The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-12-11

meal, but the mountain air had given
Mrs. Thockstayer an appetite, and she
really enjoyed the corn-bread, new pota-
toes and fried pork.
"If you continue to eat like this, you'll
get so fat by the time you get back to Bal
timore, that Henry won't know you,
Augusta, said her brother jokingly.
Mrs. Thockstayer smiled, but made no
reply. She was engaged in studying her
host, Simon Tapp, a silent, peculiar -look-
ing man, who kept his eyes fixed gloom
lily on his plate, raising them only once
during the meal, when he darted sud-
den, fierce look at his wife, who, in lifting
one of the twins to her lap, accidentally
overturned cup of coffee.
"The man is BRUTE" decided Mrs.
Thockstayer, great wave of pity rising
in her throat for the gentle, timid wife.
She thought she knew how to sympathize
with her, but acknowledged to herself
that though Henry had neglected her,
he had never given her such look as
that.
When dinner was over the two men
went out to the barn again to get out the
horses, and Mrs. Thockstayer gathered
up her shawls preparatory to departure.
81 reckon you uns IL never be along
this way again?" questioned Mrs. Tapp,
who was removing the dishes from the
table, the twins clinging to her skirts.
"Oh, no, there's no possibility of such
thing" answered Mrs. Thockstayer
feeling devoutly thankful for the convic-
| tiop.
swell, want to tell ye, lest ye should
think hard o him, that my man amt jest
right in his mind. He's bit Tightly an
has his bad spells, an have to bar with
him considerable. 1 minded the way you
looked at him, an I reckoned I'd bet
ter tell ye"
"You poor thingp exclaimed Mrs.
Thockstayer. 81 don't see how you
stand it. And these twin babies too"
She took from her hand sechel lawn
handkerchief embroidered in colors and
fastened it about the woman's neck.
take this to remember me by" she
said, 81 wish / had something better to
offer YOU"
"Oh, ma am, ] don't like to take il" OBJ
jected Mrs. Tapp. 81 can't do nothin' for
you, an it seems too much"
Nonsense" laughed Mrs. Thockstay-
er, ~ don't want you to do anything forme.
Goodbye" and she walked away as the
carriage drove up to the gate, not listen
ing to the words of thanks that followed
her.
Simon Tapp helped her into the car
rage, and she went away thinking she
| would never see man, woman or twin
babies again.
But we cannot be sure of what an hour
will bring forth. A mile from the lonely
cabin, one of the horses taking fright at
the sudden appearance Of hog which
sprang out from behind stump, swerved
to one side, and ran the carriage against
rock, smashing one wheel.
This was disaster indeed, for there was
no blacksmith nearer than the next town;
and Mrs. Thockstayer had to walk back
to Mr.. Tapp's and ask shelter for the
night, while her brother and the driver pro-
ceeded on their way on horseback, carry
ing the broken wheel between them. They
expected to return the next day without
fail, but that night there was very
heavy rain and Buffalo Creek was swollen
to such height that fording it was out
of the question, and Mrs. Thockstayer
found herself prisoner.
"It'll be the best part O. three days be-
fore the crick'll go down 70 your brother
kin git acrost," said Mrs. Tapp at break
fast.
Three days! Mrs. Thockstayer's heart
sank within her. The thought of spend
ing three days as the guest Of these peo'
pie was not pleasant one. But there
seemed no help for it. There was moth
ing to do but to make the best of it.
She felt that she must keep busy, or
her mind would dwell constantly on her
domestic sorrows; so she cut out some
calico dresses for the twins, and sewed on
them as if her life depended en- their be-
ing finished within certain time. But
her diligence did not prevent her from
watching Mrs. Tapp, and the more she saw
of her wonderful patience with her crazy
husband, the more keenly did the arrow
Of self-reproaeh enter into her own heart.
1t did not take her long to discover that
she was learning lesson from this poor.
uneducated woman in the Tennessee
mountains. She began to wonder if, af-
ter all, her domestic troubles we're not OF
her own making. Had she shown toward
her husband one-quarter the gentleness,
patience and humility this woman exhib-
tied, they would never have drifted
apart.
No matter how cross and harsh Simon
Tapp was his wife did not notice nor re-
sent it in any way, and her manner toward
him was ever respectful and deferential.
She appeared to love him, too, and to
shear with him" for loves sake.
Sand she has no reward save that which
her conscience accords her." thought
Mrs. Thockstayer. "He takes her patience
and humility as matter of course. There
is no appreciation Of her nobility. And