The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-03-13
How MIR. SMITH MISSED THE TRAIN,

HOVU MR.. SMITH MISSED THE TRAIN
Mr., Smith missed the train by jus
one-half minute, and he was in furious
temper over the matter. He lived in q
pretty. countrywide suburban village,
about iorty-tive minutes ride from the
large city in which he had his place Of
bu ,iness, and he was accustomed to taxi
this particular train every morning
Not once IN three months did such u
thing happen as his being late for the
train; but on this occasion he felt like
declaring that half the time he had to
rush himself clear out Of breath to reach
it, or else miss it. He was in that eX4s
perated state of mind which, in con-
dition of development a little near thu
savage, would impel to acts of cruelty
toward anything or any person on whom
anger could be wreaked. The person to
whom, in this instance, he cOulJ mos
quickly and with the least impuUitS
cast blame with his wife. II was all her
fault. Whv could she not manag.
household affairs so that he could ge
his breakfast earlier He worked lk
a slave at his business ten hours day !;
he gave her full control of the house,
and furnished money to run il; she had
servant, and it was pure and utter
shiftIessness in her that breakfast coul'
not be ready in proper time. Thus, with
flashing eyes, sOli'Oquiz4d Mr.. Smith az
lie watched the tram dlsappearingin the
distance,
1t was a full hour and half till the
next traip; 1t was nearly half mile
back to Mr.. Smiths house. He paced
back and forth nervOusly for few min
utes on the station platform, debating
in hi. mind whether he should wall
there for the next tram or go back
home. AS he unused, his anger grew
He would go home and give his wife
such piece of his mind as she would
remember for months. She should be
made to feel that 1t was no light matter
TO have breakfast five minutes late, He
turned his face homeward and stamped
heavily along, with the air of man
determined 10 do a desperate deed. His
face was flushed with anger.
But, as he FASTENED along, somehow
or other his attention was diverted by
the song of a bird among the trees thar
lined bis path. He looked up involun-
tarily. How brightly the sun was shin
lilEs DOW uluc On "oS1 NJ" ooANN
and fragrant the air; how peaceful
everything appeared as he looked off
through The green spaces on either side
OF the village street The trees were
putting forth their tendeTest green; so
was the grass He noticed the fragrance
of the crab-apple and wild plum bios
sons; he distinguished the peculiar
strain of bird he used to hear in boy
hood. Il was the God thrush. he had
listened to that bird when, years ago,he
had walked in the meadows with the
pretty, shy young girl whom his heart
was tnen bent on winning for ais wife
She was his wife now. She was the
mother of three rosy, active children;
thew were his and hers. She was not AS
PR Try now as she was then; she was
thin and carewOrn. The plu mp rOsiness
and merry smile were, for the most part,
gone. But what good. true wife she
had been to him How her economy
and faithfulness had helped him in get
ting the start he now had in the world
How little she saw Of the out 'ide world,
or of divprting pleasures How self
nying and accomplishing she had been,
and what devoted mother to their
children! And on that bright, sunshiny
morning he had been thinking hard
thoughts of her, mPditating what sharp,
cutting words she could say to her-and
all for a trivial loss of an hour from
business Mr.. Smiths pace slackened I;
his countenance relaxed; his heart
melted On such a morning he could |
not, would, bf harsh words mar the har-
mony and beauty of the sunshine and |
the birds and the green things growing. |
No; If he could not speak kindly he
would hold his peace.
As Mr.. Smith neared home he felt a |
CerIHln shrinking from meeting his wife |
directly. He almost feared he nigh |
b. t 8y on his countenance some of the
harsh thoughts he had been thinking |
So he went around the side of the house |
aud entered the kitchen door. Budget |
was standing, with perplexed and ex-
asperated Expression on her face, ! ok
ing into the kitchen stove, in which |
smoldered dark, dy ing fire,
What is the matter, Bridget p
Faith, sur, it's The stove that breaks |
me heart entirely. The CRATE is broken
and the stove-pIpe smokes, and when
sIhrive to make quick fire here's the
way It serves me-"
"Well, Bridget, l believe it is all my
fault Your mistress has asked me
many times to bring new CRATE from
the city, and also TO send man to clean
out the stove pipe and chimney. will
put this down in my notebook and ,
bring the new CRATE this evening, and /
Pat Flynn, the timer, shall he sent up
this morning to clean and fix the pipe"
Oh, thank ye, SUR said Bridget, |
.,L L., GAN |
could Pat fix the cistern, too? The |
pump has been broken long tonne and |
keeps me back in my work, and breaks
me back drawing water wild rope"
Again MIR. Smiths conscience smOte
him. How often had his wife asked |
him to send a man to fix the cistern
"Wpll. sur, thin think III stay.
was just telling the mistress that
wouldn't work any longer wild sich in
cOnvanier ces; but If the stove and cis-
thern arc fixed poor girl can get
along"
Mr. Smith made another memorandum |
in his book, and passed on through the |
diuing-rOOm towards his wife's room.
He noticed that her plate indicated an
untasted breakfast. Softly he opened |
the door of their room. His wife started |
up hastily with an alarmed inquiry on
her face. Her eyes were wet with tears. |
The baby, still in its night-clothes, was
freiling in the cradle, while little two
year-old, partly dressed, tugged at her |
shirts.
And so you missed the traip-break- |
fast was lac? Well, | can't help it. |
Bridget is going to leave, too" and the
poor little woman covered her face with
her hands and burst into sObs and tears
She fully expected angry complaints
from her husband, and In some vague
way. she felt she was to blame. She
could not compass everything, and the
babies were so troublesome. Oh, did
ever a young mother have such hard
time as she did
"Why, darling, what is the matter p
said Mr. Smith, putting his arms around
his wife and drawing her to him
"Come don't mind think it is really
mostly my own fault. l have come
through the kitchen, and find Bridget
has so much trouble with the stove be-
ing broken AID the chimney smoking
that wonder she can get breakfast at
ALL"
II ought to get up in time to see that
you have breakfast early" sobbsd the
poor lit lie woman But Bridg't is 30
cross this morning, and IL am 80
tired"
"No wonder, darling, that you are
tired, with the care of these big babies
wearing on you all the time. You have
no business 10 have any care Of break
fast at all, and you shall not have after
this. You sorely need your morning
nap, and you shall have it. Bridget liz
all right. I'm going to get that broken
nln,.n a nd 1.iatnrn q Ynd 10 hau and Ihpn |