The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1885-05-29

think would drop into the river and
end il all
'Nettie! Nettic Jarvis! What are
you saying?" cried the startled hus-
band ut last. for the far-away look in
r eyes as II she did not see him. but /
nas looking 10 some higher power 70 |
help her. touched his pride in a selfish |
sort Of way. lie was proud 10 be- able |
70 support his family as well rs he did
He was proud that when his children
needed new shoes he could tell his wife |
TO take them to Crispin's and get what |
they needed. He did il with flourish.
He was not one. Of the stiDgy kind; |
he liked 70 spend money; and
when Nrttie. who was once the
most spirited young lady of his
acquaintance came meekly to him for a
dress or cloak. he was sometimes
tempted 70 refuse her money just 10
show her how helpless she was without
him. Yes. he was proud Of his family.
and wanted them 10 feel how much
they depended upon him. He would
have felt aggravated il any one had left
his wife a legacy, thus allowing her to
b. free in her purse. The idea Of her
earning money. n his other work-folks
did. never entered his mind. He sup
ported her." that was his idea of their
relations. He never had happened TO
think that il was very good Of her TO
take his money and spend it for the
good OF himself and children. He never
had thought that any other woman
would have wanted big pay for doing
it, He had even thought himself very
t. ~.
things 10 make the family comfortable.
Things began to look differently to him
Just now. Could It be that he was not
generous. not even just. 10 his wife,
Had he paid her SO poorly for
her fifteen years Of faithful labor
for him that il she had been
obliged TO begin the world for herself
that day ii would have been as penni-
less woman?
How fast he thought. standing there
AT the Office window. looking down At
the little houses where the mill hands
lived Could il be that he was not as
good man rs he thought? He had felt
deeply the wrongs Of the slave. whose
labors had been appropriated by their
/ masters. and when negro who had
worked twenty years for his master be-
fore the emancipation freed him came
| to Jarvis mills. friendless and penni-
less. the heart Of the proprietor swelIed
| with Indignation al such injustice. tie
, was eloquent on the subject at home
and abroad. about how any one could
, be 80 cruel and selfish to commit such
I an outrage against justice. He had
! called him robber many q time. but
Ia tnI e., him al
very much ike the old stakeholder.
, Massa Brown had taken the proceeds oi
! Cuflec' labor for his own without even a
thank YOU for H. True. when Cutfee
! ate he had given him food. when he was
:, sick he had given him medicine. and he
had clothed him. too. just as he him
: self thought best Mr.. Jarvis had mar
: ried lovely. conscientious woman. and
! for fifteen years had appropriated hel
I labors. Her recompense had been food
and clothes. such as he thought best fol
! her; little better than Cutice's. per
I haps. but the similarity Of the cases did
! not please him. He had expected hi:
wife TO pe very grateful for what hs
|, had done for her. but now he wondered
! that she had not rebelled long ago
1 Had his life been q mistake? Had nj.
/ wife no more money or liberty thar
; Cuffce had in bondage? Was Donald
I Jarvis no better than Massa Brown?
: His brain seemed TO be in middle
4 and no looked 20 strangely that his wife
: anxious to break the spell. took hi,
arm. saving: let Us 60 home. dear
tea must he waiting for u. He pu
!, on his hat in dreamy way ans
= then walked home in silence Thu
I. children ran joyously to meet them
!, The yard was so fresh and greer
!. and the flowers 80 many ard brigh
! that he wondered tina: he had neye
thanked Nettie for them all. Hithert,
: be had looked upon them n his. bl
now he felt that his interest. in then
: was only few dollars. that would no
have amounted to anything without hi
" wifc's care His children were tidy an
!. sweet. and everything around and il
:, the house had that CHEEKY look tina
!. !. rested him SO after the hard. dull dal
: at the mill. They sat again At tn
!. table that had been a source Of comfor
! and pleasure to him for 80 many years
: and he wondered how he could hay'
I enjoyed ii so long without even thank
|" ing the woman who had provided il
!. True, she had his money in bringing
!" all about, but how else could his none,
: be OF use TO him? Who else could hay,
I turned IL into just what he needed 70
7. years? And he began 10 have an undo
= fined feeling that IL took more thai
: money to make home He glanced a
I his wife's face rs he Luttered his las
: slice Of bread.
q II was not that OF the fair, rosy Bird
= whom he had brought to the mills year
n before. but ut that moment he realize'
i II was far more dear to him. for he knc,
q that she had given the bloom and fresh