The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-03-04

When Mrs. Berry's accustomed din
nor hour arrived, the excitement had
taken away her appetite and she started
10 feast her eyes upon the beauties of
the art museum, which her summer
boarder, Miss Long, had dilated upon,
after the work was done and Mrs. Ber-
ry had a few moments to rest on the
! porch before bedtime. When she ar
| rived at the entrance of the museum. to
| her CONSERVATION, an admittance fee
was demanded. The doorkeeper court
! eously explained that it was pay day.
She gladly rendered her precious quar-
ter of dollar. 1t seemed to her as if
the gates of Paradise had Enclosed as
| she entered the domain of art, and to
her great Joy she found Miss Long, who
was copying a picture. Miss Long
kindly laid aside her brushes to guide
| the visitor. She conducted her to the
choicest paintings and statuary and
explained the stories they sought to
tell. Many times she was surprised at
a low interruptions: "Oh, yes, | know.
[ read about that years ago, before l
was married. l haven't had time to
| read much since
The hours sped all too fast and Mrs.
Berry found she had barely time to
reach the train. AS she was claiming
! her parcels at the check counter, the
gates closed and there was nothing to
do but wait a long three hours for the
next train. As she took her seat, a dizzy,
faint feeling came over her and she
! knew nothing more until midnight,
when she opened her eyes too weak to
ask where she was. She had never been
in a hospital before, but when she had
collected her thoughts, she knew that
she was in an institution of that kind.
y white-capped nurse administered
medicine occasionally and in the morn
ing grave cid doctor made his appear
upce.
81 didn't eat anything ali day" she
whispered, land l wanted to see the
pictures and it was pay day"
"Oh, yes, yes" exclaimed the doctor,
hastily, don't waste your strength
talking"
Jacob Berry finished his days work
and sat waiting for his wife TO come
/ and cook him a good. hot supper to
make amends for his cold dinner. The
| hours passed and finally his Indignation
gave way to real alarm, which was in
creased the next morning by the re-
ception of a telegram summoning him
to the hospital. He entered the huge
! building with awe and trepidation, but
when he saw his wife alive and looking
as usual, only a trifie paler, he felt him
self a much-abused man and as she told
! him of her visit to the art museum a
| frOwn gathered on his face, and the
alert nurse, seeing her patient was be-
coming worried, ended the brief inter
view
Jest as I expected" began Jacob, in
an aggriSved tone. as he entered the
| doctors office. She brought all this
on traipsing around after foolishness.
and here's farm work coming on and l
don's suppose she'll be able to do much
for couple of weeks"
The doctor, busy compounding medi-
cine. ignored Jacobs complaints. After
moments silence he remarked:
Your wife is hard working woman,
her hands show it," For the first time
in Jacobs life, he felt ashamed of his
wife's toil-staincd hands.
Well" replied Jacob, somewhat con-
fused, "me and my wife both work hard
and will have to as long as we are in
debt"
"Ar~r't your children old enough to
be - some help?" queried the doctor.
eve haven't any" replied Jacob.
"Then what's the use of working SO
hard?" continued the doctor.
because we're in debt" reiterated
Jacob. THE Cummins farm joins on
mine and l bought it last spring"
"Ah, indeed" exclaimed the doctor.
pee:ing over his gold spectacles and
giving his medicine bottle a shake, $50
| you had one good farm clear before you
bought this last one. and I'll warrant
money in bank, too. | know the way of
these valley farmers. / was brought
up on n farm not far from yours. know
all about the digging and pinching and
saving; and you say you have no chill
| drcn to work for, so it Just amounts to
! this: You are wearing out your wife's
/ life and your own, too, and out of every
dollar you both save, possibly you may
enjoy six cents a year and before long
some one will have your money to
spend. This trouble of your wife's has
been coming on a long time and was
brought on by hard work. 1t is FORUM
ate for you both that this breakdown
occurred here where she can he cared
for properly. It will be a good while
before she gets up and she will never be
able to work hard again"
Jacob left tine hospital, feeling very
uncomfortable. Evidently the doctor
considered him responsible for his
wife's condition.
Time hung heavily on Jacobs hands
in The long week that ensued. He had