The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-07-24
MRS. BlRKER'S WOOD

Sidney Dsyre in Arthur's Magazine
"No Wood!"
Mrs. John Barker's eyes wandered in
dismay around the unpromising looking
woodward. Two or three green logs
lay there, against one Of which an ak
leaned in . cleft formed by q stove
length being half chopped of. Her
husband and his hired help, consisting
of q man and boy, had just gone to their
work on distant part of the farm, and
she knew she should see neither of them
before dark.
What should she do? Half impatient
" she turned toward the house, with a
thought of pan Of light dough waiting
inside, she began to gather some Of the
chips which lay around, only to fling
them down again.
tits no use. can't bake bread with
these. / know what I'll do"
She quickly washed the dinner dishes
with the already cooling water, and
then went to the stable, in which, with
hands dextrous by practice in such
work, she had soon harnessed q horse
to light buggy.
Mother and the girls will think I'm
crazy" she said to herself, "but can't
help that. I swung the Ak once and
ached for month to pay for it, so I'm
not going to do it again"
She brought out her pan of bread
wrapped in large cloth, and, setting
it in the bottom Of the buggy, sprung
in herself, and had soon driven the two
miles which lay between her own house
and her mothers. Arriving there she
carried in her pan, and set it down
with laugh.
"There, mother. I've come to bake
my bread. John and the others went
off without leaving me any wood, and I
had to do it or let it spoil. Men will
forget, you know"
She was not going to blame him to
others, nor let them imagine how often,
since she had gone as bride to John
Barker's new house ouly last spring,
she had had this same trouble about
wood.
"That's right. Set it right down
here by the fire, Susan, so TIL get het
up before you knead it into loaves.
Yes, they will; and if any mans to be
excused for not keepin' wood on h is
mind it's John Barker, if there's any
thing in blood, and I say there is. His
father was just so-a real forehanded
man, good provider, and took proper
pride in havin' things spick and span
about him, but never seemin' to think
what bother it was to the women
folks not to have their wood handy.
Many and many's the time I've dropped
into tea with Johns mother and see her
have the greatest time scrapin' up q
few chips or shakin' the snow off sticks
of miserable green wood"
Johns wife turned away her face as
Ishe took off her things, for fear her
friends would see in her face how near
~ her own experience was already be-
coming like to that of Johns mother.
81 used to tell her." went on her
mother, 'that she'd ought to train him
better when he was young. Men do
need trainin', you know! Now, like as
not, John takes little after his father
nobody could wonder at it-and I
wish father could haul you over q load
or two of his good seasoned wood, but
I s'pose 'twouldnt do-eh, Susan?"
mo, 'twouldn't do, mother, thank
you all the same"
Twilight of the November day was
shutting in when John Barker, return
ing to his house, missed the accustomed
fire glow in the windows.
whats up! No fire! no wife No won
der?" he calculated again, as he went
out and took view of the woodward.
After fifteen minutes work with his
az he carried in an armful of wood and
kindling, and had bright fire cracking
and swapping in the stove by the time
his wife's CHEEKY voice was heard.
Give had q real frolic, John" she
said, Juggling in q basket, from which
she laid out several loaves of bread and
. number of light, puffy biscuits. IL
couldn't find any wood, so I just hitched
up old Bill and drove over to mothers
to bake my bread"
There was not the slightest shade of
reproach in her tones, but John felt q
Jingle of modification at what had oc-
Cured and resolved it should not hap
pen again, and so he assured Susan with
great favor.
And the next day he went vigorously
to work to keep his word. Logs, some
freshly felled, others which had fallen
through decay, were hauled from the
piece of timberland belonging to the
farm, and for week al hands chopped
and sawed with will. Then the re-
suits were flung pell-mell into the wood
shed, and John, who had never learned
at home to look far enough ahead to
think of providing seasoned wood from
year to year, felt proud at having done
his duty like man.
And Susan, as she worried through
that winter with wood green or decayed
too short or too long for the stove,
made up her mind land she had quite .
good deal of mind of her own to make
up) that she would never worry through
such another, remembering some sensi-
BILE advice her sensible energetic mother
had given her when she left home.
"Bear things, Susan. Theirs lots Of
things has to be borne in this world,
and them that learns to bear 'em best's
the best of. Men win be trying, and If
women can't be patient it's apt to make
trouble. But mind when say bear
/ mean there's reason in all things, and
don't mean you should bear things
that's out Of all reason. # woman II
let herself be trod on she's sure to be
trod on, and them that does it'll never
thank her for it or look up to her for IL.
Bear what's reasonable, Susan, but II
things goes beyond reason, why then
look ont for yourself. !"
Il came about whom the next October
term Of the circuit court was in session
Tohn $50 arnvn IN tha ;urv and had Il,