the child, Sarah" said
John Baker as Madge went out, sobhing wildly.
shes all we've got, and we'd ought to make her
| home happy"
"And do you pretend to say that make it un-
| happy!' demanded Mrs. Baker. ''You just spoil
| her out of all reason She don't know what she
| really does want, and so she makes mountains
| out O. mole-hils. If she had to drudge as Lucy
| Cole does she'd have room for rcomplaint l wish
you wouldn't put notions into her head, have
| work enough to manage her without your set
| ting her up to think herself abused"
John Baker said no more He knew by long
experience that further argument would be use
| less Sarah called herself Christian and was
| Oll0 VI INC uOSI dCIlNe members Oh Vne calvary
Church; every Thursday evening her voice was
| heard in prayer meeting, and she held promi-
nent positions various committees appointed
| by the elders. She was always ready to Join in
| plans to pay the church debt; she was the chief
| worker in every fair and socable; her contribu-
tions to the poor box and to the foreign missions
were always large, and the minister always de-
pended greatly upon her help in every scheme
in which practical energy was required.
But her religion seemed to drop from
| her heart like a cloak from her shoulders when
she entered her own home. She did not appear
to think it necessary to exercise it there at all
The gentle reproofs of her good d-natured husband
and the rebellion of her pretty daughter only ir-
ritated her without bringing her to see where
she erred. She was very angry now, and began
| to clear the table with unusual energy But as
John took his hat and went out on some errand
| of tho villepa nostofica and rha wae 1aft oIono