South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1890-11-14
A Discouraged Man.

10 90 any tnipS Wnen the ouos are
against yon.'
1t was John Harris who was doing
the talking. HE wife was sewing
butt00s on tue chil.iren's closhes afs
ter they had gone to bed. As she
held the buttons In her mouth, to pre-
vent them rolling of, che had ne OPP
portunity to answer her husband,
even IL she had the inclination.
DIR. Harris resumed:
I'm clean discouraged, that's what
I ami OF course l don't think of
myself Hstris lip curted
little. and one button escaped add
rolled under the table-'it's you and
the children I'm worried about
another button rolled away--'and If
it wasn't for leaving you alone. Mary,
I'd
He did not finish what he was say,
ing. as just then Mrs. Harris coughed
and all tue buttons few out Of her
mouth.
is it such bal failure1' she asked
presently.
She was darning the chiIdren's
stockings now, having sewed on all
tue fugitive buttons.
1t couldn't be. worse. When a
mans partner takes all the money out
of the business. and skips to foreign
country, everybody hounds him to
death as if. be had been dishonest.
All the CREDITORS are clamoring for
their money. mol because they need It,
but because. l haven't got il. It's no
use, Iary I'm a ruined man, and
I'm going to fiud way out of 1t ALL
'HowP' asked Mrs. Harris, calmly,
although the long. slender needle she
was using treinblsd and vibrated IN
her hand.
There are more. ways than one.'
lie answered, significant Y. Il shall
not live TO see you want o. to be a
burden on you aud the children.
There is no dishOnor attached to my
name now. We have lived within
our means and tried honestly TO sue.
coed. II was rash. suppose< to
embark all In one venture and lose
itP
You have not lost ALL suggested
the wife, you have heaIthJ wife and
children and an upblemished char
acter.'
Poor capital, these retorted her
husband, gloomily. mo, Pm going
to give upi 1 tell you. Mary. I'm a
discouraged mani You d,n't know
what 1t 10 to endure business F6rries :
women. are sheltered and protected
from al those annoyauces.'
Are they ? answered Mrs. Harris
with dry lips. She had done the work
of three women that day. She had
been cook and nurse, now she vac
sesmstress. She had cut and con-
trived, counted pennies and was en-.
gagged to give music lessons to the
doctors daughter, to Offset their last
years bill. Her whole frame quiv.
cred with the pain of Jared and fan.
gled nerves. But IL never entere /
into her mind that she dared to com.
plain. Doe the Next Thynge,' was
the motto she had framed aud hung
up where she could see u, many times
. day.
AS / say continued her husband,
after a spell Of gloomy thought,
there's way out OF It, and many a
man has been driven TO 1t. Won't
live and be persecuted by Q mob of
circumstances, II I we're out Of the
way you and tue children would have
enough to live on comfortably the
rest OF your lives. Its only antlci.
pating our iusl fate by few months
or yeaEs.'
Birs. Harris folded the last pair Of
stockings and laid them neatly awaY.
A little smile lowered about her lipss
John she said ina firm voice, Il
have last favor to ask you.'
What is II, Mary ?
'Don't de in the house y
Before the astopishsd man could
speak. she continued:
Because il would be % unpleasant
for the children and me. Il Is our
home. have tue deed Of It in my
possession, sent TO me by my father
yesterday. And l should hste 10
have any unpleasant associations
connec'e ed with IL. i should very
much dislike TO have you buried At
the four corners near here With stake |
driven through you, though people !
would soon forget that NO ever be-
longed TO you. For wo1ld net own
to being the widow Of coward or
let my children bear bis name. And
even if you we're not held responsible
/ would be ashamed TO think you bad
written your own epitapb, Here lies
a discouraged man.
John Harris was dumb with sur
prise.
i know, continued bis wife, that
IL Is favorits thing for men to say
that they will get out Of il all, and |
that women do not realize how dee
perate the situstlOn is, and lot. more
rubbish shat they ought 70 be Asham-
Ell Of
John tried to speak, bus bis wife
had the a0og.