Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1890-03-05

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ing money. She had been better ed
ucated than my father in early life, and
by insisting upon taking her favorite
q treat always to me, she had
kept fairly abreast of the times, and
sympathized with my ambition to make
something Of myself.
We had talked over my hopes and
plans the night before and, like the
dear little mother 1 had always found
her, she insisted upon gaining fathers
consent to our arrangements. And this
was the conversation was overhearing.
l must confess that leaned my head
q little closer to the window to catc my
fathers reply, and in doing 50 was af-
torded view OF his face. From the
stern look could see gathering in his
eyes, knew my hopes were doomed to
disappointment, even before his next
words confirmed this opinion. My moth
or had added another in reply, which I
did not hear, but could see him turn
ing nervously on his heel as if anxious
to have disagreeable task ended.
II didn't intend to tell it, jest yit, but
the fact of it is, mother, Jed thinks O.
gettin' married this fall, after the work
is out of the way, an we must buy the
Deacon's medder to make the farm
large enough for another. Jed spoke to
me las night
but Joseph, you have already helped
Jedediah to a thousand dollars, and 1
should think that in the spirit of fair
ness to all of our boys, he should now
be willing to wait"
"Taint no use to throw up about
what Jed lost in buyin' that race boss, -
retorted my father angrily, for my
mother had touched him in q tender
spot.
My brother had purchased a high
priced trotting horse season or two be-
fore, and he and father had been in high
favor at the annual meetings of all Of
the county fairs for a time, as their
horse was good one and usually won;
but one day after very successful race
on Deacon Asher's track, he and Jed
and some intoxicants Gather declared
solemnly that it was nothing but cider,
but Jed winked at me when he was tell
ing it, so knew Deacon Asher's hired
man had evened up with him by put
ting ''stick in it'') became mixed up
with the race horse and another
mans carriage, and the result
was that the trotter lay down
and died, and when father So
bered up he found that he had a
thousand-dollar note to pay which Jed
had gotten him to sign with him for the
horse. He now wanted an excuse to
get angry so he could have the better
heart to refuse her request and con-
tinued:
JED has always done the best he
could an shall help him. The money
in mine"-
''Stop, Joseph"
The voice was that of my little mother,
but so changed with the emotions that
were stirring her heart that had not
been looking into her panied face, it
would have seemed as if it were a
stranger who was speaking when she
him to stop. The idea of
his meek little wife assuming ever to
question his right to domineer over her,
had never entered my fathers head.
He had ruled so long and with such a
high hand in all family matters that his
mere word he regarded as law. Now he
stood in open-mouthed silence while my
mother with heightened color on each
of her thin cheeks, spoke with vehe-
mence he never before imagined she
possessed:
''You have always assumed to control
every thing, Joseph Astery. Our boys
have, with the exception of Preston,
been nodded by yourself into what you
consider the true ideal of manhood. Ny
life has been passed in hard work
for fifty years, thirty of them as
your wife, and all that I have
received in return for this hard, IN
ceasing toll for you and our boys has
been my board and the few clothes that
have been begrudgingly doled out to
me. Don't start, Joseph, you are going
to hear the truth for once in your life.
Three of our boys, while they have al
ways had an affectionate feeling for
their mother, early learned to pattern
after their father and have come to
treat me with a rough regard such as
one might assume toward an obliging
servant. l have taken this treatment
without murmur, believing the boys
whom l had so loved and so toiled and
struggled for through the helpless years
of infancy, really loved their old mother
when once you probed the coat of care
lessness they had put on towards me.
My heart has been faithful to them all;
but, Joseph, if you think that Jed and
the other two seem nearer to you, be-
cause they are more like you in charac-
ter, can you blame me if my heart beats
with perhaps a deeper love for our
youngest son, who, while he so re-
sembles you in his physical strength,
has always been SO tender and CON-
siderate of his old mother that while
they add to her heavy cares and bur-
dens by their carelessness, he lightens
them by his thoughtfulness? You
have found me faithful, uncom-
planning wife, Joseph Astery, for
thirty years. We have, as I SEP
posed until you spoke, been labor
ing for mutual benefits. Many times
have thought your decisions not gener-
GUS ones, but never until now have re-
beled against them. Now, I demand
that Preston be given thousand dol
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