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

Luke Marpcd was neither better no
worse than the general run of mortals
and Mrs. Sarah Marpod, his wife, was
as the world goes, very fair sample o
q woman. Luke Marpod was a farmer
hence Sarah Marpod was farmers wife;
hotn hard-worSng. unsophisticated
peop'e, conscientiouslv pursuing tine
straie ht path of life, while, on the other
hand, little keener insight into human
nature and its motives might have
shielded them from macy a blow, and
materially aided their right economy.
In spite Of hard work they advanced
slowly in the acquisition of home com.
forts. Disappoiutments and misfortunes
accumulated with pitiful rapid,ty and
froze the fountains of domestic happi.
ness. Before marriage the happiest of
couples, they looked with sangulne hope
to the future, not expecting great re-
wards, but trusting III Providence and
loving each other ferventiy.
They never mad lovers quarrel and
the idea of pos;-nuptial disa ere ements
dawned not upon their youthful lma2i-
nation. A comfortable no ne, conrel t.
ment ard love was all they bargalned
for; all they sought, and surely fate
might Sield this To any one who means
veil AMI thinks honorab'y.
Thus they thought, and thus they ex-
pectei it would be, but the path of life
runs continually into tue dark. What
jagged rocks may pierce the ieet OF the
bio b, ,r,b,. o. f.
tell. We can only judge by the light OF
the past, and to people of limited ex-
perience this light is line SO narrow AS
not to reveal the rocks and thorns Cd
sither side.
Luke Marpod was simple, honest aud
narrow-minded. Mrs. Marpod wa.
was simple, honest and narrow -minde
a:so, and perhaps the trouble lay in this
very uniformity of tastes and tempera.
uent.
Luke's little farm was mortgaged Al
that Sarah received from her father
disappeared in twinkling aud left no
trace or footprint. Their first season
was bad one; crops were a general tall
ure aud weeds aud creditors arose Oh
.very side.
The neighbors, who always liked
Luke's conscientious good nature, began
to look askance at him, tor they saw the
tables turned, and, paradoxical as it may
appear, found it much more convenient
to be Luke's creditor than his debtor.
As time passed without bettering their
condition and creditors became impor-
IL. l.
over their troubles and occasionally find
ing fault with the ways and means of the
other, which might never have led to
anything serious had the second years
crop proved a good one and helped to
make I'D for the deficiencies of the first.
This, however, was not the case, for,
whereas, the year before the drought had
baked the soil and scorched the growing
blades of wheat and rye, the second year
1t began to rain in April-a very good
prognostication, everybody thought, OF
q bountiiul harvest, but Pluvus, having
other aims in view, refused to recognize
limits and give the farmers time to plow
and SOW. Through April, May and June
the rain poured down incessantly, day
after day, until at last all hopes were
abandoned and the Marpods entered
upon their second year of infelicity.
Luke, who began to think that the
cause of all his troubles lay in his mar
rage, was rash enough one day to mint
the same, and recei ved a retort from his
spouse that reused his latent dignity OF
marital lordship. Words were ex-
changed, and the result of their first pro-
nounced disagreement ended by Lukes
slamming the door behind him, and 60
ing hastily across the lot after the COWS.
That night he whipped the dog for let
ting the brindle heifer escape through
the bars into the cornield. had trouble
with the same member Of the bovine
genius at milking time, and rose wrath
fully to his feet after extricating the
cows hoof from the milk pail, to swear
an unmistakable oath for the first time
in his life. Then he beat the animal and
made such hubbub that Sarah came In
hot haste to remonstrate on his brutality.
s.Shut up; mind your business, will
vou2" shouted Luke, as he hurled the
milking stool after the COW and chased
her around the yard.
The same evening Mrs. Marpod, con.
doing over the loss of milk, gave vent
to her indignation at her other haifs
carelessness, and the quarrel was re-
aewed with vigor.
These first storm clouds IN the 90.
mestic atmosphere soon cleared away
hut each had discovered the others lack
of infallibility, and accordingly, while
Luke lost little of manly pride, Sarah
loet slso in gentleness of disposition. .
For more than month all went well.
but aggravating things will happen. e.
oecially during harvest time when
reapers and mowers are constantly get
ting out of repair. Luke one day went
tn cut wheat in a field from which every
stone and stump had been carefully
eradicated. The sky was lowering and
he wished to finish before storm.
Around and around the field went the
horse, faster and faster fell the grain be
fore the sickle. Luke's blood was
warming with hope. when suddenly,
smash-chunk-ch went tue ma
chine and the horses were jerked vlo-
leutly lack upon their launches. Ihe
h,o cast iron seat hurled Luke cleaI
.cross the sickle lar into tne grain.
Scrambline to MS feet he found thai
a sad accident had happened. A large
atone had been lifted to the surface Of
the ground and left for removal. lie
had forgotten all about it, aud hence a
serious loss of time right In the DuSy
season.
II took several days to obtain repairs,