The Mineral argus., 1884-12-18

AlA4O VA
reproach in her tones, but John felt a
Jingle of mortincation at what had oc-
Cured, and resolved that It sh ould not
happen again, and so he assured Susan
with great fervor.
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 timber land belonging to the
farm, and for a week all hands sawed
and chopped with a will. Then the re-
suits were flung pell nell into the wood
shed, end 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 a 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 a good
deal of mind of her own to make up)
that she would never worry through
such another, remembering some sensi-
bic advice her sensible, energetic moth
er had given her when she left home.
"Bear things, Susan. There's lots of
things has to be borne in this world,
and them that learns to bear 'em best's
the best of all. Men will be trying,
and if woman can't be patient it's apt to
make trouble. But mind-when l say
bear / mean there's reason in all things,
and 1 don't mean you should bear
things that's out of all reason. If a
woman1l let herself be trod on, and
them that does it'll never thank her for
it OF look up to her for it. Bear what's
reasonable, Susan. but if things go be-
yon1 reason, why then look out for
yourself"
II came about that when the next
October term of the Circuit Court was
in session John was drawn on the jury
and had to be away for two weeks.
"Why, what in the worlds this, Su-
san ?" he said, staring into the wood
shed when he got home the second
Saturday.
CHATS my winters supply of wood"
said Susan.
"And how in thunder did it get
there-and in such good shape, tool"
He gaZed at it in establishment.
1t was in good shape. Row after
row of w-ell-seasoned, neatly sawed and
split wood piled to the r~afters, with a
heap OF pine and hemlock in kindling
lengths in one corner.
81 had it put there" said Susan, qui-
etlv.
Some more questions he asked, but,
with a little way, she sometimes had of
asserting herself, she gave him to I'M
derstand she had nothing more to tell,
and he was ashamed to ask any one
else.
The winter brought its usual round OF
simple gayeties in the country neigh
borhood, in which John and his wife
took their full share.
at seems to me, Susan" he said one
evening ON their return from a church
sociable, "you don't fix up quite enough
when you go out"
"Don't l 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. ]
haven't seen anything of that silk / gave
you last fall"
"Are you sure?" she said, with a
smile which he could not understand.
"Yes, L am. 'Taint been made NJ
yet, is it?"
eyes, it is. And you've seen it worn.
John was puzzled, and felt sure he
had not, but Susan world give HIM nc
further satisfaction on the subject o
the silk dress.
As spring approached she made few
suggestions as to the ACCESSIBILITY of fire
wood being set to season in due time
But John, prompt and dilligent 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 soor
gave over reminding him OF 1T.
One day in September he came home
TO dinner and found a cold lunch wait
ing him. The house was clean ano
quiet and cherries; no wife there, but
a written line which ran:
"DEAR JONI am going to spend
the day over at Mrs. Carriers. VIII be
home in time to give you a late supper
He was glad to have her go, for she
had had a busy summer and needed 6
little change. But there was a day out
the next week and the next and the
next, until he began to wonder al
Susan's growing taste for gadding
ABOUT. In early October he came home
to find his woodward, which had still
remained empty, occupied by half {
dozen or so cords of first class wood
with Sol. Garter and his two big boys
busy at it, and they worked until it was
stored up as before in the shed. Ant
John felt cross, but asked no questions
where's MIS-. Barker ?" said a small
Carter bov to John, as he PIT up hii