Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1892-10-06
JOE'S WIFE.
HOW q Patient Taught His Doctor
q Lesson.


important surgical operation performed
su"e morning. The mud spattcred up
from the streets as he rolled along, ana
uhe chilling November drizzle gave To
Tue familiar trees forlorn, almost
ghastly aspect His heart warmed ne
nc pictured to himself wife watching
Ior him' with n welcome smile. from
their coy parlor, dinner ready and n
long restful evening before them.
But as he drew near home, no cheer
iul light streamed from door or win
cow All seemed as dark and deserted
rs the dripping street He threw the
rcins to the boy whose duty was TO
mold the horse on his professional
rounds and flung open the front door
with an irritated. injured feeling.
No tender smile; no synpatbetic
voice; no freight; no dinner, apparent
~.
"Elinor!' he called.
No answer.
''Elinor!"
This time a voice spoke out of the
darkness--a tired voice: ~
DO be more quiet, John; the baby
Is just going to sleep"
HConfound it! Why isn't there a light
hcre2 And why isn't the baby asleep
before this time OF night?"
'1ic has been fretful all day with his
tetth and ! have not had a chance to
change my dress
A wailing cry from the nursery sent
the voice hurrying thither, and the doc.
tor with some inaudiblc words pro
cccdcd to light the gas and take off his
wet overcoat. The house was cold, the
parlor had evidently been arranged by
Hibernian hands, an odor of something
burning stole in from the kitchen.
a pleasant reception Tor man after
long days work. ~ i. 90 20.
lie ran upstairs with no gentle foot
step. Hiswife sat by the nursery fire;
her face wore weary expression, and
she had on the same blue gown which
she had donned for breakfast. The
baby length slept in her arms. She
held up a warning finger as her hus-
band came laundering in, but already ba-
by's light slumber had been disturbed,
and the process of soothing and singing
had to be repeated for the fifteenth
time. & ~ 81 H q @4
1t seemed to the young mother as II
her patience could hold out no longer.
It was provoking to have the little one
startled from his uneasy dreams again.
She knew Bridget would spoil the din
ner. She had been trying all day to
get downstairs to make the house
pleasant with a magic touch here and
there. She longed to get into fresh
gown and brush her hair, but there had
been no time for her to do one of these
things. Nurse was away with sick
sister, and babies always demanded
more from their mothers than from
anyone else. They are tyrannical and
know and seize every opportunity to
prove their power over the anxious,
half-ignorant young mothers, who are
happy, after all, to be their slaves.
When at last the dinner bell rang,
Mrs. Ford laid the baby in his crib,
! sound asleep this time, warm and love-
ly in his utter repose. She gave hur-
ried dab at her wavy hair, caught up a
fresh handkerchief and ran down to
join her husband who sat at the table
with decidedly cross look on his face.
He barely tasted the soup, then pushed
it away in disgust.
"Burned?" asked his wife.
"Of course. Can't you smell it all
over the house? Why don't you look
after Bridget little?"
~, hax,a borI1u hapn
downstairs to-day"
where's Hannah?"
"She went to her sisters last night"
"Oh, YES; ! forgot. What's this?
Cold corned beef! Really, Elinor, have
you nothing else to offer9'
would you like an omelet?"
NO"
"What then?"
IA beefstcal, il there is one.
Mrs. Ford Csc and went to the kitch-
en-. The gi. j, of course, had just filled
IN the range with fresh COAL SO there
was nothing to be done but make the
best of cold meat, potatoes and maca-
roni, followed by dessert of apple
pudding and cheese.
DIR. Ford found fault with the pota-
toes and said he was tired of maca-
roni. the bread was dry, and the butter
not perfect. AS to the pudding:
.'My mother always had mince pies
Mt this season." said he.
This was the last straw. and his wife,
,,n,sr,l,v sensitive to straws tonight,
could bear no more.
at is pity you ever left your moth
err"
81 think so, toe" he responded, push
ing his chair back.
His wife hesitated moment whether
+oIrun around the table and burst into
tears upon her husbands shoulder or
70 rush upstairs and have good cry by
habv,s side. She decided upon the lat
Cor course. and, with quivering lip
,eft the room and shut herself up in the
nurserv. where the fire was dying on
the hearth and the baby breathing
sof,,v In strange contrast to her over
wrought condition. :,
"Well. it is provoking. Women al
vavs must cry and fly into passion
about trifies"
But her husband, even as ne tnougn'
these words, began to feel repentahs !,
Ia remembered the teething baby ana
The long day at home alone. In an,
other moment he would have followed
his wife upstairs and apologized for the
ain he had given her. But the door
hell rang and n summons to visit a SICK
- ~ a distance sent him at once out
into the wet night. And all domestic
grievances were forgotten oei0fe n'
bad driven two hundred yards.
The patient lived in sguaiid part part. %
the town by the river. Inc darh s,'ar'
canned deeper in this poor neignpor,
seoinoe - ,,ore soaking and the