The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-18

the sound of Dan joyful whistle came to
her ears. as he went about his evening
dishes and get time to rave a little walk
with him on top of the hill" thought
Hannah. There, there's a crook in every
lot, and / expect poor mother Parish's got
to be mine"
1t is impossible to tell Just what the COM
mon words of our everyday speech mean
to other people. They have but a relative
meaning: association and experience, and
especially the depth and clearness of our
thought, determine the SIGNIFICANCE of
words and phrases. The elder Mrs. Parish
had been a teacher for a wear or two be-
fore her marriage; this had a great effect
upon her whole career. and gave her a spirit
OF conviction ratherthan suggestion toward
other people. and. at times. a vast response
blllty for their conversation.
She had occasion to correct her son often,
and now it was evident that his wife had
a very slip-shod way of expressing her
thoughts. Those mistakes of which Mrs.
noyance, and one day she was so far dis
turbed as to ompare such delinquencies
with the beautiful way in which Eliza had
always spoken. 1t was one of the trying
things of every day that the elder woman
took pains to pronounce again. In a differ
ent. snappish way, certain words with
which her sons wife had been careless.
But she was limited in her own knowledge
of polite speech. and once Hannah gently
reminded her that the minister pronounced
the adjective in question after her own
fashion He had used it several times in
the long prayer that morning.
They were washing the supper dishes to-
gether most amicably, but at this difference
of opinion and fall of pride, Dams mother
gave Hannah a reprOachful look, turned
away, took a falterlng step or two toward
the cupboard, then went to her own room
and prepared to pass the night in tears.
There, dom mind her one grain" said
Dan, who was sitting on the doorstep.
"She will have these spells. and the more
you mind 'em the longer they last. She
got sort of excited and wore out getting
the house ready, and now the excitement's
gone. she feels unstrnng., She said this
mOrnin' you was q good girl, and she didn't
know as L could done better. Twas a good
deal for her to prefer, i tell YOU" aud he
looked up atfectiOnately at his young wife.
after she gets tired gOin' to meetin'. | eX-
pect ! shall miss footin' it over to see you
and keep company" he added, and they
both laughed.
Poor thing. Sunday nights a lonesome
time to set all alone,"I said kind-hearted
Hannah "Pm glad we're here, Dan. l
don mine her much, and its the best way
to stand our ground so fairs we can. She
needs us to be with her. There's lots of
good things about your mother. l was
thinkin' this morning about something
randsir used to say: she's like a COW that'n
give a good pail o. milk, and then kick it
over. 1t makes me feel bad when l see how
she must have worked before we was mar
ried. | never saw a house so spick an
span from garrett to cellar"
Dan had a sad consciousness that this
was partly done out of his mothers pride in
her reputation as a hOusekeeper, but he had
wisdom enough to- keep things of that sort
to himself. He was jOyfully happy and de-
lighted in Hannah's affection for him,
after having been disapproved so long by
his mother. "She'd 90 through fire and
water any time. but she trips up on nothin';
and then blames other folks for the fall"
he said to himself. Come. Hannah, let's
go down the orchard lane" he added, and
away they went, and fingered about
the mst,n old p,, place for r Sn51l wo after and m fSeir I;fs
together. 1t was pitiful to think how much
pleasanter it was to be out of doors
than in, but they could be happy anywhere
The Sunday before had been rainy, and
lance. appeared out" Hannah had worn
her simple wedding finery, and they had
walked up the aisle to their pew arm in
arm. The heads of the congregation had
turned as If a wind had tossed them like
heads of clover. and after the serv ice there
was great handshaking n cOngratulati0n.
1t took socially the place of the formal
wedding with invited guests, but If 1T had
been the Sunday after their funeral Dams
mother could not have cried harder through
the hymns and prayers or held her hand
kerchief to her face more constantly during
the long sermon.
..S'pose she has seen trouble" said one
indignant ~neighbOr, as they walked home
together along the country road. 'So've
all the rest of us that's come to her age.
She's got a habit o. pityin' herself, and
wants everybody else to jine in. She
pressed my hand comm out o. meetin', as
if she was too full for words; but / says.
There, Ann Parish. whatever the years has
brought. We. we've got the smartest girl in
town an the best-hearted for n darter-in-
law She made out to wag her head an
say yes. But, there, tits one of her down
times, an nobody can rise her out on 'em
till the 'pinted time, not if We blow her M
with powder"
Dams always Jest so pleasant" said an
other woman. i've seen the boy look ut
her kind o. sidewise when he come in to
supper, and he'd know right off. when he
was a little Teller, whether 'twould do to
say q word or not. She's denied herself ey-
erything Just because she was pleased to.
when Dan would ha' been only too satisfied
to have her spend what she wanted. One
time she even pinched herself o. eating but
ter, SOS they'd have a mite more to SELL"
"She never pinches herself o. strong tea,
I've observed" responded the other. Teas
as bad a cuss to that make o. woman as
drink is to q drinkin' man. She keeps that
old black teapot on the back o. the stove
day in and day out, an says there's nothing
but tea s~ustains her. | told her one day
wv ot lho 00o Va 80 ~ aoSAt % tt
she'd better sign the pledge, an she never
hardly spoke TO me the rest o. the day,
though I'd gone over neighborin' to help
her quilt. She never asked me TO stay TO
supper, nor said good afternoon as come
away"
The listener chuckled with satisfaction.
Il aPays thought I'd find out what twas
come atween you two that time. So twas
on account o. the tea, was it," And they
parted, one to go up to her own shady farm
lane, and the other TO follow the main road
a short distance. Just then Dan, aud
Hannah, and old Mrs. Parish drove by in
their new twO-seated wagon. They had re-
ceived a hearty greeting from their friends.
The women sat together on the back seat,
shawl over mother Parish's shoulders, for
air was growing cool.
With all her kind determination and
knowledge beforehand of the inevitable
difficulties. Dams wife found her heart fail
her more and more as the summer days
went by. She did not mind the hard work
of the farm; she had always been used to
hard work, and she grew fonder and fonder
of her own home and of Dan. She had her
faults and hated them more than ever now
that they were met by that chilling fog of
rebuke ami disapprOval. Sometimes the
fog would lift, and the elder woman would
become cheerful and companionable for a
few days, and then it was really a happy
time as they sat together at their sewing or
went about the household work. Ann