Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-11-05

| WIN q nttlo Way she sometimes had OF
asserting herself, she gave him to un-
derstand she had nothing more to tell,
and he was ashamed to ask any one
else.
The winter brought it's usual round
OF simple gayeties in the country neigh
borhood, in which John and his wife
took their full share.
"ltseems to me, Susan" he said one
evening on their return from church
sociable, 'you don't fix up quite enough
when you 60 out"
Don't I look nice?"
| Eyes, of course you do; but that's a
dress you had when we were married,
and that's nigh on two years ago.
hadn't seen anything of that silk gave
you last fa4."
''Are you sure?" she said, with a
smile which he could not understand.
Yes. I am. faint been made up
Eyes, it is. And you've seen it
worm"
John was puzzled, and felt sure he
had not, but Susan would give him no
| further satisfaction on the subject of
the silk dress.
As spring approached she made few
suggestions ais to the ACCESSIBILITY of fire
wood being set to season in due time.
But John, prompt and diligent in prep
aration for seed time and harvest. full
of the best intentions regarding his
wife's comfort, still thought the wood
was one of the things which could be
looked to at any time, and Susan soon
gave over reminding him of it.
One day. in September he came home
to dinner and found a cold lunch wait
ing him. The house was clean, quiet
and cheerless; and no wife there, but q
written line which ran:
'DEAR JoHN-I am going to spend
the day over at Mrs. Carriers. Will be
home in time to give you late supper"
He was glad to have her go, for she
had had q busy summer and needed q
little change. But there was day out
the next week and the next and the
next, until he began to wonder at
Susan s growing taste for gadding about.
In early October he came home to find
his wood yard, which had still remained
empty, occupied by q half dozen or so
cords of first class wood, with Sol.
Carter and his two big boys busy at it,
and they worked until it was stored up
as before in the shed. And John felt
cross, but asked no questions.
where's Mrs. Barker?" said small
Garter boy to John, as he put up the
bars one evening.
"She is over to neighbor Grants,
You will find her there if you want
her."
1T amt no matter. You can tell her
here's the SEWN she's to do for mother,
and mother wants to know if she can
come and wash to our house tomorrow"
"The-old scratch she. does?" ex-
claimed John, turning on the bow in
blank amazement, which rapidly grew
into anger. Mrs. Barker hire out to do
washin' and SEWN? What dye mean
by comm to me by such message, you
young rascal?"
The astonished youngster dropped
his sewing and applied his knuckles to
his eyes as John advanced toward him,
then ran with all his might as the bun
die came whizzing after him. And Su-
sans lord and master strobe in dignified
wrath down the road to meet her.
"Susan-1 don't understand this,
there's been a young chap talkin' about
SEWN and washin' for Mrs. Garter. What
in all creation does it mean, I'd like to
know"
cts all right" said Susan, composedly.
"What was the messenger"
"Thunderation! You don't mean to
say you sew and wash for other folks,
do you?"
Eyes, I do"
"And for what? Is there anything
you want, Susan, that don't give your"
Eyes, John, there is. I want wood.
I can't saw and chop, but I can wash and
sew and do anything else q woman
ought to do, and there's no blame to me
for changing work I can do for work
can't. I'm never" Susan spoke very
firmly, but without grain of irritation,
going to put up with poor, badly cut,
green wood again as long as I can turn
my woman's work into mans work, I'd
rather wash for somebody every week,
it's half the comfort of woman's life.
You've never had to wait for your din
ner with the wood sizzling in the stove
and the fire not burning since I've been
the wood"
John was dumbfounded.
"And you've been working for Sol.
Carter's wife these two years." he said,
in intense disgust.
mo; my silk dress paid for last years
wood. I hated to let it 60, John, be-
cause you gave it to me, but Tilda
Carter took fancy to it. It was she |
you saw wearing il" and Susan laughed !
1T his grunt of dissatisfaction with the |
whole business.
"You to 60 letting me down this way ,
before the Oartersl" he growled. And |
# Mrs. Johns eyes flashed little who
,an blame her, as she answered:
IF there's any letting down to do it's
your own doing, not NINE"
They finished their walk home in ST.
ence, and then John said:
"Susan, will you leave the. wood
business to me after this?"
9TH try you, John" she said. Phil
'delphia Call.
Victoria and the Old Woman.
(From Harper's Bazsr.]
It is said that the Queen is q most
'onsiderate visitor, always being