The Penn's Grove record., 1884-01-05
Never had two hours between lunch

vas c0nJlnudlly uuSJ WIN A@Se'J SANohSi
and her words, and his eyes often turn
ed toward the cream colored farm
house. behind whose spruce green
blinds his wife was busy preparing din
ner. .
81 used to think how happy should
be if 1 ever persuaded her to come
bere.n he thought. at is two years
why, 1 declare it is two years this very
day that we were married! l wonder
if she remembers it. But it isn't very
likely. when she says she is afraid she
hates me-"
Did she remember? An, in that re-
membrance lay the sting.
All that morning while she got
breakfast at five O'Clock, and washed
the dishes, swept the rooms, made the
beds, churned butter and prepared a
lunch for six men, her heart turned
back to the other morning tweaty-four
months ago, when the bright-eyed
country maiden rose at four O'Clock to
complete her Preparations for her we'd
ding day.
How good, how kind, how hand
some her George was then. How his
eyes followed her; how his love blessed
her.
Was it all her fault that the bloom
and beauty of life had departed in
those short years?
Looking back she could see no day
in which she had not at least tried to
do her duty.
And looking in the glass window she
saw how the light and glow of youth
had passed from her face, while &C.
complishing the task uncheered by the
approval of him she loved.
George has kept his color and his
good locks became his work lies out OF
! DOORS" she unused, ''but Ihave worked
in this old kitchen until 1 look old
enough to be his mother. His mother
she paused with a bitter laugh-''I
almost wish | was his mother, then he
would be suited with what l did,"
Noon came. The twelve O'Clock
whistle sounded sharp and cleG- from
the factory in the village a mile away;
and before the whistle ceased a little
figure stepped out on the side porch OF
the Brewster house and blew a horn.
"There's a woman for you," said
Solomon Wyse, admiringly. "Dinner
to the minute-and won't it be a good
one?"
The dinner was, indeed, a success,
every dainty of the season and farm
was there, skillfully cooked and neatly
served on a table in the cool dining
room-a table covered with a snowy
cloth fresh from is field, and glass and
china.
In the centre of tile table stood a
great china bowl full of red roses that
perfumed the room Her cheeks were
red, her eyes shone dark and bright,
her words and smiles were ready for
every M a George.
As she sat grave and silent at the
foot of the table, he looked at her Won
deringly.
She wore a dress of silver gray al.
paca that had been her travelling dress
when they were married.
A large white apron, with a bib,
shielded the glories of the costume.
But why did she put it on? Surely
she could not think of ''going vislting''
that afternoon, with six lawmakers to
get tea for and the milk of eight COWS
to attend to a~fterward.
But he nIaiiy went ont without ask
ing it. The wife VINO was afraid she
hated him, seemed almost like a stran-
ger, although she looked SO much on
this occasion like the girl he had mar.
ried two years ago.
As George neared the woodshed
where the men were lounging away
the rest of the incoming, he heard his
own name uttered by Solomon Wyse In
tones of anger.
lnvoluntarilY he stayed his steps.
Eyes, | knew George from a baby
up, and l always said he'd make a like
ly man. But l VOW it is a shame tc
see how he treats that pretty little
creaturel Such a lunch this morning
and such a dinner this noon, in such a
nice cool room, with the red roses and
all the rest of it: and she is lust as
pretty as a picture, with her red cheeks
and bright eyes, and wavy hair, and
dressed as neat as a pink, too. And
he sitting there as grum as a cross
old man of ninety. 1 was ashamed OF
him."
live heard he does nothing but find
fault with her all the day long" said
a second voice. "My wife says if
threw my mother into her teeth, as
George does his Letty's she'd run away
from me before she was a day older.
"And serve you right chimed in 4
third. l tell you what my wife says:
She says it is COMPOUNDED name and
small of George not to keep a woman
here to help his wife. And when
saw the dinner; to-day, the pretty little
thing had got for us all alone, / thought
SO, too. Hang me if l hadn't half a
mind to stop here this afternoon and
help her wash up that great pile Of
dishes, and let the haying go to thun.
der. It's enough to kill the woman tc
have all that work to do. And George
is rich. What on earth is he thinking
about? Bnt he'll be sorry tor tins In q
a or two hence, when we have tc
come here on a different errand.n
TO carry her out In a cofinYn sale
solomon Wyse, eyes, L suppose il
viii come to that if some OF us DOM
talk seriously to George. She don't
look at all strong now, and her hands
trembled when she changed my plate,
It's a burning shame-and if none of
you will talk to George about it, /
will.n
But when George Brewster Joined