Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-07-09
HER DAY OF LIBERTY.
BY LENA s. THOMPSON.

Mrs. Caleb Greene imagined herself
much-abused woman as she hustled
about in her tidy kitchen one bright au-
tumn morning. 'l'm nothing but a
household drudgc--a drudge and Moth
ing else! Who ever thinks / need a
bit of pleasuring!" and here her
thoughts wandered to what her neigh
Dor, Mrs. Mallory, had said, and which
was the real cause of her discomfort.
You don't never go nowhere, do you,
Mis- Greene? Why, If couldn't go to
the city every week, should feel way
out of the world. You can't keep in
with the prevailing style if you don't
see nobody but the village follss"-and
then she told OF the grand flower show
in the great Casino, where everybody
us is anybody" went, and of the new
cape and bonnet she had bought in
town.
Though Mrs. Greene was as well off
MS her neighbor, she did her own house
work, preferring to save in that way
something for a rainy day, while Mrs.
Mallory was considered by the village
people very shiftless woman, who de-
lighted in airing her knowledge Of city
life, which consisted of year at board
ing school in town. Soon after her
marriage to "Jim" Mallory she set up
housekeeping and kept one servant,
which prodigality and elegance caused
her to feel quite superior to her neigh
bors.
Martha Greene was devoted wife,
and usually thought the work she now
called "drudgery" the most delightful
thing in the world-for she enjoyed
making happy home for Caleb, whom
sne had married two years previous.
OF late spirit of discomfort had grad
ually crept upon her, and its power
was more apparent after each visit
from Mrs. Mallory.
Martha was passionately fond of
flowers. When the flower show was
held the year before in the adjacent
city she was too i'll to visit it, but now
there was no really good reason why
she should not go. AS the busy season
for the farmers had come, when she
asked Caleb to drive her to town he did
not see how he could leave his worl.
for even day.
'Ie might go IL he only thought so.
] wonder how he would feel to come
Iomc some day and not find me here to
wait ON him. Perhaps he might realize
then that / need n little amusement
once in awhile, after working from
morning till night. / believe I'll try
Z it. I'd like to feel at liberty to do just
as please for one day!"
So, while musing on her troubles,
Martha prepared the MONDAY meal for
Caleb and the farm hands; for, how
ever much she thought herself deprived
of enjoyment, she was.too good a house.
keeper and homemaker to leave Caleb
to provide his own dinner. She pre-
pared everything with care, ready to be
placed upon the table. But it seemed as
il fate was to be against her that morn-
ing. The stove was hard to manage
+ her doughnuts too brown and the
biscuit were not as light as usual-and
just as she was getting ready to dress
herself, old Mrs. Porter called, pre-
pared, as usual, to rehearse her "talc
of woe" to any sympathizing listener.
Hastily giving her a cup Of tea and
telling her she was very busy, Martha
left the poor woman to wonder what
had come over Mrs. Greene--"sEe who
was alters SO good to body!"
On her way to the station to catch the
noon traip for the city she avoided the
public highway and took path less
frequented, for even in her reckless,
independent mood, she did not wish her
neighbors to notice that she was going
without her husband.
Since their marriage Caleb had al
ways driven her to town, which was
only ten miles distant, and while she
did her shopping he would wait at the
Travellers inn talking over farm mat
ters with kindred spirits; then what a
cozy drive homeward they had to-
gether. In summer through the gath
cring twilight, or in winter with the
full moon shining on the snow-they
were full of happiness, and when they
reached home, how proud she was to
show him her purchases, in which he
was always deeply interested.
The steam cars passed through the
village to the city only three times each
day, and as Martha took her seat in the
rear car the bell at the factory vNs
ringing the noon hour,