The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-05-20
Selected.
HIS SONS WIFE.

When, after prolonged resistance on
the part of the rate payers, the School
Board at length invaded the suburbs OF
Abney, n. w, and erected schools supe
rior In every respect to those already ex-
isliu2 in the parish, there was no one whom
the change atlecte,, more than it did old
Reuben Sparrow, the master of the Free
College for Boys. His pupils had never
liked him much, and now they dropped off
one by one till the embittered and sorey
mortified man was compelled to resign his
post
Fortunately he had saved enough to live
Oh; at d SO, having no need to 90 in search
of fresh employment, he was aole to de-
vote the bes, part of his time to the stud
les in which he had formerly delighted.
He was now man of nearly seven y,
with broad though rounded shou 'ders, AID
a face that would nowhere pass unnotic i.
Deep burrows scored his forehead and
orackeed his firmly closed mouth; sparse
white hair was brushed uuevenly about his
head beneath heavy brows peered out the
pedagogues eyes, alert, shrewd, suspi-
cious. He was quick to find fault, impa-
tient of ignorance, slow to trust, hard to
pl, ase, butts there not saving clause IN
every nature?-be was capable Of strong,
selt-forsettiDg affection; and the vile,
who for forty yeats had been his faithful
nelpmatc, often SAID that she had never
had an unknd word from him.
His distress may be imagined when one
day this cherished wife who had fretted
herself into Il low state of health over his
recent humiliation fell grievously i'll. Rer-
ben sent for the doctor, young man III
the first flush of his professional gray. J
and dignity, who, after examining the r"-
lieut very carefully, seatsd himself W
write IL prescription in ominous silerTe.
Reuben watched him at once anxiously ard
listrustfuily.
"What dost think OF her, young MANI"
he asked at last.
"She is in verv critical state, and
ought never to be left. Is there no one to
share the nursing with your
Reuben threw up his head sharply.
''There isn't woman in the place but 'ud
be proud to he called to the bedside of my
Mary but | wont trust any of EN-. She
and |, we've always done for one another,
and can't have meddlesome neighbor in
now"
"Haye you no daughter?'
"None but my sons wife, and she's
naught but II tricked-out fool. Used to be
milincrs gal, and learnt to dress the
outside Of her head instead OF the inside.
Got fine long pane like lady's, but don't
know who julius Caesar was, and calls the
lOp vi VIC ooe'Oh' pN~""SN iN'
turned out lowest-pooh!
A sort Of grim smile fckered across
| Reubens lace as he made this last singular
| charge against his daughter, but IL only
lasted moment.
"The old woman's bad, then?' he said,
his eyes fastened apprehensively on the
doctors face.
~ am afraid So said Mr.. Walters
| era,ely. 81 wouldn't refuse help in the
nursing If l were you. You might re ret
| i, when it Was too lete.
''Let me alone, young man" retorted
| Reuben, tiercely. "D'ye think I'm no bet
ter than silly woman? I've got good
| head on my shoulders, and my wife's more
to me than she is To any one else Tell me
| what ought to be done, ard I'll do it,"
Every we'll, Mr.. S'arrow,' said the doc
| tor, coidly; "bCt remember that you are a
human, and If sleep overtakes you just
when you are most wanted, you will be re-
| sponsible fol the consequences"
He gave several n mute directions, and
| left the house, vexed at Reubens obs,inacy.
But the next morning, when he called, the
sons wife was already installed by the pa
tieurs bedside, and Reuben, with an i'm
mense knowledge and superiority, was
passing on to her the instructions received
by him the previous day.
| "Now, g;rl, lift her bit. Lor! cant We
| do 1t without sticking stack OF hair into
| Der eyes? Stand aside--now see2"
He put his arm und.r the old woman,
whose breathing was quick and difficult,
AID c,ev rly raised her into an easier posi-
| ton.
The doctor came forward, little curious
to see the disparaged daughter-in-law. As
! far as exterior went, she answered pretty
accurately to Reuben's description of her,
having figure obviously moulded by tight
lacing, and face Swallowed by quantity
of black hair, brought down to her eyes.
Her clothes were un- uitably dressy, and on
the table lay number of cheap silver baI-
giles, apparently taken of at Reuben's d.
rection. But she had pheasant, intelli-
gent smile, and bore her father-iu-iaw' S
structures with modesty and good temper
which auRured well for her readiness to
submit to instruction and to pick up the
little devices Of nursing upon which pa
| tents comfort depends.
! Old Mary Sparrow was much worse, and
Reuben, who turned his penetrating eyes