The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1890-12-27
A LESSON poR HUSBANDS.


The little silver column in the thermometer
was gradually mounting toward the nineties ;
the leaves hung motionless in the furnace
like air, and the scent of the perfumed swaths
of newly cut hay pervaded everything, as
Squire Sadley stood under the umbrella-shaped
apple tree and wiped his reeking brow with a
silk.
''Phew!" cried the squire, ''this is getting
too much. think shall go home an hour
earlier than usual
''So'd ], if wasn't workin' for days wages"
said Israel Newcomb, who was vigorously
turning the fragrant billows of green with a
fork which cleaned like serried lightning in
the sunshine. The squire glared angrily at
Isreal; it was his pride that he worked as hard
as any of his hired men, rich landowner
though he was.
II s'pose can do as please !" said he.
''Satinp' observed Isreal. II only wish
couldw
The squire went home, selecting the shady
path which lay part way through the woods,
and crossing the noisy little stream on make
shift bridge formed by fallen cedar-tree.
Far down in the green crosslights and glinting
reflections of the glen, he could see Will Dali
las, who had abandoned all pretenses of fish
ing, and lay on the moss at Mary Sadley' feet,
reading aloud to her, out of some pocket vol
ume of poetry. The squire frowned~
his breath, and pushed steadily on.
The old homestead, painted white with q
refreshing contrast of green blinds, lay baskiDg
in the vivid sunshine. The squire looked at it
with a complacent sense of proprietorship, as
he went around to the back-door, where q
great honeysuckle vine was all in curls OF
buff and white blossoms. The rOomy kitchen,
with its shining copper boiler and white
board floor, was silent and empty. He looked
around.
''Hallol" he shouted. SIS every one dead?"
Little Kitty came running out of the 'front.'
room.
"Hush, fatherr' said she, holding up a
small forefnger. Mother is asleep"
"Asleepw roared the squire. IA pretty
time of day to be asleep, and the whole house
wide open, ready for any tramp that may
come along, and your grandmother's silver
spoons in plain view on the dressershelf.
AsleepN
"I'm sorry, Titus" said an apologetic voice,
as pale, shadowy little woman issued from
the hall beyond, where she had been lying on
q Procustean lounge, fashioned of unpainted
pine boards, and draped with lumpy mattress.
~ han't any idea of falling asleep when lay
down; but my head ached a Gttle--it's the
heat, suppose-and 1 felt dizzy. I'm very
sorry, but surely it isn't twelve o'clock yet"
ut don't lack many minutes of it" said the
squire, gloomily, looking at the big wooden
clock whose fat. black Roman numerals glar-
ed back at him from behind green nebul@ of
asparagus branches. "The heat. eh? Well. l
s'pose Other folks feel it, too Ny head aches,
but I don't take to my bed. And when a
...a.. Games home tired and boat eue from m tho
bayfield,, he materially expects to lind things
comfortable. 1 don't know what a woman
has her board and her keep for, if it amt to
see that meals is reg'lar and things decent"
'Tm sorry, Titus" nervously reiterated the
little woman, fiuttering to and fro like lame
winged pigeon, 'but I'll make all the haste l
can. Dinner will soon be ready. Here, Kitty
Ito the child). wash these potatoes in the sink
as quick as you can, and trim the beets while
/ run out for some kindlings to hurry up the
fire.
A minute afterward, he could hear the quick
strokes of the hatchet, and he bethought him
self that in the hurry incident to haying-time,
the pile of kindings had been allowed to get
low.
at does seem," he said, petulantly, las if
everything hindered a mans dinner"
"Then, father. said Kitty, glancing shrewd-
ly over the top of the tin potato-pan, why
don't yow go out and split the kindlings, and
let mother tend to the things indoors ?'
"Hush, Kitty" said Mrs. Sadley, quickly,
as she toucheda match to the mass ofcrumpled
papers under the CRATE.
"Where's that last Gazette ?' snarled the
squire, ignoring Kitty's query.
'"Oh, Titus cried his wife, "Pve just set
fire to it! Isupposed. of,course you'd read it
--lCS week OlU CO-udyy you hHOW.
'Of course" said Squire Sadley, II might
have known without asking It's waste and
fling away and burn up in this house. There
amt nothing safe where an extravagant wo-
mans concerned! ~
Mother amt extravaganza" said Kitty.
"Wheres them peas brought in this morn
ing?" sharply demanded the squire, looking
around him, with Argus eyes.
There isn't time to shell them now" said
Mrs. Sadley, timidly.
"Time-timeW repeated her husband. "Of
course there amt time, if you sleep away your
life on that there sofy. Imean to have it taken
away to-tomorrow. It's deal too handy.
What's the use O my plantin' the earliest peas
in market, and hoein' and brushin' 'em, and
then goin' out afore sun-up to pick 'em, if my
folks hain't life enough to cook 'em :"
"Pll have 'em for supper" said Mrs. Sadley,
with a little tremOlo in her voice:
mo you won't, neither, " said the squire.
'Pll send 'em over to Neighbor Barton's.
His wife's got some snap in her declare, it's
discouragin' for man to be dragged back all
the time by shiftless wife!"
big round drop FLASHED down into the
ing to receive sundry slices of well-cured ham
which she had been cutting; she made no
verbal reply, however.
"Eh p" said the squire, 'why don't you say
something. Sulking, s'pose, as usual ?'
At this, poor Mrs. Sadley burst into tears
/ feel awful bad to-day, and it don't take
much to upset me. It's all true what you say;
am a poor, worn-out, feeble creature, and
don't blame you for gettin' out OF patience.
But if hadn't worked so hard all these
years"
ed the squire; and taking stray sample
number of fashion paper, he went out to SIT
in the honeysuckle shade.
81 can't stand that roasting fire" said he.
"Then," said Kitty, the entant terrible, "how
do you suppose mother likes it 2"
In an instant, however, her hckle, childlsn
attention was diverted.
See v' she cried. There come Cousin Mary
and Mr.. Dallas over the hill Oh, father
they're engaged Did you know it ?"
''Yes," absently answered the squire, intent
on his paper,
and rained so hard" said Kitty, with atwink-
ling eye "and they didn't know it. And !
heard them talking to each other. And he
called her his darling love"
"Humph P' grunted the squire. "a reg Lar
case o. SpOOning."
"And she said he was her dearest, dearest one, u
added Kitty the circumstantial.
Young fools ~ snapped Squire Sadley.
Father" said Kitty, leaning on his should
er-she was the only one in the house who
was not afraid of the stern despot-'don't all
lovers talk so ?"
They're fools for their pains, if they do"
didn't you love mother when she was q
girl like Cousin Mary? Didn't yo~ say just
such things to her 2"
The squise moved uneasily in his chair under
the calm, searching light of Kitty eyes.
Il might ha' done," he owned at last:
s'pose was just as great an idiot as other folks
be-"
II don't see why people ever leave it off, y
said Kitty, abstractedly. WAS mother pref
ty girl?"
"Don't talk nonsense" said the squire, al.
most angrily and he got up and walked around
to the old wooden bench beside the well
curb.
Had Kitty's mother been pretty girl? Yes,
that she had-rose-cheeked and limpid-eyed,
with laugh sweet as the note of a thrush,
and the lightest foot in the neighborhood
And now, "an. poor, worn-out, feeble crea-
looking at him out of the dim, faded eyes
.la.,A iio.,,t hlax,aa for nettino ont of M.