The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-03-27
A LESSON.

a LESSOlN.
81 always thought there was some con-
necton between a wife and buttons, and
not button on this shirt bosom, Bess."
We had been married year and more.
And now we had quarreled-about buttons.
did not think then what an astonishing
thing woman must feel it to be taken
from the pedestal on which her lover has
enshrlued her as a goddess and scolded
about some household matter. all men
do it.
l went TO town. My business was trans
acted in a moody dream. l drowned my
misery in cigars and went home as angry Is
had left it. No Bess met me at the gate.
l found her In the dining-room. and she
looked up with proud, cold face, expecting
an apology. perhaps, but l gave her none.
Fortunately l had a grievance-the mutton
was not cooked to suit me and there were
no oapers.
began once more on the subject of a
wife's duties. Bridget must be overlooked.
bachelor might leave the dinner to a ser
want, but not TO 4 married man.
Bess did not tell me what knew already,
that at Nine. POngees finishing seminary
the superintendent of a cook was not
taught, and that year Is not long expert
ence.
She sat quite quiet and enraged me so
that before l sought my pillow had said
very cruel things, and she had at last
dropped one bitter ranking speech into the
mOmeutaTy silence aud 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 Sat
urday morning l gave her cruel stab
an unjust one, as / knew. When | 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"
/ turned at that. She was standing quite
pale, even to the lips, and l saw that she
bad drawn her wedding ring from her flu
ger.
And she flung the ring upon the carpet
and made a gesture as though she were fling
ing her love from her also and left the room
without another word, though l waited for
her to come back for nearly an hour.
| had much 10 do that day-business ap-
pointments which should have been at
tended to foTthwth-but long after l had
reached my Office in the city found myself
sitting wTetchedly IN CHAIR, with my head
upon my hands, thinking over and over
again those words, Il hate that, and l hate
you."
Aud my love came back, and was Robert
walking with Bessie under the trees again,
not the stern married man determined to
looked at the clock. had just time TO
catch the noon train for home. Who cared
for buslness-for Jones and Brown and
thompson l must 60 home and make il
mp with Bess. l seized my hat and few
down The street. | reached the depot. l
was in car, GREATNESS with eXertiOn and
anxiety. We were thirty minutes in
reaching P. To me it seemed thirty hours.
AT last l was there. Before me arose our
little cottage, with its slope of velvet green
2 ~ Of
Usually all was quiet and scarcely a soul
to be seen. To-day group of women stood
by the river. Two men, one a sailor neigh
Dor from the village, were there also, and
among them Bridget raised her shrill voice:
They've took 10 fightin' lately, and they
had it hot and heavy this blissed mornin', l
shouldn't wondher. HOwly father, there's
the masther now!" and she fed.
/ saw them all looking at me in awe
stricken silence. saw also my little row.
boat lying wet upon the sand, the oars not
with her.
l felt fmy heart stand still and gasped
sut:
''What is the matter2"
My sailor Deighbur answered:
Were ateaTd there's been an accident.
Tom Bowling took your boat out this morn
Ing, and the boat has been picked upland
Tom hasn't"
Young Tom Bowling often borrowed my
boat L was not surprised at that
81 hope Tom is safe" | said. "a what
hour did my wife lend him the boat.
Nobody spoke for two minutes.
At last wOmaDybegan to sob:
ION, don't tell him. Maybe 'tisn't So"
And the sailor said solemnly:
Take heart sir; mebbe there's hope, but
your wife hired Tom Bowling TO row her
and the baby on the river at half past TO-"
When these words fell upon my ears l
dropped upon the ground in a swoon
In three hours a boy found Toms hat
floating IN the water. Two more, and q
grim, hard-featured man came to me as |
raved Ike maniac upon the beach and
touched his hat.
Mister" he said, 'Tom is found.
They're a-brnging of him."
l had no need TO ask how he was found
| knew. SO they would soon find Bess and
her babe, heavy and cold, with dank, drip
ping hair and eyes wide open staring at the
sky.
On. it would have been terrible enough
without the awful memory that we had
quaIreed; that l mad said cruel things to
her and that she had said:
81 hate your
Invent into the house and searched for the
wedding ring. l could not find il. Then n
hope came into my heart, that she had so
lar relehted as to-restOre 1t to her finger and
that 1t would be found upon her dead white
hand.
1 heard a shout from those without and
some one came screaming up the hall. 1t
was Bridget.
MlsSus, us mlssus. She's fOundp she
cried And baby tool Oh. Lordl On,
saints abovei She's foundI'
The horrible picture of the dripping mar
Bile loVellness they must be bearing along
the pebbly shore passed before my eyes. /
grew sick and blind.
"Oh. my darling Bob. what fright you
have had, ana what sad. sad thug to hap
pen TO Door Tom! On, my dear. how In
you look! It's Bessie, your own Bessie,
and our darling babyW
She was In MY arms again and we were
weeplnG together.
You see, you dear husband" sobbed
Bessie, Il didn't mean what | said, not a
WORD OF 1t, and when you had gone felt 40
dreadful to think how | had acted and what
words had used that l couldn't stay at
home, so L hired poor Tom to row me to the
depot. " '"0
And Tom left me at the wharf and
went down and have been at your office
ever since, frightened to death about Won.
CTTD