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

IAN dElSn Hdu ROuc W IA toAh III
mother was waiting for him to come home
with his wife to the old farmhouse, on
Prospect hill. that high ridge of good farm
land which on their side sloped westward.
AS Ann Parish stood in her kitchen door
way to look out. the low sun blinded her
ewes: the fertile fields spread ont before her
like a dazzling green carpet. She watched
the road for a minute, and could see no one
coming: then she went back to her rocking
chair. 1t creaked in a querulous way as she
moved, as if it tried to express her own dis
content.
II don't knows i care if their supper is
spoiled" said the inpatient woman aloud.
"Madam'n take her own time. 1 don't know
as there's like to be such a meal spread in
this house again very soon. She'll have to
see TO all those Kings for herself. and then
therell be no fault-findin' with my old
fashioned ways.n And the rocking-chair
creaked more angrily.
The supper table stood in the middle of
the floor, laden with the best that Ann Par
ish could provide. She had made the
sponge cake by a famous ten-egg receipt of
her grandmother's, and the short biscuit
were also of that noted housekeeper's fash
ion. There were some rich peach preserves,
the best jar of the best fruit which the old
blood peach tree bore before 1t fell; in fact,
this wedding supper was like a comment
orative feast, in memoir OF past joys, and
was offered more for OStentatlOn's sake
than for loves sake. Mrs. Parish's family,
the Kenways, were renowned hOusekeepers,
and the deposed mistress of the Parish
farm had fairly tired herself out in this
great effort to keep up her family's reputa-
finn Sha had not haQn vary we'll in the
last year or two, partly from mistaken am-
billions and in her youth. The
farm had been overweighted with a mort
gage when she came to it. and. later, her
kept at school and generously provided
with what she needed, until too much study,
and too little wholesome work and exer-
else and outdoor air, fostered aconsumptive
tendency. and brought her home to q long.
lingering illness and early death.
Dan Parish had been eager to marry, for
his mothers sake as well as his own: he
had worked early and late, and had paid
er's early death, and now his life looked
bright and full of hope. He could make
plenty of money off the farm; the rapid
growth of a manufacturing village only
his mother would lave a kind daughter to
help her. and he himself would have the
dear. sensible, loving companion. for whom
he had worked, and waited patiently, and
QaQ iOVeQ WIFI I'LL ulb utdIb cluCc tuty
were at school together.
While his mother was waiting and fret
ting the young couple were driving slowly
home in the late. afternoon: They had fol-
lowed the simple country fashion OF going
to the ministers house to be married. Their
wedding was quickly over. and Hannah
Parish still held in one hand a shining new
copy of the Scriptures, which had been the
minister's gift. Early that morning Dan
had brought her trunk. and d box or two,
and a few pieces of furniture from her
sisters house to the new home.
Hannah had lived with this elder sister
of late years. and helped to bring up the
sitting down to supper without her for the
first time. but she was too happy, to sigh
even for their sake. She and Dan had been
looking forward to this day and this very
horse was lingering as he pleased. At last
the thought of feed time quickened the
good creatures steps.
Dan and Hannah were having a good
plain talk. Now that she was truly his
his mother. as he never had dared to talk
or even think before.
you'll have to work hard sometimes to
keep pleasant, pleasant as you be, darlin',DD
tell you, but / strive to ~rec'lect all poor
mother has gone through; how hard she
had TO work long o. tue first of it, and
father van one that took right hold as
QtI lDlk5 dlN dNS uOut, duu Jlcu SIG SOL I'LL
her hopes onto poor Eliza. an with workin'
early an late for her expense at the SEM
mary, and then payin' the doctors. and
waitin' on her all through the cOnsump-
ton. we'll, you see. 1T broke mother, an she
amt what she would been. She feels NOR
titled to give up dOin's she always has done,
an some days when the Kurdish girl was
there this spring, she couldn't suit her no
way. AS I've told We. mother don't wan
to give III to another. and yet she can't
bear things being expected of her."
'Don't you go an worry, Dan.n said his
companion. placidly. Il expect women un-
derstands each other easier than men reads
'em. You fOrgit | have been living with
sister Lyddy, and her being older than l
be. more like an aunt: and when she's wore
out she always gets jealous fits about the
way l do things, and for me, l hate to be
stood over; but we him a sight OF each
other underneath. and i always tell her
afterward a good thunder-shower clears
the air. I've always took to your mother;
she's got pretty ways above most of the
folks about here; perhaps it's because she
was your mother that l feel to like her. I'll
study to please her the best i can, an if L
can't. I'll stand by my duty: and now Eve
got you to GO to. and you've got me, so
'twon't go hard"
Thin, sharp-faced. anxious Ann Parish
sat at home in the creaking rOcking-chalr,
growing more miserable every minute, and
more suspicious of the attacks that would
inevitably be made on her rights and com,
AOLLo
Tong at the first on't,D grumbled the poor
tired soul. 'Oh dear, this day'll never
end. i was up before f." and she sighed
and rocked while the sun went down. The
house seemed empty and sad; this hour was
a fated crisis She began to mink that
something had happened to the young
people. and went again To the door.
They were just driving into the yard.
Here we be- said Dan. ~cheerfully. Il
s'pose you'll say we've kept supper Await
in" He helped his wife down from the
wagon. and they went together to where
the sad-faced woman waited on the step.
Il give you welcome" Ann Parish man
aged TO say. Il hope you're goin' to be
happier'n pve been. Hannah. I've had the
best of sons" But here she broke down,
ind went into the house with Hannah's
strong young arm about her bent shout
ders, while Dan hurried off to the barn
with his horse. He could not help feeling
that the homecoming was better than he
feared. His mother had a silent. disap-
proving manner sometimes that was very
hard to bear. To himself he spoke of it as
the gTumps; but Dan was so filled with
happiness that Jnne evening that he feared
nothing. Now that his mother was going
10 live with Hannah and know how good
she was, she could no longer keep her
strange, suspicious fancies and Jealous
ways of speaking. The horses had a double
supper, the cattle had been MIXED earlier
by the hired man and turned out again to
pasture, Jakey had taken himself off TO
leave the little household to itself for the
great occasion.