The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-12-17


The droning morning voice had
dwelt with her through the day, tho
words changed to suit her case as we
change the words of most texts to
suit our own cases. "a woman shall
cleave unto her husband, cleave unto
her husband" Well, why not2 As
she looked out into the dusky night
her thoughts went back to John and
to their last quarrel. What had it
been about? She couldn't remember.
1t was perhaps some little thing that
led to hot words, flare of recrimina-
tion, tears. and in the end to this
separation, this miserable separation |
II John only knew how she felt to-
night, how like lost dog left out in
tho cold, afraid of stones. afraid Of
blows from brooms, afraid of every.
thing, he would feel sorry for her, she
knew he would.
He had been kind to her in many
ways. She had not had to work very
hard ever. She had not worked in
Johns home rs she did here, and then
his bread had not been the bread OF
! charity choked down with taunts. Oh
mol John was generous AMI kind il
he were n bit high tempered. She
suddenly raised upon her elbow. What
If she had been high tempered, too,
and sullen and mulish? Perhaps il
was her fault, after oil, that they had
quarreled!
A flush came over her face in the
dusk. Suppose, oh suppose she
should 60 to him now this very night.
and ask him to forgive her, woald he?
SO intent was sho on this thought
that n little hand, warm and moist,
crept into her own unnoticed, then an.
other, and baby Boss cudded close,
rubbing her soft cheek against her
mothers.
81 want 90, momsey," she said, and
Lucia hugged her to her bosom. In
her selfish distress she had forgotten
her children.
She lay still with the chill in her
arms, Johns child? There was look
of John in the pretty face, with its
holf.closed eyes.
II she should go back TO him now
with baby Bess surely he would take
her in. She was so tired OF doing
battle with the cruel world single
handed.
Suddenly her mind was made up.
She was ready to go now If he
would take her. A thrill Of
Joy shook her at the very
thought of home, her own home, n
place III which she had every right to
live, where she would be no usurper,
where she would no longer eat the
bread that belonged to others.
She waited until the child's eyelids
closed, and then she raised her and
carried her to the house where she
found little Alice asleep on the door.
step, her round arms supporting her
dirty little face. Tho sight was like
spur urging her onward.
Sho woke the child and coaxed her
into the house; there she stood, bold.
y upright, the baby in her arms, the
child clirging to her skirts, now in
dependence IN her attitude since her
resolve to so back to her husband.
Her mother was reading by the dim
light OF the smoking lamp which she
had never thought to turn down.
James snt loosely in chair, his legs
far apart, lis clasped hands behind
his head. Eliza had pushed back tho
unwashed dishes and leaned her ell
bows on the table, a frown on her
brow, her chin in her hands, deyour-
ing yellow backed novel.
They looked mp inquiringly as
Luelia stood in the middle of the
room with her children. They won.
dered why she was not in the kitchen,
us usual, washing up the dishes.
"l'm going home to john" she said
in answer to the look.
"Well, go along, then" said James,
splitting between two divided teeth at
the black cavity OF the summer fire.
place and hitting the exact spot aimed
at. "aud good riddance to bad rub
bish."
81 wish to goodness you would wash
the dishes first, exclaimed Eliza, to
whom the feel OF greasy dish water
was worse than perdition.
"The Lord be with you," said her
mother, her eyes upon her book as il
she were reading the words of, "the
Lord be with you till We meet again"
Luella laughed hysterically. for her
mothers intonation of the worls "till
we meet again" expressed to her SEN
sitive ear that that meeting would be
at some far. distant day.
With that mirthless laugh she passed
out OF the house into the road that
led to Johns ho4e. The way was not
long, but baby Bess grew like lead,
and her heart sank at every step.
What if he were away? What if he
refused to take her IMP What would
she do then? Where would she turn?
Little Alice began to cry from sheer
weariness. Luella pressed her hand
and hushed her with word; cowed
by those weeks OF dependence on her
grandmother's charity, tho child was
very docile.
About half way Luella sat down by