Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-02-19

seiuoui oiu uav pass without unlOVaO lie
:cenes between the two Marpods. The
neighbOrs began to maze Comments.
iossips took occasion to condolc wi:n
Mrs. Marpod respecting the unrea son
ibleness of her spouse, and, see ng her
lake their sympathy kindly, grew bolI
enough to betray all the rash things
Luke had been guilty of prior to his
marriage, acts which ought to nave been
buried long before in the graveyard oil
oblivion, SO extremely remote was their
connection with the present.
Poor Mrs. M,rpod! She took them
o heart and at the next opportunity
,urled them at the head of the aston.
shed Luke. He owned up to every.
hing. not even trying to soften his
vife's too serious Interpretation of his
sscapades, as he might easily have done,
or the sinfulness was more against con-
rentionalism than morals. He was in
10 mood to extenuate, and declared
.oldly that he didn't ''care q cent about
t" aud that he '.xould do the same
, hing over again for all of meddling
ieighbors AMI ill-natured WIFE" Life
gradually lost it charms for the Msrpods.
Through perpetual clouds aud storms
hey pursued their gloomy pathway to
;he grave.
Sarah had begun to think seriously OF
,referring charges against Luke for
cruelty and praying for y divorce, waen
An event happeued that Temporarily dis.
missed the idea from her mind and made
Luxe more solicitous and tender. A lit
lie girl was born to them, an1 because
it was in the spring time of the year ,ey
3amed her Flora. She came like ray
of sunshine to brighten the hearts of the
parents and show them their dependence
Oh each other for happiness, but by the
time Flora was able to toddie around by
herself and lisp the names of papa and
IA an ma the parents had resumed their
Did fault fin ling habits, and having once
resumed them they were not long in re-
gaming their former faculty In the use o.
sarcasm and tauuts.
Luxe in the first place found fault
with the mothers method of nursing and
declared it a miracle if Flora did not
prove a weak, sickly child. He was sure
that SO much fussing would ensender a
frail constitution, yet as she grew older
she seemed as strong and robust as u
child ever is that breathes pure, country
air.
On the other hand, Mrs. Marpod de.
:lared that Luke's example was enough
to contaminate the family, and that seeds
,own in SO young a mind would SOM
lay bring sorrow upon their heads.
'Mercy on me, mani" she would
,hout, "don't touch that child with
those dirty hands OF yours. If You don't
know how to be civilized, you had bet.
er not try to bring up children"
One day, after quarrel had been
brewing between the parents for some
lime, they came to an understanding that
lomething must be done at once.-Thev
Ieemed tacitly to agree that the time had
:ome for them to separate forever. Dis.
oassionately they sat down to discuss
:erms, and to an outside party all evi.
1ence of ill-temper had passed away.
There was no question as to the di-
rision of property. Luke was willing te
10 more than Sarah wished, but regard
ng little Flora both were keenly sensi
i've. After discussing the matter fol
lone time they agreed to hitch up the
eam and drive to town to see Lawyer
Hobbies.
Not wishing to go before a court, they
decided that Mr.. Hobbies should draw
Up all necessary papers aud arbitrate as
% the possession of the child. By this
decision they were willing to abide. So,
With Flora on the seat between them,
hey drove to town.
In sad and faltering accents they told
Nr. Hobbies how matters stood. Mr..
Hobbies, a benignant gentleman, with
onG, white locks that had never been
put to shame by single mean act In all
ais life. and who's heart was as tender as
I child's. tried to demonstrate, but both
Luke and Sarah we're sure that the old
life would be revived and that it would
De better to separate kindly; aud in this
they stood firm; SO Mr.. Hobbies, much
troubled. entered upon the business.
little Flora listened with open-eyed
wonder throughout the discussion.
At last she seemed to conprehe nd, and
The tears coming to her eyes, she toddled
20 her father, and grasping his coat in
her tiny hands, lIsped plaintively: 'I
want to stay wiv 90, papa" and then
turning, she ran, and buryiny her face
In her mothers lap she sobbed out 80
NV 90 and want to stay wiv co."
Mrs. Marpod's eyes sSam with tears,
Luke's lips worked convulsively, aud
Lawyer Hobbies brushed something frOH
his eyes.
Raising her head, she laid her face
against her mothers cheek and muir
Injured: 'I luv oof bof, want to liv wiz
20 bof."
The long silence that followed was
broken suddenly by Lawyer Hobbies
ssThe little girl is rightr' he cried, EN-.
phatically. "She ought to live with
both. Luke, confouud your pate, you ve
got good wife to be proud of; and you,
Mrs. Marpod, have a husband to be
proud of; aud by gosh," cried Nh.
Hobbies, becoming red in the face ana
striking the desk heavy blow with his
fist, s'IIl have nothing more to do with
it. tied the knot when was magis-
trate, and it looks as though you had
lost confidence in me-"
Flora ran to him, and smiling eagerly
through her tears, cried out: ayes, yes;
l want 'em bof."
That settled it, for Luke rose to his
feet, and taking Sarah's hand in his muir
INJURED: "I'll low that It's been all my
fanlt, and if you'll forgive me Ill never
get mad again"
Mrs. Marpod, on her part, protested
that it was she who had been to blame,
but Lawyer Hobbies scolded both and
sent them home as lovingly as possibls.
Flora, who is now handsome young
lady, has a slight remembrance of the
svent mentioned, but just the tenor of it
,he does not recollect. She would not
believe us were we to tell her how serious
that trouble was, SO great has been the