Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1893-01-27

hence Sarah Marpod was farmers wife !;
both hard working. unsophisticated
pcopc, conscientiously pursuing the
straight path of life, while, on tae other
hand, little keener insight into human
nature aud its motives might have
shielded them r1m many a blow, aud
materially aided their right economy.
In spite of Lard work they advanced
slowly in the acquisition OF home com
forts. Disappointments and misfortunes
accumulated with pitiful rapidIty and
iroze the fountains of domestic happi.
ness. Before marriage the happiest of
couples, they looked with sangulne hope
to the future, not expecting great re-
wards, but trusting in Providence and
loving each other ferventiy.
They never had lovers quarrel and
the idea of posl-nuptial disagreementa
dawned not upon their youthful imagiy
nation. A comfortable no ne, content-
ment aud love was all they bargalned
for; all they sought, and surely fate
might yield this to any one who means
well and thinks honorab,y. i
Thus they thought, and thus they ex-
pected it would be, but the path of lie
runs continually into the dark. What
Jagged rocks may pierce the feet of the
traveller on this highway no one can fore
tell. We can only judge by the light d
the past. and to people Of limited cx
-perience this light is limo so narrow az
not to reveal the rocks aud thorns on
either side.
Luke Marpod was simple, honest arl
narrow-minded. Mrs. Marpod was
was simple, honest and narro w.mindel
also, and perhaps the trouble lay iu this
very uniformity of tastes and tempera.
ment.
Luke's little farm was mortgaged at
the outset, and the few hundred dollars
that Sarah received from her father
disappeared in twinkling and left no
trace or footprint. Their first season
was bad one; crops were general tall
ure aud weeds aud creditors arose on
every side.
The neighbors, who always liked
Luke's conscientious good nature, began
to look askauce at him, for they saw the
tables turned, and, paradoxical as it may
appear, found it much more convenient
to be Luke's creditor than his debtor.
As time passed without bettering their
condition and creditors became impor-
tunate, Luke and Sarah took to broodng
over their troubles and occasionally find
ing fault with the ways and means OF the
other, which might never have led to
anything serious had the second years
crop proved good one aud helped to
make up for the deficiencies of the first.
This, however, was not the case, for,
whereas, the year before the drought had
baked the soil and scorched the growing
blades of wheat and rye, the second year
it began to rain in April-a very good
prognostication, everybody thought, of
bounti(ul harvest, but Pluvus, having
other aims in view, refused to recognize
limits and give the farmers time TO pillow
and sow. Through April, May and June
the rain poured down necessarily, day
after day, until at last all hopes were
abandoned and the Marpods entered
upon their second year of infelicity.
Luke, who began to think that the
cause of all his troubles lay in his mar
riage, was rash enough one day to hint
tie same, and received retort from his
spouse that reused his latent dignity of
marital lordship. Words were ex-
changed, and the result of their first pro-
nounced disagreement ended by Luke's
slamming the door behind him, md 90
ing hastily across the lot after the COWS.
That night he whipped the dog for let
ting the brindle heifer escape through
the bars into the cornfeld, had trouble
with the same member Of the bovine
genius at milking time, aud rose wrath
fully to his feet after extricating the
cows hoof from the milk pail, to swear
an unmistakable oath for the first time
in his life. Then he beat the animal and
made such hubbub that Sarah came in
hot haste to remonstrate on his brutality.
"Shut up; mind your business, will
youl" shouted Luke, as he hurled the
milking stool after the COW and chased
her around the yard.
The same evening Mrs. Marpod, con
doling over the loss of milk, gave vent
to her indignation at her other half's
carelessness, and the quarrel was re-
newed with vigor.
These first storm clouds in the do
mestic atmosphere soon cleared away,
but each had discovered the Others lack
of infalIibility, and accordingly, while
Luke lost little of manly pride, Sarah
lost also in gentleness of disposition.
For more than month all went well,
but aggravating things will happen, es-
pecially during harvest tims when
reapers and mowers are constantly get
ting out of repair. Luke one day went
to cut wheat in field from which every
stone and stump had been carefully
eradicated. The sky was lowering and
he wished to finish before a storm.
Around and around the field went the
horse, faster and faster fell the grain be.
fore the sickle. Luke's blood was
warming with hops. when suddenly,