The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1893-11-24
miscellaneous.
COMMUNAL TROUBLE.

II always thought there was some
connection between wife and but
tons, and not a button on this shirt
bosom, Bess ~
We had been married a year and
more. And now we had quarreled-
about buttons.
/ did not think then what an aston
| ishing thing woman must feel it to be
taken from the pedestal on which her
lover has enshrined her as a goddess
and scolded about some household
matter. All men do it.
| went to town. My business was
transacted in a moody dream. l
drowned my misery in cigars and
went home as angry as | had left it.
No Bess met me at the gate. found
her in the dining room, and she look
ed up with proud, cold face, expect
ing an apology perhaps, but | gave
her none. Fortunately l had griev-
ance-the mutton was not cooked to
suit me, and there were no capers.
l began once more on the subject of
wife's duties. Bridget must be over
looked. A bachelor might leave the
dinner to q servant, but not married
man.
Bess did not tell me what / knew al
ready-that at Nine. Pongee's finish
ing seminary the superintendent of
| q cook was not taught, and that a
year is not long experience.
She sat quite quiet and enraged Inc
so that before / sought my pillow |
| had said very cruel things, and she
had at last dropped one bitter, rank
| ling speech into the momentary 81
| lence and had shut herself in her baby's
nursery.
And so it went on through all the
bitter days of the long week. At last
| it was Saturday morning. l gave her
cruel stab-an unjust one, as l
knew. When l spoke l had my back
| turned toward her and was looking
out upon the cloudy sky, SO that did
not see her when she said
| You have made me hate you"
l turned at that. She was standing
quite pale, even to the lips, and l saw
| that she had drawn her wedding ring
from her finger.
81 hate that" she said, land hate
YOU
And she flung the ring upon the car
pet and made gesture as though she
We're tiinging her love from her also
and left the room without another
word, though | waited for her to come
back for nearly an hour.
Ihad much to do that day-business
| appointments which should have been
attended to forthwith-but long after
l had reached my office in the city
| found myself sitting wretchedly in a
char, with my head upon my hands,
! thinking over and over again those
words, Il hate that, and hate you"
And my love came back, and | was
! Robert walking with Bessie under the
trees again, not the stern married man
| determined to teach his wife her duty
l looked at the clock. l had just
| time to catch the noon train for home
Who cared for business-for Jones
| and Brown and Thompson | must
| go home and make it up with Bess.
| seized my hat and flew down the
street. | reached the depot. l was
in car breathless with eXertion and
anxiety. We were 30minutes in reach
ing p. To me it seemed 30 hours
Atlast was there. Before me arose
our little cottage, and its slope of vel
vet green from the door to the rivers
edge.
/ Usually all was quiet and scarcely a
soul to be seen. To-day a group Of
women stood by the river. Two men
one sailor neighbor from the village
| were there also, and among them
Bridget raised her shrill voice:
"They've took to fightin' lately, anC
they had it hot and heavy this blisseC
mornin', shouldn't wondher. How
ly father, there's the masther now
and she fled ~
saw them all looking at me in awe
stricken silence. | saw also my little
boat lying wet upon the sand, the
oars not with her.
felt my heart stand still and gasp
ed out:
What is the matter p
nv sailor neighbor answered
Were afraid there's been an acct
dent. Tom Bowling took your boa
out this morning, and the boat ha'
been picked up, and, and Tom hasn't.
Young Tom Bowling often borrowed
my boat. l was not surprised at that
II hope Tom is safe,n said. "a
what hour did my wife lend him TIN
boat ~
Nobody spoke for two minutes.
At last woman began to sob
"Oh, don't tell him Maybe 'tisn'
So"
And the sailor said solemnly:
"Take heart, sir; maybe there
hope, but your wife hired Tom Bowl
ing to row her and the baby on tn
river at half past 10.n
When those words fell upon my ears
l dropped upon the ground in swoon
In three hours a boy found Tom
hat floating in the water. Two more
and grim, hard featured man cam
to me as | raved like Il maniac upol
hic hot
Mister he said, tom is found
Theyre a-bringin' of him.
had no need to ask how he wa
found. knew. So they would 500
find Bess and her babe, heavy an
cold, with dank, dripping hair an
eyes wide open, staring at the sky.
Oh, it would have been terribl
enough without the awful memor
that we had quarreled; that l ha
. said cruel things to her, and that sh
had said:
. II hate you p
l went into the house and searche
: for the wedding ring. l could nc
? find it. Then a hope came into m
/ heart-that she had so far relented q
to restore it to her finger, and that
would be found upon her dead, whit
hand.
heard q shout from those withou
and some one came screaming up tn
hall. 1t was Bridget.
"Missus-it's missus. She's found
she cried. And baby too Oh
Lord! Oh, saints above! She
e found ~
}. The horrible picture of the drippin
g marble loneliness they must be bea
ing along the pebbly shore passed b
/, fore my eyes. l grew sick and blin'
4 ooh, my darling Rob, what a frigl
you have had, and what sad, sa