The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1884-01-10
What Came of 1t.
Helen E. Starrett in Chicago Weekly Maya
zine

Mr.. Smith missed the train by Just
Just one-hslf minute and he was in a
furious temper over the matter. He
lived in the suburbs and went into the
att every day to his place of business
Not once in three months did such a
thing happen as his being late for the
train, but on this occasion he felt like
declaring that half the time he had to
rush himself clear out of breath to reach
il or else miss it. He was in that exas-
perated state of mind where he wanted
to blame somebody, abuse somebody !;
. state of mind which, in a condition Of
development little nearer the savage,
would impel to acts of cruelty towards
any thing or any person on whom
anger could be wreaked. OF
course the person on whom
he could most quickly and with the
least impunity cast blame was his wife,
II was all her fault. Why couldn't she
manage household affairs so that he
could get his breakfast earlier? He
worked like slave at his business ten
hours day, he gave her full control Of
the house and furnished money to run
IL; she had . servant and it was pure
and utter shiftlessness in her that
breakfast could not be ready in proper
time. Thus solloquized Mr.. Smith, as
with anger flashing eyes he saw the
train disappear in the distance.
1t was full hour and a half till the
next train; it was nearly half q mile
back 10 Mr.. Smiths house. He nerv-
n,,e1x- ,>oonI baaly o,,l Gov,
moments before the depot, debating in
his mind whether he should wait there
for the next train or go back home. As
he unused his anger grew. He would
go back home; he would give his wife
such "blowingup' as she would re-
member for months. She should feel
that it was no light matter to have
breakfast five minutes late. He turned
his face homeward and stamped heavily
along with the air of q man determined
to do desperate deed; his face was
flushed with anger and his eye cleaned
fercely.
But as he fastened along somehow
or other his absorbed attention was di-
verted by the song of bird in the trees
that lined his path. He looked up in
voluntarily. How brightly the sun was
shining. The trees were putting forth
their tenderest green; so was the grass.
He noticed the fragrance of the apple
and plum blossoms; he distinguished
the peculiar strain of bird he used to
hear in bovhoed. He had listened to
that bird when he had walked in the
meadows with the pretty, shy young
maiden whom his heart was bent on
winning for his wife. She was his wife
now. She was the mother of
three rosy. active children; they
were his and hers. She was
not so pretty as she once was. She
was thin and careworn. The plump
rosiness and merry smile were for the
most part gone. But what a good
true wife she had been to him! And
ON this bright, sunshiny. beautiful morn
ing he had been meditating the sharp
words he could say to her, and all for q
trivial little loss Of an hour from bust
ness. Mr.. Smiths pace slackened,; his
countenance relaxed, his heart melted
On such a morning he could not, would
not mar the harmony and beauty of
bA4C oul4SL4lt anu blluS odNi INC SIttu
things growing. No; if he could not
speak kindly words he would hold his
peace.
AS Mr.. Smith neared his house he
felt certain shrinking from meeting
his wife directly. He almost felt that
he might betray on his countenance
some of the harsh thoughts he had been
thinking. So he went around the side
of the house and entered kitchen door.
Bridget was standing with o perplexed
and distressed air over the open stove
in which smouldered dark, dying fire.
What is the matter, Bridget"
Faith, sur, and it's the stove that
breaks me heart entirely. The CRATE
is broken and the stove-pipe smokes,
and whin / sthrive to make quick fire,
here's the way it serves me-"
well, Bridget, / believe that's all
my fault. Your mistress has asked me
many times to bring a new CRATE from
the city and also to have q man come
and clean out the stove-pipe and Chin
ney. 1 will put this down in my note
book and bring the new CRATE this even
ing, and Pat McFlinn shall come this
very day and fix the pipe
'Oh, thank you, sur said Bridget,
with a Frightening countenance, and
could You have the cisthern fixed to !?
The pump has been broken long tonne
and it takes so much of me tonne and
keeps back the work so to be dhraw-
ing water wild a rope
Again Mr.. Smiths conscience smote
him. How often had his wife asked
him TO have the cistern fixed.
Eyes. Bridget, will have the cistern
fixed also this very day.
We'll, sur. thin / think I'll stay.
vas inst tellin' the MISTRESS that