Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-04-23
IN THE MIDDLE WEST.
A Story of Life in the Great
Mississippi Valley.

| american push as applied to money
making. lie seldom read except on
Sundays; then he went over the entire
weeks papers, letting his wife for the
most part do the church going
That lady, as a natural and very
agreeable result of her husband $ grow
ing wealth, had felt her social weight
increase with the years Besides Rev.
MIR. Cuttleton was now a widower,
and she felt, much as she had ignored
his wife, new demands left at her door,
and If possible a freer flow of holy feel
ings. She seemed rather more pleas
ant to look ut as she sat on the other
side of the comfortable from Joel.
| ldling with bit of needle-w work, than
| when we first met her at old Jade
Eric s some sixteen years before. Her
outlines were rounder. for Mrs. Whit
| ney had long since voted work indel-
icate, though from appearances she
did not consider eating at all vulgar,
and perhaps she was q trihe less sal
low. Clearly there was something on
her mind as she sat trifling with her tat
| ting. She glanced at Joel, but fear
she did not notice how worn he looked
| for the matter that covered her mind
joel. she said at length, as she lay
back in her easy chair running her eve
up and down the kind of thread Jacobs
Ladder that she held up before her;
''Joel. don't you think it about time
that Harry was going away to COL
lege?"
II think he's worthless enough
now" said Joel, gruffly, without TAX
ing his eyes from the paper. He was
evidently in that condition of weari-
ness where a man coutemplates almost
any thing but good bed with displeas-
ure.
MS. Whitney frowned at the Jacobs
Ladder. Not much had been said of
Harry's future of late, and nothing
touching John Earnings. as Mrs.
Whitney curiously enough disliked
him all the more since he had freed
himself from their begrudging bounty.
She said nothing for time. Joel held
the paper up with his head back lit
tie, slightly showing his third chin in
side his big collar, though evidently
not getting much out of his reading
In Il moment he laid the paper down
and looked Mt Mrs. Whitney. Her men,
tai eye had been too much under cover
to see before that it was not u favora-
bic moment for soft proposals. Mrs.
Whitney remained silent with her
mouth working a little; Joel took up
50" INpCA dhN "Nhb w TCdullS
But she could not hold out in her re-
solve not to say moro.
GLOW can yOu expect him to ever
amount to any thing when you stand
in his way!' she qucried. with asperitv.
Joel looked at her with incf1able
scorn. standing in his way?' he
snorted. ''hasn't he had every con-
founded thing under the sun but the
one he ought to have-that is the dis
position to work? Most people with
good sense would have put it into him
with CAD if nature left it out" Joel
was not so helpless here as when he
came against the steel-gray anger of
John Earling.
''Why, suppose you know the boy
has got to be educated according to his
positions" said Mrs. Whitney, a little
frightened. for it was not Joers won't
to be so bitter. A joke or some eva
sive sarcasm was his usual way, but in
his heart he was having it out with
John EARRING.
the inside of a school-house since l was
likely to come out much better, | vent
ure, than have if you tced him on
paint and books the rest of his DAYS.
What he wants is sand" and Joel
brought his big fist down on the velvet
table scarf with such force the bric-a-
brac jumped.
Well" said Mrs Whitney, irri-
tably, you needn't call in the neigh
bors! You know very well that he has
finer tastes than common folks"
Finer foolishness! You re making a
perfect mess of veal of him. What in
creation, | would like to ask, is all this
daubin' that he's been dom ever goin'
to mount toP"
WHY why-it's clearly his inclina-
ton. It's great thing; nothing is so
fine and great as art"
"Pooh" and Joel blew the subject
and his paper from him and went to
bed.
But the next day, when he was lcav-
ing the house after dinner. he handed
Mrs. Whitney a check for six hundred
dollars. and said, looking into her face
rather unSteadily: Il guess you'd best
send the boy away to school awhile:
both of you will be better satisfied. |
expect, but understand it's to be solid
business now and no daubin'r'
Mrs. Whitney squeezed his arm in
ecstasy and swung him around with
his face to the open door. wen at
tend to that" she laughed, and Joel
went away in brighter mood. When
he had gone Mrs. Whitney pursed up
her lips and rocked her head with a
smile. Il knew he couldn't stand it
long" she simpered. Joel, indeed,
was very adverse to GOODNESS in his
family, or in others for that matter,
and had often purchased Mrs. Whit
ncy's warmth with the golden baneful
root of all evil.
So Harry Whitney went away to col
lege down East and Joel the next
spring broke ground for his new house,
which grew through the two following
years ere it felt the last stroke of the
1t was a huge affair of
wood with mansard-roof. square and
round bays, tower crowned with vare-
gated shingles, and endless "gingrr-
bread" trimmings. In Joel's eyes it |
was lordly and fair beyond the flight
of adjectives. and Mrs. Whitney, as it
drew toward completion, often swept
Y,l So, s :. al