The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-11-28

! !: ! ! ! J ] !.
~ ing Is only three
AN n days off, said Mrs.
| M&S NH Trottiper, one
ES>ZYk1gAJ evening, after she
1E4Xl3A had put the chill
M1XE$&fxz3 dren to bed, and
| WmMHNZZ rejoined her hus-
3 band in the "apart-
ment" room which
was the parlor, reception-room, and
dining room of the family.
"True enough, Bess," said Ned,
taking hispipe from his mouth and
throwing an arm around his wife's
shoulders. "Pm ever so glad, too;
it'll be an extra holiday, beside Sun
day, to break the week. One extra
day with my wife and youngsters, is
so much clear gain"
Mrs. Trottiper raised a hand to
meet one which was caressing her
cheek. Hers was a pretty hand, in
spite of some years of close acquaint-
ance with dishpans and wash tubs
Her husband seemed to think so, for
although he did not look at it, he
laid aside his pipe, brought the soft
warm hand right over his lips. How
long he might have kept it there, no.
body knows, for he was IN old fash
toned fellow. But as he adored it,
in manner which does not require
detailed explanation, his wife con-
tinued:
II wish could have real Thanks
giving dinner. Idon't mean for my
own sake-Icould be happy on bread
and water, when l think of all the
blessings enjoy-but-but-''
(Which but? dear girl"
"But the children, Ned; they hear
other children, at school, talk about
Thanksgiving dinners, and they ask
questions, and l don't know what
to say. I just don't care; l don't be-
lieve the other children atschool ever
have anything good to eat except
at Thanksgiving and Christmas, else
why do they talk SO much about eat
ing?"
Like enough you're right, dear
girl. People wEo put on airs in one
way are sure to pinch themselves in
another. There's lots of humbug
about most people who pretend to
be better off than other people. Pm
only a poor type-setter, but fellows
down in the counting room, who
don't make as much money a week
as I, are wearing stylish clothes and
smoking cigars instead of pipes.
They're simply putting on airs"
'1'm sure that is so, but / can't
explain it to tho children. Freddy
talks about roast turkey, and cram
berry sauce, and celery, and two or
three kinds ofpie, and champagne"
"The depraved young gourmand!"
eyes, but he keeps on talking about
them, and I haven't the heart to tell
them we can't afford them. He
thinks his parents are as good as
any other boys, and he can't see
why he shouldn't expect everything
the others talk about"
"Confound the othersl" growled
Ned.
II feel the same way" said Mrs.
Trottiper, "but it is hard thing to
explain to children. I know perfect
~ well that We can't afford it. I've
helped CIPHER up our income and ex-
penses often enough to know"
THAT my pay has to be laid out
almost before I earn it, and there's
no new way of economiziug; that's
what you know, isn't it?"
"And that whenever we've indulg-
ed in any luxury, no matter how
small, some one has suffered after
ward"
eff I could get an extra Job some
where" said Ned, arising, pacing the
the floor, and resuming attention to
his pipe, "pd work long hours to
make two or three dollars extra"
"Don't try that" said the wife.
'You know how often you've done it,
only to be no better off in the end.
You can't dogood work more than 80
many hours in the day."
"Human nature-when it's a mans
lis awfully weak stuff, isn't it?"
groaned Ned, after desperate pull
at his pipe. He was so silent for the
remainder of the evening, that his
wife said, as she turned out the light:
Don't think any more about it,
dear. IL the children get real full of
Irish stew on Thanksgiving day, and
have some apples afterward, and
you take them out for walk, they
won't complain"
Ned laid awake several hours that