The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-07-24
T.1R. WHYT'S
WIFE'S SISTER.
BY MARION HARLAND.
IcoPYRIGHT, 1901
cHAPTER II.-CoNrINuEp.


Testers great eyes were raised to her
aunt from lids soddcn with tears; her
lips trembled unmanageably in trying
to frame her plea.
Forgive me! please forgive me-" she
sobbed. ..Yon know what my morning
tiend is. And am not brave like you,
or patient like mother!''
Hetty fondled the hot little hands.
Let it pass, love, was not angry.
but some subjects are best left un-
touched between us. Here is your
breakfast. Homer says that | make
chawkerlettc jes' the samc's they did
for him in tho horspittlc when he had
the new money They must have had
French ch + and marvellous neau in
that famous. .horspittlc.' 1t reminds
mo Of Little Dorrit's Maggie and her
scvenly chicken and so lovely an
'ospittally.'
She had the knack Of picking up and
making the most of little things for tho
entertainment of her hapless charge.
Mrs. Wayt was much occupied with the
other children, to whom She devoted all
the time she could spare from her hus-
band. 1t happened occasionally that
he would cat no bread she had not
made. and oftener that his craving was
for certain entrees she alone could pre-
pare to his liking. She brushed his
coat and hat; kept the run of missing
papers and handkcrchiefs: tied his
cravats: sat by him in a darkened room
when he took his afternoon siesta;
wrote letters from his dictation, and,
when he was weary. copied in u clear,
clerkly hand, or upon his typewriter,
sermons and addresses from the notes
he was wont to pencil in minute char
acters upon pocket-pad. At least four
nights out of seven She arose in the
dead Of darkness to read aloud to him
for one, three and four hours. when the
balef,l curse. insomnia. claimed him as
her prey. His fad, at this date, was
what Homer ticklcd Hester into hys-
terics by calling them hcrscphates."
Horsford's acid phosphate, if the oracle
WE'RE to be believed, ought to be the
rade mecnm of ailing humanity. tic
carried silver flask containing it in
his pocket everywhere: dropped the
liquid furtively upon q lump OF sugar,
and atei in tho pulpit, during anthem,
or voluntary, or ofTertory: mixed IT, with
water and drank it on the cars, in drug
stores, in private houses, and at his
meals, and Mrs. Wayt kept .spirit-lamp
and kettle in her bedroom with which
to heat water for the tranquili2ings and
pcptic draught at cocl,-crowing or at
midnight II she had ever complained
Of his exactions, or uttered an ungchtle
word to him, neither sister nor child
had heard her. She would have become
his advocate with him against. Myself
had need arisen-which it never aid.
My ministering angel" he named
her to the Gilchrists, his keen; yves
softencd by ready dew. s"JDhn. Ran.
dolph said, in his old age, of his moth
TT: She was the only being who ever
understood me- can say the same ol
my other and dearer self. She inter
prets my spirit intuitions when they
ara but partially known to myself. She
meets my nature at every turn"
She met it to-day by mounting guard
sometimes literally-before the door q
his study-the one room which wa4 en-.
tirely in order-while he prepared his
discourses for tho ensuing Sabtdth
The rest found enough and more. than
. enough to do without the defended lpor
tai. Fanny was shut up in the dining
room with the baby Annie, and warned
not to- be noisy. The twins carried
. bundles and boxes up and down-stair:
in their stocking-fcet; Homer pried Of
covers with a mufiled hammer, and
-, IL, ov,I fp1l Il
ing his shoes at the foot Of the stairs
Hester said nothing Of binding head
ache and jumping pain in her bach
while she busted books and china
Hetty was every where and ever busy
and nobody spoke loud word all day.
''You might think there was corpse
in the study instead Of sermon being
born!' Hester had once sneercd to hel
confidante. never hear him preach
but know should be reminded of thu
mountain that brought forth mouse.
: One Of her fathers many protests, ad
i dressed At lefty and 10 his wife. wa,
!, that their cldest-born was virtually :
heather"
.'Home education in religion, ever
when administered by the wisest and
- tcnderest of mothers like yourself,
my loye-must still fall short of such
godly nurture and admonition as are
: eontemc lated in the command: 'Forsake
Ent the assembling Of yourselves to
gether.' There is didactic theology in
David's holy breathing: "A day in Thy
!. toArts Is better than thousand,
- ..Better than thousand in the same
s.place? ! should think So" interposed
Testers tirclcss pipe. 'He netin t
have been inspired to tell US that! Fam.
lily worship sufficcs for my spiritual
needs. That must be the porch to the
Nourts,' at least"
In speaking she, too, looked At her