The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-07-24
HER DAY OF LIBERTY.
BY LENA 3. THOMPSON.

MES. I idItD tITttnt llIldp ntI Stl1
4 much-abused woman as she hustled
about in her tidy kitchen one bright au-
,umn morning I'm nothing but
household drudge-a drudge and moth
Ing else! Who ever thinks 4 need
bit of pleasuring!" and here her
thoughts wandered 20 what her neigh
nor, Mrs. Mallory, had said, and which
vas the real cause of her discomfort.
~ on don't never go nowhere, do you,
Mis- Greene? Why. if 1 couldn't go to
the city every week, L should feel way
out of the world. You can't keep in
" ith the prevailing style if you don
see nobody but the village folks"-and
then she told of the grand flower show
IN the great Casino, where every body
as Is anybody" went, and of the new
cape and bonnet she had bought in
town.
Though Mrs. Greene was as we'll off
rs her neighbor, she did her own house
work, preferring to save in that way
mething for 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 prodigahty and elegance caused
Ier to feel quite superior to her neigh
Eors.
Martha Greene was a devoted wife,
and usually thought the work she now
called ''drudgery" the most delightful
thing in the world-for she enjoyed
hnunsa for (ialah xham
sne had married two years previous.
OF late a spirit of discomfort had grad
uaIly 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 ii, but now
there was no really good reason why
she should not 60. As the busy season
for the farmers had come, when she
asked Caleb to drive her to town he did
not see hows he could leave his work
for even a day.
He might go if he only thought so.
] wonder how he would feel to come
home some day and not find me here to
wait on him. Perhaps he might realize
then that / need a little amusement
once in awhile, after working from
morning till night. 1 believe I'll try
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 enioyment 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
is 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 tale
of woe" to any sympathizing listener.
Hastily giving her cup of tea and
telling her she was very busy, Martha
left the poor woman to wonder what
had come over Mrs. Greene who
was alters SO good to body"
On her way to the station to catch the
noon train for the city she avoided the
public highway and took path less
freauented, 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 ne would wait at the
Travellers inn talking over farm mat
ters with kindred spirits; then what a
cozv drive homeward they had to-
sether. 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 u
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 was
ringing the noon hour
..Nhat will Caleb do when he hhds lhe
little note by his plate? she n,nrhu,en %
,o herself. Gone to the city ana nei
name was all she had written "hii
- he 60 yexed that he viii not meet
me at the station when the evening
train arriyes?" But she had not toio
him when she was coming back YET ns
.nnst know that she would not stay
The CITY over night Somehow, the mors