The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-01-24

turn down the leaves of your book"
and he cuffs the boys ears soundly,
who holds up his book to protect his
head.
''And who made that pencil mark in
your book. Who drew that house on
the fly leaf, heyp So you won't an
swer me,' and twisting his fingers in
the boys hair he lifts him from the
chair, and lets him drop.
"Will you tell me who ruined that
bookP"
81 did, pa"
Taking the book from. the boys hand,
the considerable father cuffs tie boys
head with it half dozen times, remark
ing:
"You trifing young scamp. Here I
buy books for you to ruin" and he
throws the book in the corner
Mr.. Huffy begins to feel little bet
ter. He walks up and down the room
with his hands behind him. At last.
turning to his wife he says in his usual
pleasant tone of voice;
Gam ! going to have any dinner to-
day, or not2 Here I've been waiting
for hours and hours, and no dinner"
''Its not twelve o'clock yet / didn't
know you were coming home 50 early"
II didn't ask you what o'clock it was,
or when [ was to come home, but /
want to know if I'm to get any dinner
to-day, for if I'm not, can go some
where else. am just sick and tired of
the way things are managed in this
house. Dinner should be on the table
when | come home, so / will not be
obliged to wait for hours and hours. l
suppose after awhile I'll have to go
down on my knees and beg her lady
ship to give me cold potato"
Mrs. Huffy goes out into the kitchen
to see if dinner is done. John, the old
est boy follows her out into the kitchen.
His mother is his only friend.
Why amt you better boy" she
says. "Why will you provoke your
father by making marks in your
books"
'Those marks are the same ones for
which he has punished me four times
already"
''You should have told him SOL
'He knew it well enough. If I had
opened my mouth he would have been
beating me yet"
The mother is silent, for the poor boy
is only telling the truth. His father is
a brute. He beats them when they an
swer, and he beats them when they re-
fuse to speak. The poor woman knows
it only to well. She would have left
him long ago had it not been for the
children. She can not leave them ex
posed to his cruelty.
The voice of the father is heard ir
shrill accents:
John, come here, sir"
The boy hurries into the room
Pointing to the book in the corner
where he himself threw it, Mr.. Huffy ex
claims:
"Is this place for your book. IL
teach you to take better care of you
books, !" and from the sound of blows
and his loud cries, the poor mother il
the kitchen knows that her favoritt
child is punished again.
But let us drop the curtain. Mr.
Huffy is only one of class OF men whC
make their homes hell on earth, petit,
tyrants who intimidate women anc
children because nobody else-is afraiC
of them. But when Mr.. Huffy leaves
his house, he becomes changed RiAh
He who is always sfarling 1T his Nh
wife, with what beaming smile he lifts
his hat to ladies of his acquaintance OF
the streets. If he meets an acquaintance
accompanied by his children, how Mr.
HufIy pats the little ones on tho head
shakes hands with them, and praises
their intelligence and good looks, 1t il
evident that Huffy at home, is not Huffy
on the street.-Ieras SJtings.