The Mineral argus., 1884-12-18
MRS. BARKER'S WOOD.
"No wood!"

"No woodl"
Mrs. John Bankers eyes wandered in
dismay around the unpromising looking
wood yard. Two or three green logs
lay there, against one of which an ak
leaned in a cleft formed by a stove
length being half chapped off. Her
husband and his hired help, consisting
of a man and boy, had just gone to their
work on a distant part of the farm, and
she knew she should see neither of
them before dark.
What should she do? Half impa-
tiontly she turned toward the house, and
then, with a thought of the pan of light
dough waiting inside, she began to
gather some of the chips which lay
around, only to fling them down again.
Its no use. I can't bake bread
with these. I 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 a horse
to a light buggy.
Mother and the girls will think I'm
crazy" she said to herself, "but /
can't help that. 1 swung an ak once
and ached for a month to pay for it, so
I'm not going to do it again.,
She brought out her pan of bread
wrapped in a 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
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 a bride to John
Bankers new house only last spring.
she had this same trouble about wood.
"That's right. Set it right down
there by the fire, sotill get het up be-
fore you knead it into loaves. Yes,
they will; and if any mans to be ex-
cused for not keepin' wood on his mind
it's John Barker, if there's anything IN
blood and l say there is. His father
is lust so-a real forehanded man, good
provider, and took proper pride In hay
in things spick and span about him
but never seemin' to think what a both
er 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 a scrapin' up a few chips
or shakin' the snow off sticks OF m1ser'
able green wood"
Johns wife turned her face as she
took off her things, for fear her friends
would see in her face how nearly hel
own experience was already becoming
like that of Johns mother.
AT used to tell her." went on hel
mother that she'd ought to trained hin
better when he was young. Now, like
as not, John takes a little after his faith
er-nobody could wonder at it-and
wish father could haul you a load o.
two of his good seasoned wood, s'pos'
twouldn't do-eh, Susan ?"
"No, 'twouldn't do, mother; thanl
you all the same"
Twilight of the November day wa
shutting in when John Barker, return
ing to his house. missed the accustomed
fire glow in the windows.
"What's up 81? no fire! no wifel NJ
wonder" he calculated again, as he wen
out and took a view of the wood yard
After fifteen minutes work with IN
ak he carried in an armful of wood AM
kindling, and hada bright fire crack
ling and swapping in the stove by tn
time his wife's CHEEKY voice was heard
I've had a real f%rolic, John, sh
said, Juggling in a basket, from whlcI
she laid out several loaves Of bread an
a number of light, puffy biscuits
couldn't find any wood, so 1 just hltch