The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1886-02-06

ton of his coming alone, and felt hi
face and even the very tips of hi
ears grow scarlet as he hewed ava
at the knotty sticks of pine in tn
gathering twilight. But one canno
split kindling wood all night, and a
last John Weber threw down hi
axe and told his story. 1t was Nc
use to spare himself, for the hard
worked, patient woman was as Just ;
soul as ever lived, and she would no
excuse him because he himself made
excuses.
"les twas hard on YOU" she sale
at last. Il can see how you felt, bu
you needn't have done wrong, John
ny. Now you go right back an ge
her. I'm glad it's so that you won
mind the expense as much as some
other times. I'm urgent about it be.
cause | don't knows | shall be here
another summer and | feels though
| wanted to see your folks-winter's
go dreadful hard with me.
I've got good many little things
want to talk over and get you to see
about. Austin's folks have as much
as they can carry and the GIRLS, too.
I've been kind o"feelin' as if you
were the only child I'd got this sum-
mer, and | should ha' took it hard il
you hadn't come"
So, early the next morning, before
day, John Weber went back lighter
hearted than he came and found his
wife at the Harborside shanty hay
ing anything but pleasant time.
The baby had taken cold in the
night and been very sick. The doc
tor had been sent for and the little
patient was out of danger, and even
great deal better, but his mother,
unstrung and pathetically remorse-
full, threw herself into her husband S
ready arms. Nell Stince shifted a
little; she had not made trouble be-
tween them, after all; they loved
each other great deal better than
they ever had before. The illusion
of freedom and seeing something Of
the world had lost its charm for the
poor little woman; she had had time
to think over things-and as for John
Weber he had made up his mind
anew and could not forget some wise
words that his dear old mother had
spoken: 81 guess your woman wants
a little old-tashioned mothering,"
she said. And | never saw no good
of secrets between husbands and
wives or of their doing things apart.
You might have let her have all the
months pleasure of thinking of il
beforehand same's as you had, an
settlin' what she would do. YOU
take right hold O hands and look al
life together Just as it's. Don't you
think everything's as yen say. She:
got rights an you've been too goot
sometimes, and treated her an the
baby just the same way other times
You mean well, Johnny, but we al
need experience. And two or three
days later the young people went to
gether to the hillside farm, and spen
the rest of their fortnight-anc
wished it had been a month. The,
never had such a good time in thei
lives, any of them, and the grand
mother promised that if everything
went we'll she would come down an
other year and make them visit
"Ill treat you like a queen" saic
Hattie, ''and you won't know me
shall be such smart housekeeper
Your doughnuts and huckleberrt,
bread won't be worth speakin' of.
eyes they will, toop' maintained
John, stoutly. And they all laughed
together, while the baby, not to b
outdone, beat his plate with hi
spoon and shouted some unintelli
gible remark That evening, Will
John Weber and his wife cam
strolling up the lane picking black
berries, after he had showed her tn
big nut trees he used to climb an
the hole where he had killed a BIZ
fox when he was a boy, they bot
said that it seemed like their court
ing days, only better, and as if the
were really going to be married an
begin life all over again when the
went back to town.