The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1889-11-22

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, a
daring cocoon between two Stats of a window
blind, a missing screw Of the door knob-aD
trifies that had been "a they were for weeks,
but had failed tO attract her attention until
expectation had sharIened her eyesight
As time wore on she went into the house
for her spectacles; generally she preferred 70
have letters read 10 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 It's outward manifesto
tion, was noticeable only after her hope had
again been deferred.
AS for the old man. who was quite as dis
appointed as his wife, he studied "A partly
lOOsened vest button as II II 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
anally yentured the opinion that a middling
lively shower might come due about midnight
Then he told his wife Of having met the min
ister, who had not said anything in particular,
and Of "A coming auction sale Of which hc had
heard, and how eggs for shipment 10 the city
i4hil lDDhffl up f'Iln pr iDIsu Htu
be sharpened his pocket knife on his boot leg
handling II a. delicately and trying It's edge
as cautiously as II 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 10 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 eRclaiming;
at does beat all.
"What doesF asked her husband, as solici-
tously as II he had not the slightest idea Of
what was absorbing his wifes thoughts
"Why, that Phi don't write. Here's ev-
erybody in town tormensn me to know when
he's comm back, an If hes got the things
they asked him to buy for em, an not soil
tary word can ! say; we don't even. know
how TO send letter to him 10 stir him up an
remind him that he's got parents"
"Well, theirs sure 10 be "A letter somewheres
on tho way, don't doubt, tellin' us all we
want 10 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 'taint often one gets a
letter till he stops lookin' for it,"
"But 'tain't 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 heerd on Sunday an
what he thought Of 'em. Hearin them big
guns Of the pulpit was always one of the
things hc wanted to go TO the city for. Then
there's the bread pan I've been wantin for
ten years--ono that's got tin enough To it not
10 rust through every time there comes a
spell Of damp weather; he might at least rest
my mind for mo by lettin' me know he'd
got itn
"All in good time old lady; let's be patient
an well hear all we're waitin' for. Worry's
more wearyin' than work. Rome wasn't
built in day, you know"
"For mercy's sake, Reuben, what's Rome
got to do with our Phill | don't see that
Rome's got anythin' TO do with the case, on
less it's somethin' like New York, where our
boy is."
"Well, Romo was built an rebuilt good
many times, you see, fore it got to be all that
was expected of 1t; an our Pills goin
through the same operation, mebbe a mans
got 10 he either a stupid savage or n finished
off saint TO be suddenly pitched from fields
and woods into n great big town without
bein' dazed When | first went down TO
York my eyes was kept so wide open that |
couldn't scarcely open my mouth for few
days. much less take my pen in hand, ms folks
say in letters. hardly knowed which foot
was standin' on, an sometimes felt as il the
ground was gone from under me. Yet New
York ground is harder than an onbeliever's
heart q
Mrs Hayn seemed TO accept the simile OF
Romos building rs applied to her son, for shc
made no further objection TO il; she contin-
ued, however, 10 polish her glasses, in antici-
patton of what she still longed to do with
them. Her husband continued TO make tiny
Sits and cross cuts in the althea's bark, and
10 insert buds carefully cut from the boughs.
Finally he remarked, rs carelessly as if talk
ing about the weather:
"Sol Mantring's sloop's got back"
"Graciousl" exclaimed Mrs Hayn; "why
amt you told mo so beforel Soils seen Phil,
amt hel What does he sayl O. course you
didn't come home without seein' himf
"Of course | didn't Yes, Soils seen Phil
seen him the day before he caught the tide
an came out. An Sol says he's n sumner,
too--dont look no more like his old self than
il he'd been born an raised in York. tell
you, Lou Ann, it 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
head TO foot. That amt all, either; heH-
Here the old man burst into laughter, winch
he had great difficulty in suppressing; after
long effort, however, he continued: "Sol
says he carries n cane--a cane not much
thicker than a ramrod. Just imagine our
Phil swingin' cane If you can't And the
old man resumed his laughter. and gave IL
free course
MERCY sakes!" said the old lady ~ hope
he didn't take IL to church with him. An
hope he won't bring it back here. What1l
the other members of the Young Peoples
Bible class say to see such COINS on by one
that's always been So properr
"Why, let him bring it, what's cane got
10 do with Bible classesl don't doubt some
Of the 'postles carried canes; / think I've seed
'em in pictures in the Illustrated Family
Bible. | s'pose down in Judeo ther' was
snakes an dogs that man had to take clip
at with n stick, once in IA while, same as in
other countries
"What else did Sol say asred the mother.
"Well, he didn't bring no special news. He
said Phil didn't know he was leavin' 50 soon,
else like enough he'd have sent some word
He said Phil was lookin' we'll an had a walk ON
him like n sojer in a picture I'm glad the
boys got a chance 10 get the plow handle
stoop out OF his shoulders for n few days
Sez you wouldn't know his face, though,
cause his hair's cut 50 shoct; got new watch
chain, too; I'm glad To hear that, cause |
was particular 10 tell him 20 do II"
"Well half wish Sol Mantring's sloop had
stayed down to Work II that's all the news IL
could bring" said Mrs. Hayu, replacing her
spcctaclcs in their tin case, which she CLOSED
with a decided suap "Such little speck Of
- L. s.Ff - that's "