The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-10-08
SILENT PARTNERS.

~ ever speak to me again, I"
nton, ''and never will speak
s This hour on.n
as Something positively alarm
nis united command and promise,
tones in which it was uttered were
ssiyely earnest, and the manner of
speaker was very far from trifling;
they fell upon the startled ears of
Norse half in q way that caused Mr..
an to quail little, for he knew
sh of the temperament of the an
W woman who spoke to feel that this
p idle threat.
'''nn Benton and his wife Mary had
married. a quarter of century at
e OF this violent outbreak, and
'trto been active and talkative
al partners. They lived in the
pom their own little farm, and
Aey had not always held the
p'aite harmony of opinion, their
70 each other and their unity
the essential matters of life were
lu'ed. 1t was only in the infinites-
7slects of life that they clashed.
pad, together, met and surmounted
opstacles in their common path.
a7 removed rocks only to stumble
! + pebble.
fA|ly the contemplate little riv-
NHd been constantly trickling
& '..'y years in so many different
feemingly met to form a great
which they were doomed to be
t#to up. Those hitherto active
*pluble tongues were about to rust
a'eness, at least at home. They were
'Ked to become henceforth silent
HEn Benton accepted the situation
fgut replying, for what was there to
4iu Had he not been commanded
Pain forever from speaking to his
'lantry forbids us to cast any great
Of the odium of this scene upon
Benton. Besides, had not John,
? 1efore the last volcanic eruption of
y upon the part of his wife, insin-
that .her "unruly member was as
AZ a fence rail2" Could female flesh
blood endure such base simile as
when applied to herself2 And had
not asserted that her words were
'on, and that her tones were thunder2
1pld wife pass over such insulting
sonal metaphors as these2 Mrs. Ben
4 either wisely or unwisely, decided
|he negative.
Phe first night of the self-enforced
nce in the Benton cottage was awk-
ID. The usual curtain lecture was
.tted, and such a death-like, des-
.e stiffness prevailed that sleep
out of the question. The
ROW brought its tribulations, fol-
fng one another in close and annoy.
euccession. Mrs. Benton, finding
situation too irksome to be borne
4out some new excitement to replace
lQst art of speech, determined upon a
1'Ntion of the whole household-the
81 safety valve for the pent-up feel
pt a housewife, and one of the best
tNn remedies for the disease of hypo-
|aoria or anger. She went about this
rulean task as though life and death
IS IN the balance, or as though upon
completion depended the casting out
ne dumb devils that had taken up
IT abode here.
iany ludicrous blunders were the inev-
Die consequence of this abandonment
the customary mode of conveying
ughts; the double orders given to
groeeryman and the butcher, the
1licate purchases of all sorts of odds
ends, led to much confusion and
alton in the Benton household.
)ne morning John Benton thought he
ected unusual preparations going on
the culinary department, grand
and busting of the best
ma set, and sundry other indications
some unusual event. Mrs. Benton
d in her dumb-show manner to re-
III his memory in regard to an ex-
ted visit of which he had been pre-
usly made aware, but which had
ped from his somewhat defective
nory. But she could not tell whether
lot she had succeeded in her efforts
AbOul UOOu JOIln
ne in, as usual, to dinner, to find a
mful of city visitors, friends of Mrs.
lton. Now, John, although not
n man, would rather have had some
of that event, so that he need
have appeared in their presence in
working garments; but as there was
y no help for it, he tried to make the
of the situation, and greeted the
tors IN rather an awkward fashion.
3 latter, no doubt, attributed Mrs.
lton's silence toward her husband to
rtification at his personal appearance.
!, after all, this affair passed without
exposure so much dreaded by both
ties.
Ohm Benton had promised his wife,
fious to the unhappy occurrence that
placed this gulf of silence between
n; money TO purchase a new dress for
self. One day he laid a roll of bills
"a the table, and called her attention
3 She nodded assent, and John was