Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-10-02
DOMESTIC DISTURBANCE.

blows from "a fist as solid as a ships
mallet on the wooden shutters of his
cabin.
Open. / say! Can you be sleeping
yet at this hour of the day" he eX-
claimed. pressing his ear against the
window. which organ was little
deafened by age and the cutting winds
of the ocean.
But he could hear only the tic-tac of
the tall. old-fashioned clock and the
tapping of the magpic's wing. which,
frightened by the noise, struck the
furniture as she hoped across the
room.
Soon from behind the hedge, brown
ed by the frosts which SO often lay like
n fine covering of lace over the little
garden, he heard u sharp, broken
voice cry:
Here | am, my man. here 1 am"
A ruddy-faced woman in short skirts
and high white cap which closely
fitted her tanned temples quickly ran
with bare feet across the rough peb-
bles and almost out OF breath, stood
by him. He turned like whirl of
rude wind, angrily threw down his
cap and Numbered out:
Heaven and earth. This is the
way then that you keep the house
while | am shaving on the rough sea"
Then snatching from the good woman's
hand great rusty key. with which
she had been trying yainly to open the
door with one wrench of his power
full fingers he turned the lock and en-
tered his domicile.
N seeing the freless hearth. the
good man Mesle crossed his arms. and
shaking with anger buried his purple
nose in his thick, gray beard, mutter-
ing:
This is fine, This is comforting!
Fire out. No means TO have anything
TO warm one when coming in from
cold rain and biting wind. One must
90 10 bed with a cold stomach and
sea-soaked feet. All this because the
one whose duty it is to keep your
home ready for you likes better to run
the streets and idle it with her neigh
bors!"
The good wife bent over the cinders,
blowing with all the strength Of her
inflated checks, but never answering "a
word.
II am sure you were about TO start
off on another chattering tour. What
tongue you have, to be sure! Ever
wagging like the tail of IA fish in full
swim. You'll lose it or wear it out
some day | hope"
Soon the kettle was singing, and the
wife set the blue-fgured plates on the
table. Still grumbllng. the fisherman
sat down. drew forth his pocket-knife,
cut thick slice of dark bread, and
drank off, one after another, two good
mugs OF cider This repast OF the
morning after his return from the sea,
still shivering with the cold and fa-
tigue Of his work. was the best hour of
his home life He prolonged it as much
as possible, spreading slowly some
crumbs of butter as thin az might be
on his slices of bread
1t was the moment when the chat
ting of his wife amused him most
After the long quiet OF the night, the
light gossiping was to his mind what
the fire was 10 his body.
The good man listened silently to
all this chat without a movement of
his tanned features. When she had
finished, he would say in calm voice.
while pouring for her glass of cider
Come, now, that's enough for this
morning. You'll bring on the pip
aud lose your tongue, if you don't give
ii "A rest.
That did not vex her, for she know
that in spite of his silence or chatting
he really liked TO listen as much as
she liked TO talk. and even admired
her for it.
But this morning she was aggra-
waited by his comparison to the
perpetual motions of fish's tail. So,
instead of sitting down to the table
with him, she sat by the fire with her
bowl of soup on her knee. giving him
only the pleasure of back view.
The warmth of the fire and repast
having chased away the bad humor
from the good man. he thought in
his masculine egotism. that he had
only to speak in order to set the cur
rent of speech in its normal direction
and activity.
We'll, well. my woman. come.
What has been the gossip this morn
ingP" Without movement OF her
chair or turn of her head, she re-
piled:
Really? You seem as curious about
neighborly affairs as / am. Go, then.
and find out for yourself.
Then, angrily. he replied:
Have you got the pip. or have you
tired your tongue? SayP'
If have. | am going to % quiet
IN order TO be cured or rested"
That will need fifteen minutes or a
half-hour," he added. half mischiev-
ous'y and half angrily.
1t will last until you take back
what you said. or talk yourself"
Good! You have said your last
word for long time then!"
AND throwing the bread across the
noon, into the omen hoy ha wont Snfo