Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1895-09-20
THE PRICE OF PEACE.
~ MES. HENRY L. PRATT.

BY MRS. HENRY L. PRATT.
In NIL my travels, from Maine to
Rhode Island, I've never como across .
couple more unlike than what Mr.. and
Mis- Minis was.
Mr.. Minis was one of these shut-up-
to-himself men, and he'd glum round
for days over some little matter that a
word would "a set right if he'd only
been plain-hearted.
Mis- Minis was all the other way
talk it out and done with it; little
hnsty and imprudent, maybe, but she
is wellmcaning, Mis- Minis is, and as
good woman to neighbor with as I
want to see. s,N
i hcv thought whether or no being
Of different pcrsuasions didn't work to
keep en- apart. Sec, she was brought
up an orthodox, and he favored the
Mcthodists. She joined with him and
laid out to do her part amongst 'em,
but she never was to home with the
Methodists
Then, another thing, she hated a
dog, and Mr.. Minis must always have o
great clumsy hulk, good for nothing
but to bark and eat and lie around un-
der foot, while Mis- Minis, she marn't
have even kitten. though she set
everything by a cat And so it went.
One day stepped in to borrow Mis-
Minis cutting-board, and just us got
to the door heard her say: "You amt
going to turn Charley in amongst my
flowers, be yep
He didn't condcscend any rcply-not
as could hear.
Now, Mr.. Minis" says she, "he's
stepped on my pansy-bcd and broke off
a dahlia a'rendy. Amt there any
other place on this whole farm where
you can put him? don't want him
here" says she.
Mr.. Minis countenance didn't change
moro than Il wooden Indian.
II do" says he. There's good bat
ing of grass to be fed down, and cal
culate to leave Charley here for spell"
says he. Aud he budged off as stiff as
though he'd swallowed a a ramrod.
Mis- Minis didn't say word more,
but she gave that old dog push Tint
sent him out Of doors with a yelp; and
didn't blame her mite, nuthcr.
brought the cutting-board back as
they was a-settin' down to dinner, and
Mis- Minis asked me to draw up to- the
table. She had an excellent dinner
Mis- Minis is an elegant cook-but not
one identical word did he speak, only
to ask if I'd have another potato.
She seemed clipper enough, but 1 see
shadow pass over her countenance
when the old hors, sncezed right un-
der the window where her piney bed
was, and the dog, that had got back
under the table by that time, yopped
out as though somebody had accident
ally trod or his tail.
Mr.. Minis was n great hand for rails
ing colts. but she was terrible scary
creature; and expect riding after
half-broken colts has given her fit
of the newralogy many's the time.
He was dreadful set in his way
same as the general run Of men air
and it was like fighting the east wind
to try to move him out OF 1t. Them
two used to remind me of pair OF
napajawed scissors that you can't cut
with. Some might have put the heft
of the blame on to her; and / s'posc
she did nag him some, and flash out
when she'd better have KEEP still.
run in one day to borrow n sleeve
pattern, when heard Mr.. Minis
speaking out kind o. gruff, and halt.
| ed, for | didn't wish to intrudc. Il
never wear squcaky shoes myself. |
didn't find out what went before, but
the first heard was this:
II can't please you," says he. ut
beat mcsif he'd ever tried.) you
don't like my hired men, you amt sat-
isfea with my breed of cows, the color
of the corn barn don't suit yc. and I'm
thinking you'll be happier if we divide
and separate. You've always thought
more of your brother Asa than you do
of me, and you can be FREQ to 20 to
him, so you'll be well fixed"
why, Mr.. Nims!'' l heard her kind
O. gasp out, and surmised by the
sound that she let fall teacup
looked to hear her burst out in hep
quick way, and III warrant We he
supposed she'd flare up, and that would
be the end ont But she seemed dunn
founded. by n by she said, quite quiet:
I'm sure Asa would be pleased to
have me there. He misses Sarah Jane.
md SO do the children. There has to
be somebody ut the head to make
things SO. But what would YOU do.
Elisha?"
had to smile, for she scarcely ever
called him Elisha.
nI c,,, 1no1r out TO-. ,,,,,,o1f .,,,, -
and stalllcd off to the barn.
went right In. and said guessed l
could tell what was in his mind. He
was calculating to make home for his
mother, and get along they two to-
gethcr. Old lady Minis never was any
too particular, and now she had the
shaking palsy. So could Geo Mis-
Minis set right to thinking how things
would go to wrack and ruin under such
no management. She is an awful nice
housckcepcr herself, and set great
store by her things. She made an ar
rant up chamber pretty soon, and was
gone quite spell. When she came
down her eyes were some red, but she
stuffed it out and went on as matter
of-fact as the cows coming home.
1--WE got to flax around" says She,
land get Elisha's new shirt done; and
there's the piclslc-rincgar needs scald-
ing, and the brine, too. And l was
laying out to put up few moro
ounces Elisha is very partial to
ounce sauce"
The next day Iwcnt over to offer my
help, and she seemed glad to have me