Smyrna times., 1893-03-01
4" HOME. :"
BY J. D. WHITE.

the village also. If l had not been
accustomed to her appearance I should
have supposed some dreadful thing was
the matter She had on an old calico
wrapper which never was pretty, but
by frequent washing had become faded
and streaked; half the buttons were
gone, the sleeves and waist in rags and
the skirt torn. Her hair was done up
in a hairpin screw. she wore no collar,
and over her head she had pinned a
faded plaid shawl, which l had seen
more than once doing duty as an apron
while she washed dishes.
She nodded dismally to me without
smile, and sinking down on chair,
looked around my pretty room. was
used to her ways, so only said Good
evening"
After few minutes, she began in a
fretful voice to speak.
"Oh, Mrs. Sunny, how comfortable le
you do look You never have any
troubles, do you?"
A shiver ran through me as ! thought
what my troubles had been, but I
knew the little woman had come to
speak Of herself, so | only said quietly :
Doesn't everyone? Don't yOu?"
II? Oh, am full of trouble! But
where is your husband this evening L?
He is always at home"
"Oh, no, not always" l answered.
This evening he has gone to a political
meeting, and there are other evenings
when he goes to two different lodges
which he belongs to-"
But surely, Mrs. Sunny, you do not
like him to 80 to lodges. WHY. |
think they are horrid. Nobody knows
what they do"
Il laughed, she looked so tragic.
"Well," | said, Il don't want to
know, for l suppose I should not un-
derstand. urged him to 90 to this
political meeting because he wanted
to.
Urged him to &c! Well. call that
queer. Why, coaxed J5hn"-John is
her husband" to stay with me. and
we had quite quarrel. think man
ought to find pleasure in his home
sometimes, but John goes out every
evening; he goes to his mothers often. -
You never accompany him =" |
asked.
"Oh, dear, no! I'm too tired. Whv
haven't been to see Mother Hapless
for a month. She's dreadful smart and
has everything just 50; it's Just spoiled
John; he seems to think everyone
ought to be like his mother; he don't
say much, but he just looks around 40
and then goes clearing off chair to
sit on. He hardly says anything but
to ask is supper ready, and then, soon
as it is over, he puts on his hat, and I
never see him till bedtime, and not
often then, for go to bed cause Pm
lonesome"
could but pity the forlOrn little
wife left alone all the day aud even
ing, but / knew she made no home for
her husband, while at his mothers he
found everything bright, the house
orderly and the still pretty mother
prettily dressed and only too glad to
have her boy with her. l had often
pitied his wife, even while l blamed
her. However, now that she had
broached the subject, l felt that l
might offer some advice and assistance,
so / said
would you like me to help you to
keep your husband at home ?'
She opened her biz brown eyes, as
she answered
Il often wonder why Mr.. Sunny
seems to really enjoy his home so
much"
proposed going over to her house,
and with a blush she consented, say
ing YEARLY, 1T don't look like yours"
No, it did not, l acknowledged to
myself, as we entered the sitting room
passing through the dining room on
our way, where the supper dishes were
spread on the table just as she had
dumped them after they were washed.
There was no table in the middle of the
sitting room, but on a small one in the
corner an oil lamp burned with one
sided flame which partly smoked the
chimney. Every chair in the room
had something on it, for Mrs. HapIess
said she Lad been looking over her
dresses and things. There was a litter
of scraps, sp0ols pincushions and other
paraphernalia for sewing on the table,
two fashion magazines and paper
pattern unfOlded, the fire was low and
aud the room chilly. l suppose the
contrast to my own made it appear
the more uninviting to me, and could
not but wonder where John could have
sat.
/ cleared part of an old dress off a
chair, and then asked the poor, little,
shiftless woman, If might tell her u
story. She looked as if she thought
me crazy, but said hesitatingly, "Yes."
ut is the story of my own life,
began. II was the daughter of man
who never could stay in one place; SO
we were always moving; if it was not
from one town to another it was from
one house to another, so / grew up
with no sense of real, homelike feeling.
l married very young, and was charm
ed to fnd that my husband not only
took me to snug home, but also that
he owned the house and expected to
live in it, as ne said, always.
"At first we were very happy; the
novelty of having home of my own
gave to housekeeping a charm. l had
a neat tea table, flowers, plenty oflight
music, and everything as In our court.
ing days, and Henry seemed to be as
pleased to be with me as he had been
before we were married.
AS long as summer lasted all was