Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1893-02-11
milking stool after the COW aud chased
her around the yard.

milking stool after the cow aud chased
her around the yard.
Ihe same evening Mrs. Marpoi. con.
doing over the loss of milk, gave ven,
20 her indignation at her other half.
care!essness. and the quarre, was re-
newed with vgor.
| These first storm clouds in the do
mestic atmosphere soon cleared away.
put each nad discovered the others lack
OF infal'iblhty, and accordingly, while
Luxe lost little of manly pride, Sarah
iost also in gentleness of dis position.
For more than q month all weo, well
out aggravating things will happen. es.
| FeciaIly during harvest time When
! reapers and mowers are constantly cot
'ihs out OF repair. Luke one day went
| 10 cut wheat IN field from which cvery
stone ard stump had been CAREFUL,
+, eraaicated. The sky was lowering and
hc wished to finish before a storm
| Around aud around the field went the
noFse, faster and faster fell the grain he
lore the sickle. Luke's blood was
warming with Hope. when suddenly
ash-chunk-chunk went the ma.
chine and the horses were ierked yjo.
iently Lack upon their launches. The
Dig cast iron seat hurled Luke clear
across the sickle bar into the grain.
= Scrambing to his feet be found that
SAD accident had happened. A laroe
stone had been lifted to the surface >,
the ground and left for removal ~
Aaa forgotten all about it, and hence
serious loss OF time right ia the busy
season.
IL took several days to obtain ren,;,s
ana IN the meantime the rain came -,
apace' ievelllng the wheat to the grourd
ana causing great damage. Luke be.
came gloomy, and Sarah could not helm
speaking regretfully of the loss her hus.
pands forgetfulness. had incurred.
everything was propltlous tor
quarrel and the quarrel came. Mutn,I
recrimlnations became frequent and
seldom old day pass without ualovable
scenes between the two Marpods. The
nelghbors began to make comments
Gosslps took occasion to condole with
Mrs. Marpoa respecting the unreason.
aoieness of her spouse, and, seeing her
take their sympathy kindly, grew bold
enough to betray all the rash things
Luke had been guilty of prior to his
marriage, acts which ought to have been
ouried long before in the graveyard of
oollV,on, SO extremely remote was their
connection with the present.
Ioor Mrs. Narpod! She took them
TO heart and at the next opportunity
hurled them at the head OF the aston.
lsned Luke. He owned up to every
thing, not even trying to soften his
wite's too serious Interpretation of his
escapades, as he might easily have done,
Tor the sinfuness was more against con-
ventlOnallsm than morals. He was in
no mood to extenuate, and declared
coldly that he didn't "care a cent about
it and that he "would do the same
thing over again for all of meddlino
neighbors and ll-natured wife" Life
lost it charms for the Marpods.
perpetual clouds and storms
they pursued their gloomy pathway to
the grave.
Sarah had begun to think seriously of
charges against Luke for
cruelty and praying for divorce, when
an event happened that temporarily dis
missed the idea from her mind and mado |
Luke more solictous and tender. A. lit
tie girl was born to them, aud because
1t was in the spring time of the year taey
named her Flora. She came like ray
OF sunshine to brighten the hearts Of the
- J, Il
on each other for happiness, but by the
time Flora was able to toddIe around by
herself and lisp the names of papa and
the parents had resumed their
old fault finding habits, SFd having once
resumed them they were not long in re-
gaining their former facility III the use Of
sarcasm and taunts.
Luke in the first place found fault
with the mothers method rsf nursing and
declared it miracle if Flora did not
prove a weak, sickly child. He was sure
that so much fussing would enacnder
frail constitution, yet as she grew Older
she seemed as strong aad robust as a
child ever is that breathes pure, country
air.
On the other hand, Mrs. Marpod de.
clared that Luke's example was enough
to contamiaate the family, and that seeds
sown IN SO Young mind would some
day bring sorrow upon their heads.
Mercy on me, mani" she would
shout, ''don't touch that child with
those dirty hands of-yours. If you don't
know how to be civilized, you had bet
ter not try 70 bring up children"
One day, after a quarrel had been
brewing between the parents for some
time,t they came 10 an understanding sha.
something must be done at once. They |
seemed tacitly 10 agree tina, the time had /
come for them 10 separate forever. Dis. /
passionate.y they sat down TO discuss
terms, and 20 aa outside party all ev!. /
dence OF i!i-.enDer lad passed ayay.