Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1895-10-17
A DELAYED ERRAND.


well, of all the things Jim Car
roll, hev you got home at last !"
A red-faced and angry woman stood
in the kitchen door, her sleeves rolled
up and her arms akimbo. A meek
little man dismounted from his horse
at the gate, and proceeded to unbuckle
the girth and take off the saddle, which
he threw upon the fence. A pull at
the headstall removed the bride, and
the horse, with snort of satisfaction,
at once lay down and rolled in the
sandy road. The bride was thrown
across the saddle, and the little man
opened the gate slowly and hesitating-
ly, as one who knows what things the
torturer is preparing for him.
II was a-comin', Minervy," he be-
gan, but the strident voice interrupt
ed him.
Comm! Yes, | reckon so So Is
Christmas a-comin'! Here I've had
this supper ready one solid hour, an
the coffee's not fit to drink by this
time An the ole red COW O PeterseS
has been in the corn again, an nobody
but me to drive her out; but it's lit
tie you keer what / hev to suffer, so s
you kin 90 to town an set roun the
stores an tell lies with that no. count
gang that stays there An | know
Jest as we'll as eff I'd seen it that you
never brung that thread nor them pie
pans !"
81 was a-goin to git EN-, Minervy,
began the little man, meekly, "but
they was up thar maxim up a com
pany-"
Didn't l know it, Jim Carroll
Didn' | know it? If ever there was
woman neglected an abused from one
years end to another, | am that wo
man. Here | am, slavin an slavln
from mornin till night, an never
KNOWN what it is to 90 nowhere ex
ceptin to preachin' oncet a month
an gracious knowsif it wash for beln
a Christian l never could stand thr
kind of life, an you know that wei
enough; an here are you, gaddln
about like eff You didn't hev keer II
the world !"
The red-faced woman withdrew into
the house, and the meek little maj
followed her. He hoped that th'
worst of the storm was over, and h'
ventured to remark with a conciliat
ing smile:
81 never thought you'd be so mac
about it, Minervy."
"There it isl" shrieked the nov
thoroughly aroused lady. "You XII
tear around this house an treat M
worse than slave, but if ever | say
word the fats in the fire. Things ha
come to a pretty pass if l can't oper
nv mouth but what somebody has t.
accuse me O bein' mad | reckin II
hev to be gagged after a while, SOS
can't say nothin'l If ever l did see
domineerin, overbearin' man, you r
that man. Here you kin insult me a
much as you please, but | don't dar
to say my soul is my own. An wheI
YOU knowed how | needed that threa'
an them piepans, an you 60 all tn
way to town, an then come back with
out 'eml Go out an git a armtul
wood to git breakfast with l recki
YOU kin remember that? Graciou
knows, if all the men was like you tn
women folks would be plague sigh
better off without EN- than they al
with EN-"
The little man went out at the ope
door and around the house toward tn
woodpile. He paused there to dra'
his hand across his perspiring fore
head, and to make a remark to hin
self. The remark was simply "Whew
but it conveyed an amount OF expires
sion. Then he picked up two or thrf
sticks of wood, and then he stood NJ
looking off down the valley towar
the town, whose lights he could Jul
see glimmeriDg family in the gathel
ing twilight.
He stood there so long, absorbed !
his own thoughts, that an impatlel
step began to resound through tt
house, and sarcastic voice was pr
jected into the cleaning:
"Jim Carroll, air you a-comin wit
that wood, or air you a-goin to sta
eli n;obto"