The morning call., 1893-11-19
MR.. AND MRS. CARTER.
A Sketch From Life.

They were evidently from the interior.
and. II appearances are any criterion,
from very far back in the interior. They
were both old, and while their garments
were not shabby. they were of the cut of
years gone hy-style they could never
have possessed. They had boarded a
aiencla-street car at the ferry, in CON-
pany with stout bu sting young woman
VINO had an air of extending to them the
freedom Of the car, and who called them
pa" and ma" and asked. in an audible
tone. after the health and well-being of
"Myra" and ''the boys" The old man
an swered all questions. the old lady being
content, apparently. to sit and gaze from
one to the other of them and listen to their
conversation. was attracted to her by a
little episode attendant up0n her entrance.
The fringe Of her gray blanket shawl be-
came entangled with the beaded orna ments
IN the wrap of lady who sal next the
door, and she turned to dsentangle it,
smiling so sweeily, so gracousiy, as she
did 80. that the stately dame. who had
Iro"ned slightly al first. " as moved lean
forward couIteously and rel. ase the en-
tanglng woOllen fringe With half apollo
eetic air. Then, after the elder woman
mad taken her seal In the car she turned
and again smiled at the lady, who was re-
adjusting her dsorderrd wrap.
Sitting opposite the visitor from the
country, L Tell to studying her face. 1t
was very plain. The typical lace of an
American farmers wife-,hiD, thought
Iui, careworn, an air of inherited weari-
ness as well as of fatigue of long years of
patient toll and BURDEN hearing. Her face
was wrlnkled an1 drawn, and Drowned
DARK Dy the California sunshine. Her
brown. faded hair, streaked here and there
with gray, was parted and CON bed plainly
over each temple. Her mouth was aImos
col0riess, and her teeth the Enthusiastically
false. china-looking product of a country
dentists office.
But her eyes were beautiful. Large,
dark. soft. gentle, there was a look in
them as she bent them upon the weather.
beaten face of her husband such as the
angels. II they were looking down at her
Just then. must Lave smiled to note. BE
caught the glance, and reaching out took
one of her cOtton-gl0ved hands in his
coarse, cracked, work begtimed ones and
held i, fast. She let 1t remain there, con-
teniedIy. quite obivious 10 the observing
eyes Of strangers about her. or course,
these OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of like sort
is so rare In eur highly civilized life that
OF course we stare VIXEN confronted by any
indication that Two penple who have
elected to go through life together really
care for each other. Ii is bad form, ami
we disapprove of it. but We watch it with
just suspicion of ache In our hearts, aud
sometimes wonder whether it would not
be well il there were more of it.
A young man next me laughed, and said
audibly 10 u girl who was with him: Mr.
and Mrs. CATER have come to town.
Hush. she said, Cycling at the bril-
liancy of the sally, they'll bear you" and
the two stupids laughed again. Still. they
We're not to blame. They may not yet
Rave been born to the possession of souls.
1t takes great many inrarnatiOns to come
to that, you know, and having Only minds
and bodies, with the limited perceptions of
these. they could not be expected to recog-
niZr the souls opposite. They could only
see plain old woman, come up from the
country to visit her married daughter. a
very ordinary looking young woman, even
with her face 10 glow, as now, OF loving
delight. They could only see a rough.
toil-worn old man, with bushy hair, strag-
CLING red chin whiskers. odd-l0okng
clothes, a big broad-hrimmed hat. stiff,
heavy boots and sitter, heavier hands,
calloused, roughened and scanned with
fine, grimy lines where the thick cuticle
had cracked. Certainly. they could see no
beauty in "Mr. and Mrs. CATER" that they
should admire them.
lett the car at the Baldwin-we were
bound for the theater that highland As
he first notes from the orchestra greeted
my ears i forgot eli about Mr.. and Mrs.
g fer aud their visit TO the city.
l caught glimpse OF them few days
later at a copfrctioner's. They sat on two
stools. in the midst Of long row of shop
ping San Francisco bellies, who were re-
gsrGing them with amused contempt as
they sat partaking of icrcream soda. The
old lady was asking the astOnishrd Jap,
who was rinslng glasses behind the
counter. how he made his fruit syrups.
late nf fr,ttt saa
saying as l drew near. san pa likes this
so much I'd like to get the receipt"
There was a c"nvulsed litter among the
girls. but the Jap's face was PERFECTLY ex-
pressiOnless as be said: mo can tell.
Thnka Doss he buy him."
Aware from the manner of the girls that
something was wrong the old man put
down his glass and laid out his big hands
on his wife's shoulder.
H"Why, ma" be said, 'Pd ruther bey your
canned pineapple any day in the week.
Why, if those feilrrs sn'd ever taste your
they got YOUR receip'. Jest look o. them
candies, will you. Wouldn't Myra's sweet
tooth ache, now" and with haif-defiant
glance at the girls, and wholly loving
one at her, he gently pr PEELED her to the
other side Of the counter. where, as / left
some candied violets. what a dretful
pity" l heard her say. at does seem
kind of wicked, don't it, pap"
Evidently the soul cleaning from those
dark eyes was a real one.
l saw pa" alone once or twice after
that potterlng around downtown, aud once
he was wi h a sturdy, honest-faced Young
felI"w in a gripman's uniform, " HON l at
once set down as daughters husband. I
had by this time come to regard Mr.. and
Mrs. CATER as b ing among my long list of
dear friends with whom l am not person.
that son-in-law had such q good face.
Then / saw the couple together again,
W liking hand In hand along Kearny street.
PA" was quite at home in the city now
and was evidently acting as guide and
cirerOne. They were shopping. and pa"
parrip0 anV pumhar of Ijftla hupdlas