The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-07-28
A BACKSLIDER.

Rev 1CntCr lluOEs, u. D., was quite Iiif
out. His usually placid spirit was dis.
urhod Il might have been said that lac
WIS "mud us hornet " only that he, he.
ing clergyman. was not subject to Its
Of Anger like tic rest Of us. Rev Mr.
Hooks was irtitatod, howcver-clrarly and
urdis@uiscdly irritatcd--as he bounced the
tcctirg baby first on one knee and then
o. the other in a vain effort to keep it
jIlvt.
a nice occupation this for bachelor Of
tiyinity ana pastor of one of the most in
fuCntiGl churches in the ethyl
II was the injustice of the thing that ir-
iitntcd him. Try rs he might he could
not get away from this comparatively new
view Of his domestic hubits--the injustice
If it all-oxrccting him to hold his own
as Il pulpit orator while his days were
spent in 'minding'' a cross baby. No man
could hold his place in the front rank I'M
Ger such conditions.
At first, when his wife had begun to
leave the baby in his study when she went
out on her afternoon rounds, he felt proud
of her devotion to church work. Later he
had extracted pleasure from contemplating
the accomplishing way in which he re-
signed himself TO domestic duties. But
now he was ready for rebellion.
He had fine theme in his mind for next
Sundays sermon, hut the child seemed de-
tCrminCd to remain awake. He sang
"Bculuh Land" in Stun hCrous drones. and
twice had the child in its cradle, but twice
it caught him in the act and shricked at
his trcuchcry in trying to get rid of it.
At last he pumped it on rug in the
center Of the floor and strobe to the win
dow. No sign Of his wife Let the child
bawl-it would hawl anyway Mary, the
servant, was ironing in the bascment-it
wouldn't do to call her from that imror-
tant work. Her work was so much more
important than his.
Away over the house tops he could see
the stccplc OF bis church How other clergy
men cnvicd him-but if they only knew !!
If-thcy-- Spending his
week doing the work of n nursegirl (;
drawing his sermons from his inner con-
seriousness; not allowed--no, not allowed
to prepare sermons as Others did. The car
pCntCr going daily to his work is regarded
us a man by his wife, but because he didn t
pound an anvil or saw and plane boards
his wife regarded him as sort of ordained
nursegirl, a sanctifcd domestic servant
helper, and sweeping ard keeping the
house tidy was the main thing His pro-
fession was nothing, his sermons nothing,
his career nothing
lmTatiCntly he grabbed newspaper
that lay folded with nice precision on n
table and threw 1t on-thc floor That gave
him an idea. He would fare up and be
the man of the house.
Selling the BABY, lie squeezed it firmly in
his arms, ami by sheer concentration of
forces sang and rocked it to sleep He
pumped the child roughly in the cradle,
twisted coyCrlot over it and was some
what astonished to- see that it peacefully
slumGCrCd on.
"Th0t's a good start" he muttcrcd
Then he took the rag from the study floor
and tossed it into the hallway. He hated
that rug. 1t was the emblem of his seryi-
tudc as nurse.
: In drawer he found the key Of Lis
study, and putting this in his pocket re-
solved that hereafter he would lock him
self in with his books and manuscripts
three hours u day. He would run his own
house even if he had to run every body else
out Of it,
Then lie got out his hat-two or three of
his hats and brushed them furiously in
the drawing room. Mrs. Hooks never al.
lowed him to brush anything elsewhere
than in tho Kitchen. He would show her
better still, he would refuse to brush
anything anywhere, not even his waist
coat.
There" he said, throwing the whisk on
the floor, "if she wants it hung on the
wall, she can hang it on the wall Here
after | shall decline to see u whisk holder
pli, l,,I.1
the handouts that I've submitted to-.
In runnaging for II clean handkerchief
he found something
1t was n cigar.
"Her t.other Ned left this here" he
snid. ing it about in his fingers
"N.y rot? Decidedly, why notY" he re-
piled to some inward suggestion. He drew
"A handful Of nu.rhCs from "a neat holder
on the Wall, deliberately flung them in dis
or6C.' or It stand and lii the cigar.
Now, thon, let her come home and
have it ont, lie said, putting wickedly at
he cigar, n treat he had not enjoyed for
.hrce year. lie nut his heels upon the little
rc,.Ed tale. Ti.h its dainty hand painted
cD,i~iDg, and waited His wrongs trooped
complainingly before his view, and he was
filled with indignant surprise that he had
submitted as lorS rs he had.
Then he heard laughing voices at the
door. From the window he saw Mrs
Hooks and specialized lady, powerful in
raising mission funds, chatting there.
After all he said reflectively, 81
suppose this x hardly the proper thing"
and he held the cigar stub up between
thumb and finger. There's no use but
ting myself in the wrong at the outset"
He stepped out to the crate in the hall,
and with the tongs punched the cigar deep
into the hot Goals. Taking n corner of his
handkerchief in each hand, he whipped the
air TO dispel the wreaths of smoke. They
lodged this way and that guilty In quest
of hiding and then took the disguise of
air.
Looking from the window, he saw his
wife still talking with the specialized lady.
The n!atches-he mustn't leave them
tossed about, for they limited of that viii
lainous cigar Luckily women are talk
ative at parting, and so there yet remained
time to replace the whisk in the holder.
Perhaps he could even get the rug back in
its place anI, the hats-oh, yes, the hats