The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-27

1feDerletta. I've Oeen tninklng mat you
take too much exercise. ION amt to 60
and fetch uppers to-day. III get little
Bessie from next door to guide me. and
then | can bring EN- back for YOU
Mrs. easy argued she point. she en-
joyed the fresh air. she said. when she
lie declared the only condition on which
he would let her GO would be that she wore
his boots. and as this would necessitafe his
staying at home she yielded at last with
bad grace.
easy was in some things as yielding as a
child; In others. u~nreasonably obstinate.
when he got the idea that to wear her boots
was bad for Mrs. Casy's corn. no argument
on her part ayailad. He believed 1t was
merely her unseItishness which made her
willing to 20 for the work herself. and that.
therefore. he had 2 right not TO let bel, fol-
low her own desires. Henceforth Mrs. easy
only enjoy ed such fresh air as was admitted
By her little window. However, as she did
not spend time going to and from the ware
house. she got through more work and was
able to spare a balfpenny a week for Bessie
as wages for looking after Thomas.
Still. in spite of these precautions. Mrs.
Casy's corn did not seem to improve; that
10 TO say, Casy's Quick ear would sometimes
catch a half-sritied groan. He had never
known his wife to suffer before. and his
sympathy might possibly have seemed DIS
prODortionate TO the cause were 1t not that
love justifies such exaggeration and even
~ Nv AoW
and those all conferred in one being. and
debarred as he was even from the distrac-
tion of labor-for in doing everything for
him perhaps his wife had encouraged his
helplessDess-it was not unnatural that he
should brood on this subject. AT any rate.
be did apparently wonder what could be
done. for one evening be said suddenly:
"Henerietta, I've made mp my mind to
give up my pipe for q SPELL"
Whatever should you do that fort" in
quired Mrs. easy with surprise. for he had
never made any secret of the enjoyment
be got out of his small weekly allowance of
shag.
'Ive been a-thinkin'," said he medita-
lively. AS it Id teach me se~lf-deniaI q bit.
don't think as we'd oughter be bound to
our comforts."
There amt no call" SAID she decidedly.
1T amt as if yon was selfish or bound mp
in them things"
That's SOP replied easy. but still tit
I'D interest me to see the money accoomo-
late a bit. If you'd give me the pennies. l
could drop 'em into a box and watch 'em
mount up.p
1T seems to me. Thomas" Mrs. easy re-
marked with undue severity tor she
scented a motive in this fad of her hus-
band'sl. that you are delo0din' yourself.
1t ain't self-denial TO shove O pleasure on
one side and put another in It's place. If
you I'D enjoy saving them pennies, You
might just as well enjoy smokin' the
'baccy."
This wisdom appeared unanswerable
and Mrs. easy thought she had gained the
day.. But she was mistaken. When she
gave easy his pipe 10 the evening. and he
began TO smoke 1t. she was not without a
thrill OF triumph shat her common sense
had conquered, but the triumph was short
lived. easy took n few puffs. then he
made o erImace, and laid down the pipe.
"Henerietta." he said, "Pm off 'baccy for
a bit"
Amt it goodf"
"Oh. don't find no fault with it. but Pm
Oft IL. i don't seem TO relish il. 1 g. pec' it
don't agree with me over well. and natures
a-protestin'. She have that way of dom
1t. Pve heerd. She turns you agin what
you'd Oughter rejec'. May be. when my
stomiek's ready for 1t 1 shall fancy 1t agin."
So he got his way, and the pennies &C
cumuiated, though not very last. When
there were nine of them he took them out
of the box and slipped them into his
pocket. Mrs. easy being too used to seeing
him play with them to notice what he did.
That day he took back some shoes and
obtained materials for fresh work. He had
hidden Bess look out for the chemists shop
where he had once made inquiries, and he
brought back something with him which
evidently filled him with great delight,
Directly he got In he slipped it into his
wife's hand. 1t was q bottle OF corn-killer.
There's directions" he said. ION the
bottle, so the man explained, but 1 made
him 90 over 'em again. You applies the
mlAtuIc NJ ulSnlb Will tno Hbtic DIubD,
and after q Bit you soaks your foot
In hot water and it'll come OH sure
enough. This Amt no auack stuff off of a
truck, but real genuine. 1t come out of q
chemists shop with regulation colored
glasses. SO Bess said. and q man to serve
you that might have been q gent for the
manner of him."
Mrs. easy pulled the paper off the bottle
with q hand that trembled slightly, and
there was q queer, half. amused, half-pa-
fhPriN look IN her eVe9 as 8le fnQnke6 HIM
scolding him q little as one might scold q
child that has bought q present for ones
self with the penny given 1t for sweet
meats.
There amt much. l should say. from the
size of It" said easy, "but when that's gone
we can manage another"
oh, no, no." she answered quickly;
.'this'H be quite enough-more than enough,
Thomas. Don't never get another bottle"
That evening. before going TO bed, she
pulled out the cork and prepared to use the
mixture. But her method OF procedure was
strangely like that of the old woman who
had a cough. and, being hidden TO put q bis
ter on her chest. promptly applied it to her
box and left il there all night. Mrs. easy
dipped the brush IN the mixture and
smeared a little on a piece of rag. It gave
forth q peculiar. pungent. unpleasantsmell,
which the old man smiled as II 1t had been
the dor of flowers.
YOU'RE applyIn' the mixtur', Heneriet-
ta!,
"Oh. yes" the old woman answered. hold
ing her nose. Pm applyin' of il, Thomas"
DO it stIngf"
Not particular"
"Ah, / expec' It'll do that later on. /
count It'll do you good from the smell on
it; Dut it Amt altOgether disagreeab]e
neither. considsrin'. Do y0u-d0 you think
it'll go of soon, Henerietta?"
Il should hope SO, Thomas" Mrs. easy
replied. as she softly dropped the rag into
the tire.
This operation was repeated nightly eud,
greatly To Casy's satisfaction, at the end of
the week. Mrs. easy pronounced the corn
much diminished in size. It must have
been entirely n case of faith-healing, If SO.
for not one vestIge of the corn-killer had
touched Mrs. Casy's foot.
But il the corn were smaller, it had ap-
parently not ceased TO pain her. As time
went on the look of suffering seemed TO
have imprinted itself on her face, and
often she would lay down her work and
wiring her hands together in silence.
her. She still let her husband 90 with
manifested no desire TO him.
When he was away she would attend to her
small household matters, and then IL would
appear she INDUCED herself, Tor she would
often cry bitterly and aloud while she
went about her duties. Her eyes grew
still more sunken, her face had even less of
f~ullness than before, and her skin became.
IL possible. tougher and more leathery.
The blind man. bile. was spared the
pang of seeing the change in her. and was
as peaceful. as happy, and as contented as
ever.
But one day, having been out in the rain.
n. 4a,. - IL 1rhfnh Ar1A a. -.