The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1884-03-29

ed upon his wife's careworn face, with
its habitual expression of unconscious
self-abnegation and resignation. They
never have any pleasant walks, talks,
jokes, read any books or have friendly
companionship together. He never
gives her ice-cream, anniversary pres.
ents, unexpected praises, flowers or
kisses. When she dies she may have a
flower in her coffin, which will look
strangely out of place, as none ever
came into her married life.
Twice she has made feeble attempts
to bring some cheerfulness into their
homes. She worked her husband a
pair of slippers for Christmas, and
placed bunch of snow-drops on the ta-
BILE for Easter. He gruff1y told her to
stake 'em away, and not inkeridge the
scarlet woman by bringin' sick popish
notions into the house." The coun-
try fences, barns, taverns, rocks and
landscape were once ablaze with flaming
posters announcing the coming of a
gazed on those pictured wonders, on
the monkey parodies, pathetic camels,
repulsive serpents, leaping tigers, flying
figures, complacent fat women, bushy
haired frauds, dissatisfied Albinos,
dwarfs, sunshiny giants, the sacred cow
of Burmah, and the Behemoth of Scrip
ture. Her soul ached with an intense
longing to behold those Oriental ami
mails from the far away tropical coun-
tries, from "Afric' burning sands," of
which she had read in the Bible and in
"Little Henry and his Bearer" Was
it possible that those huge, ungainly
elephants could stand on their heads,
planks and barrels, play tunes on hand
organs, and do other undreamed-of
things perfectly unnatural and unpleas-
ant to an elephant? Was it true that
horses waltzed and dogs hung each other?
That a woman could be shot from
cannon, and a tattooed man walking
shiveringly about clad only in his cash
mer skin, and gauzy beings fly through
hoops of fire over the backs of horses
that have made up their minds to stand
it? 1t was wonderful, fairy tale, a
myth, perhaps. Every thing asreverse-
ed, the toes of the rider, the clown in
the ring, the ideas and trunks of the
elephants. Seeing was believing and
she wanted, oh, how she wanted to gol
1t would be the one great pleasure, the
one grand epoch of her dreary life.
Only those who have been forced to re-
main in the unvarying routine of hard
work, care and unending monotony,
can appreciate the happiness it would
be could this down -trodden little Yankee
woman go to the circus. She read on
the brilliant posters that "people, press
and pulpit commended this great moral
show, unparalleled in grandeur and
magnifcence, and nothing was said,
seen or done that could offend the most
moral and fastidious person." To be
sure the Zion's Herald had not adver-
tised it, and she had not heard it in
dorsed by their own minister from his
pulpit. But one minister difereth
an0p, i. anathe5n paipistAfodi in .eniniens,
surely she could. She had no money,
and she was afraid to ask for any, or
to broach the subject to her husband,
fearing his opposition. She remained
awake at night, wondering if she was
wicked designing woman for not men
tioning her desire, and where she could
obtain means to accomplish it. This
was the first time she ever plotted; the
first time she ever dared to strike out
for herself. 1t showed how keen was
the yearning for little brightness to
come into her cold and cherries life.
She knew it was useless to ask for any
of the eggs, butter, cheese or milk
money that she had earned. She arose
two hours earlier the next morning,
did much of the house work, and while
her husband was drinking molasses and
water in the hay field, she slipped away
on pretext and winged feet; and un-
der the burning August sun, with hands
trembling and heart beating with hope
and excitement, she picked five quarts
of berries that were sold at the hotel
ms. Thenex day with the coveted
money held tightly in her ungloved
hand, she hurriedly climbed into the
wagon of neighbor who had called by
her request, to carry her with his wife
and children to the circus, all joyful at
the unusual holiday. How her heart
beat, how her limbs shook! Once off
and out of view of the bayfield,, she
would breath freer. One taste of plea
sure, and it was hers forever, no matter
what happened afterward. They turned
the corner and a man appeared on the
road. Itwas her husband, sent there by
one of those malicious chances that some
times 'thwart the wills of men" and
women. He stopped them. Explana-
tions followed. ''It is my own money.
1 didn't take it from the house, earn
ed it yesterday" she faltered, holding
| up her toil-worn thorn-scratched hands.
1t was her only appeal, and it fell mute
upon her quivering lips, as he sternly
ordered herto "get down." She ought
not to have got down, and we are sor-
nv to say that she did. But she obeyed,
with her eyes and heart full of tears:
He walked unrelentingly by her side to
the house. He took her hardly-won
bits of silver. He said they should go
into the contribution box next Sunday
to atone for the heinous sin she had
committed in wishing to enter unholy
places. He entered the closed sanctu-
ary of his parlor. He moved the tobac-
co quid from his mouth and placed it
on the mantle. Then he prayed.
Kneeling in the center of the floor, on
the biggist, yellowest, most unfaded
"horn Of plenty" that besprinkled the
carpet, he asked the Lord, in nasal tones,
to chasten the worldly spirit of his
wife, to withhold her from the snares
of temptation, baited by the devil, and
to keep her from the fesh-potS of
Egypt and Vermont. She never COM
plains. She suffers vaguely never fully
comprehending the servile position she
holds in her husbands house. We are
| orIoI che dooc not Tn her If would