The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-09-29

her afternoon cap several times, asSShe would
have done had she expected visitor; she had
picked faded buds from some late roses had
examined the base of one of the piazza posts
TO be sure that the old wistaria vine was not
dragging it from its place, and had picked
some bits of paper from the little grass plot
i'll front of the house; but each time she went
from one duty TO another she shaded her eyes
and looked down the road over which her
husband would return She had eyes for
everything outside the house-an indication
of rot at an end of one of the window sills,
daring. cocoon between two Stats of window
blind a missing screw of the door 6nob-all
trifles that had been as they were for weeks,
but had failed to attract her attention until
expectation had sharpened her eyesight.
As time wore on she went into the house
for her spectacles; generally she preferred to
have letters read TO her by her husband, but
her absent sons writing she must see with her
own eyes. Then she polished the glasses again
and again, trying them each time by gazing
down the road for the bearer of the expected
letter. Calmness, in its outward manifesta-
ton, was noticeable only after her hope had
again been deferred.
As for the old man, who was quite as dis
anDOluUeI Us Ills vie. ne SluuIcN OlI
loosaned vest button as if it had been an OBJ
ject of extreme value: then he sat down on
the steps of the veranda, studied all visible
sections of the sky for a minute OF two, and
finally ventured the opinion that a middllng
lively shower might come due about midnight
Then he told his wife of having met the min
lister, who had not said anything in particular,
and of a coming auction sale of which he had
heard, and how eggs for shipment TO the city
had looked up" three cents per dozen Then
he sharpened his pocket knife on his boot leg,
handling it as delicately and trying its edge
as cautiously as if it We're an instrument OF
which great things were expected. Then
both joined in estimating the probable cost Of
raising the youngest calf on the farm to its
full bovine estate.
Finally, both having thoroughly repressed
and denied and repulsed themselves, merely
because they had been taught in youth that
uncomfortable restraint was precious priv
ilege and a sacred duty, Mrs. Hayn broke the
silence by exclaiming;
sit does beat all"
"What does!" asked her husband, as solicit
tously as if he had not the slightest idea Of
what was absorbing his wife's thoughts.
why, that Phil don't write. Here's ev-
erybody in town tormentin me to know when
he's comm back an if he's got the things
they asked him to buy for 'em, an not a soli-
tary word can l say; we don't even know
how to send a letter to him to stir him up an
remind him that he's got parents.
'Well, theirs sure to be a letter somewheres
on the way, don't doubt, tellin' us all we
want to know" said the old man, going
through the motions of budding an althea
bush, in the angle of the step, from scion
of its own stock. Watched pots never
bile you know, an faint often one gets
letter till he stops lookin for it.'
''But faint bit like Phil" said the old
lady. "Why, he's been away more'n week.
thought he'd at least let us know which of
the big preachers he'd heerd on Sunday, an
what be thought Of 'em. Hearin' them big
guns OF the pulpit was always one of the
things he wanted to 90 to the city for Then
there's the bread pan I've been wantin' for
ten years-one that's got tin enough to it not
to rust through every time there comes a
spell of damp weather; he might at least rest
my mind for me by lettin' me know he'd
got it."
SAN in good time, old lady; let's be patient
an we'll hear all we're waitin' for. Worry's