The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-07-11
WITH MUCH ADO.
BY J. T. NEwCoMB.

teen houses just alike. So much alike, in
deed, that when John came home at evening
he used mechanically to count the gates as
he passed along until he came to the ninth.
Then he turned in. and there the parallel
ended. for the little woman who always
opened the door and helped him off with his
overcOat and asked him if he was very tired
and gave him kiss which made him forget
1t If he was, was, in Johns eyes at least
like no other little woman in the whole city
or in the whole world. for that matter.
They had been married but year or so.
and they were very happy in quiet simple
way. 1t was very simple way. and one
day was a good deal like another, for John
was clerk in the State Department, viii CHI
is not an exciting life. The had their break
fast each merning at exactly s, and John
kissed his wife at the door at exactly thirty
minutes thereafter, and, with his little red
napkin lunch in his hand, walked past the
eight gates and turned down Sixteenth street
toward the State, War aud Navy Building.
He always took out his watch and looked at
the time when he reached the circle at
Massachusetts avenue, and if it was sixteen
minutes before nine he walked a little
slower, or a little faster if it was fourteen.
II was usually exactly Fifteen and then he
kept right on with his ordinary gait.
At half-past J. big gong always struck
in the corridor, and John would push the
papers aside on his desk and take out his
little red napkin with the lunch in it, and
the man on his left and the man in front OF
him would take out their lunches, ana then
they would eat and talk about the news of
the day, or one OF the older men would tell
stories of more or less color about his earlier
days, before he was swallowed up in the
great Federal machine. When the bell
ctr in Of n hak haa
10 their work. though John, as he put away
his napkin, always thought of the little
woman who had handed it to him in the
morning, and it helped him through his aft
ernoOnS work.
AT 4 O'Clock he went down by the elevator
and up Sixteenth street again until he came
to the street with the sixteen houses. There
he turned and counted the gates and began
over again. That is, his real day seemed to
begin then, for here was the only place and
the only lime that his life was different
from that OF the man who lived next to him,
or the man opposite, or the man who lived in
another row around the corner.
Al least that is the way il had been until
very lately. There had been a change. how
ever. John was one Of great many young
men who go into the departmental work in
Washington with the intention of saving
enough money to start in some profession.
Most of these young men keep that inten-
tiun until they begin 10 find now and then
streak OF gray IN their hair, and they say
they are too old.
But John Weston was not going to be one
OF that class, so he said. He had Il good
salary, and he did save money, but not fast
enough 10 suit him; so, when he found that
he could get extra work with extra pay at
the department. lie got into the habit of
bringing home a roll under his arm OF an
evening, and when dinner was over and he
had smoked cigar and spent an hour with
his wife, he would light the drop light on
his Study-table and work until late at night.
Sometimes he worked a great deal later
than was wise.
His wife used to sit by the fire with her
work aud watch him as he bent over his
desk, and very often she would sigh quietly
to herself as she sat there, for, try as she
would, aud she was very dutiful little
wife. she could not see il quite as he did de-
spite herself. cared more to see john happy
and not OyerUorked than she did for that
indefinite some time when they were toleave
Washington amigo West.
She tried once or twice to get him to work
less, bnt he only smiled and talked so en-
Enthusiastically about that some time that she
had to give it up.
One evening she sat by the fire. with her
hands in her lap. not working, and looking
very serious. She answered little ab-
stractediy the few remarks that her hus-
band made as he went on with his work, for
she had an idea that she was revolving and
weaving ia her mind. When John finally
pushed away his papers and leaned back in
his chair with the familiar, "Well, little
woman" which meant that he was through
for the evening, she got up and perched her.
self on the wide arm of his study chair, look
ing still very serious and solemn.
John, she said slowly, don't you think
am very useless?"
Very" said John with a smile that
made her settle the question lover fashion
before she went on.
But really" she said, SIT is all on one
side. You do all the work and l don't help
at all. though know, you won't own it,"
guess you'll do"
John" said Mrs. Weston, solemnly, ST
want to help you, and you must show me
how"
John only sat back and laughed. He was
very happy aud contented with all his hard
work.
Why can't do this as well as youP" said
his wife, pointing to the work he had been
"Well, for two reasons-I wouldn't let
you, and you don't know French"
''You would have to let me. Isn't there
anything besides translation that you do?"
John arose and stretched his big arms.
There We're two deep wrinkles gathered on
his wife's forehead and he stopped and
smoothed them out gravely.
You are more help to me than you
know" he said.
But that did not satisfy little Mrs Weston,
aHo IiC hoAe HiOlHiues dlteT she Odu sent
John off with kiss and his lunch and had
watched him till he disappeared around the
corner, she went ana hunted up an adyer-
usement that had caught her eye in the
morning paper.
WANTED-PupiIs I'm French wanted by gen.
tleman recently connected with the legation.
French taught in one month by an improy ed
method.
Then she put on her hat and jacket and
went out. She found the Professor In a
GlnpV hnnEiSh-rnnn1 and ha fri 81
little as he came forward to meet her,
at his hercely European mustache and eyes.
But she was reS0lute little woman, and
stated her business without hesitation Oh.
yes, the Professor had many lady pupils
Would she please be seated? IL did not
take long to make the arrangements. The
terms were high it is true but she mad quite
snug little sum laid up from the allow
ance John had given her, and that would be
quite enough.
She was 10 take a lesson every day, and,
best OF all. 1t was to be a secret from her
husband until some evening after the month
was up, when she would offer to help him.
and this time not be put off because of her
ignorance. She went home with light
heart, aud was indeed so happy that she
concealed with difficulty her high spirits
from her husband.
The month wore on quickly enough. but
too slowly for little Mrs. Weston WIN was
impatient for the time when she might be
"a uoO ~ hei uusUduu, dS Sue Cdlleu IL
little goose.
There was one thing that troubled her
good deal. She couldn't see that she was
learning fast at all. She spoke about it to
the professor, but he said it was all right.
and she said she supposed 1t was, only she
was anxious. The professor kept her writ
ing sentences most of the time from his
copy. This was his method, he said, and it
was The best way to teach French quickly
She copied them bravely at home. and he
corrected and explained them at the lessons.
Sometimes he would have her write let
ter, al"@ys from his copy, because, he said,
II would get her used to French forms. So
she went on with lessons, and John went
on being happy and working himself half to
death.
At length she got so she could translate
little from a book of easy sentences and
after that she worked harder than ever.
The month was nearly over, too, and her
eyes fairly danced as she thought of the
happy surprise she was going 10 give poor
John.
Yes, it was poor Jonh, as l am about to