Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1889-11-15

for her spectacles; generally she preferred tc
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 manifesto
ton, was noticeable only after her hope had
again been deferred.
As for the old man, who IVES quite is dis
appointed as his wife, he studied a partly
loosened vest button as if it had been an OBJ
iect of extreme value; then he sat down on
the steps Of the veranda, studied all visible
sections Of the sky for a minute or two, and
finally ventured the opinion that a middlinG
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 sharpcned his pocket knife on his boot leg,
handling it as delicately and trying its edge
as cautiously as if it were 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:
at does beat ALL"
"What doesr asked her husband, as solicit
tously as If he had not the slightest idea of
what was absorbing bis 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 soil
tary word can l say; we don't even know
how to send letter to him to stir him up an
remind him that he's got parents"
swell. 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 q
letter till he stops lookin' for it. !"
''But faint bit like Phil" said the old
lady. why, he's been away more'n a week
thought he'd at least let US know which OF
the big preachers he'd hcerd on Sunday, an
what be thought of EN-. Hearin' them big
guns OF the pulpit was always one of the
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; be might at least rest
my mind for me by lettin me know he'd
got it."
AL in good time, old lady; lots be patient
an we'll hear all we're waitin' for Wolryt
more wcaryin' than work. Rome wasn't
tuilt in a day you know
'sFor u,ervy's sake, Reuben, what's Rome
got to do with our Phil l don't see that
RcIne's got anythin' to do with the case. on
less its somethin' like New York, where our
boy is.r
swell, Rome was built an rebuilt good
many times, you see, fore it got to be all that
was expected Of it; an our Phi's goin
through the same operation, mebbe A mans
got to be either q stupid savage or u finished
OIL saint to be suddenly pitched from fields
and woods into great big town without
beip dazed. When | first went down to
York my eyes was kept 90 wide open that ]
couldn't scarcely open my mouth for q few
days, much less take my pen in hand, as folks
say in letterx hardly knowed which foot
was standin' on, an sometimes felt as if the
ground was gone from under me- Yet New
York ground Is harder than an onbeliever'i
heart"
Mira Hayn seemed to accept the simile oil
Rones building as applied to her son, for she
made no further objection to it; she contin
ued, however, to polish her glasses, in antici
patton Of what she, still longed to do with
them Her husband continued to make tiny
slits and cross cuts In the altheas bark, and
to insert buds carefully cut from the bol,ghs
Finally be remarked as carelessly as II talk
ing about The weather:
''Sol Mantrings sloop's got backr
''GraciousI" exclaimed Mira Hayn; "why
amt you told me 20 beforei Soils seen Phil
amt hei What docs he says OF course yor
didn't como home without SEEM hiInF
"Of course didn't. Yes, Soils seen Phi
seen him the day before he caught the tids
an came out An Sol says he's sumner
too-dont look no moro like his old self thar
u he'd been born an raised In York. tel
you, Lou Ann, Il don't take that boy much
time to catch on to whatever's got 60 to it
Why. Sol says he's got store clothes on, from
bead to foot That amt all, either; he'-
Here the old man burst into laughter, which
be had great difficulty in suppressing; aftel
long effort, however, he continued: $50
nys be carries q cane-a cane not mucl
thicker than q ramrod. Just imagine oul
Phil swingin' cane IL you cani" And tn
"a man roe,med his LAUGHTER. and onva 4
free coursa - -
sMercy nkesr" said the old LADY,: ~ hon,
be didn't take it to church with him. Ans
hope he won't bring it back here WhatT
the other members Of the Young PeopleA
Bible clam say to see such COINS on by on,
that's always been % properr'
sWhy, let him bring It; what's cane go'
to do with Bible classesi / don't doubt som,
Of the 'postls carried canes: l think I've seet
I'm In pictures In the Illustrated Family
Bible. / s'pose down in JUDGE Their was
makes an dogs that a man had to take a clip
1t with q stick, once in a while, same as in
pther countries"
1What else did Sol sayr asked the mother.
swell, ne didn't bring no special new1 be
aid Phil didn't know be was leavin' 90 soon,
else like enough he'd have sent some word
Hesaid Phil was lookin' well, an hada walk on
him like sojer In a picture Pm glad the
boys got chance to get the pillow handle
stoop out OF his shoulders for few days
Sec you wouldn't know his face, though,
cause his hairs cut so short; got new watch
chain, too; I'm glad to hear that. cause
was particular to tell him to do it.