The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-04-07
a BACKs'LIDER.

y Rev Tenter Hooks, B. D., was quite put
out His usually placid spirit was dis
turbed. It might have been said that be
was "mad as q hornet" only that he be-
ing clergyman, was not subject to fits
Of anger like the rest of US. Rev. Mr..
+ Hooks was irritated, however-clearly and
undisguisedly irritated-as he bounced the
teething baby first on one knee and then
on the other In vain effort to keep II
quiet. I'LL.
A nice occupation this for bachelor Of
divinity and pastor of one Of the most in
fuential churches in the cityl
1t was the injustice Of the thing that ir'
ritated him. Try as he might he could
not get away from this comparatively new
view Of his domestic habits-the injustice
4, Of 1t all--expecting him to hold his own
as a pulpit orator while his days were
spent in "minding' cross baby. No man
could hold his place in the front rank I'M
der such conditions. t
At first, when his wife had begun tc
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, but the child seemed de.
termined to remain awake. He sang
"Beulah Land" in slumberous drones, and
. 4 Al. d.. -. f,.,;,
1t caught him in tho act and shrieked at
his trcachery in trying to get rid of 1t.
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 bawl anyway! Mary, the
servant, was ironing in the basement--it
wouldn't do to call her from that impor.
tant work. Her work was SO much more
important than his.
Away over the house tops he could sec
the stceple of his church. How other clergy.
men cnvied him--but if they only knew
If-they-only-knew Spending his
week doing the work of Dursegirl;
drawing his sermons from his inner con.
seriousness; not allo~ed--no, not allowed
to prepare sermons as Others did. The car
penter going daily to his work Is regarded
as a man by his wife, but tk:ause he didn't
pound IN anvil or saw and plane boards
his wife regarded him as sort of ordained
nursegirl, sanctifled domestic servant
He was in her sight an assistant house
helper, and sweeping and keeping the
house tidy was the main thing. His pro.
fession was nothing, his sermons nothing,
his career nothing!
Imraticntly he grabbed newspaper
that lay folded with nice precision on a
table and threw 1t on the floor That gave
him an idea. He would flare up and be
the man of the house.
Selling the baby, he squeezed it firmly in
his arms, and by sheer concentration Of
forces sang and rocked it to sleep. He
pumped the child roughly in the cradle,
twisted coverlet over it and was some.
what astonished to see that it peacefully
slumbered on. 'i ~
THAT'S u good start" he muttered
Then he took the rug from the study floor
and tossed it into the hallway. He hated
that rug. 1t was the emblem of his seryi.
tude as nurse. a-. ,.IN IT.
In drawer he found the key of his
study, and putting this in his pocket re.
solved that hereafter he would lock him
self in with his books and manuscripts
three hours day. He would run his own
house even If he had to run every body else
out of 1T.
Then he 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 the 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 whisk holder,
or slipper holder, or any other Of the
the handouts that I've submitted to-
In rummaging for "a clean handkerchief
he found something.
TWAS cigar. ~ owl.
"Her brother Ned left this here" he
said, turning it about in his fingers.
"Why not? Decidedly why motif" he re
piled to some inward suggestion. He drew
handful of matches from neat holder
on the wall, deliberately flung them in dis
order on stand and lit tho cigar.
Now, then, let her come home and
have it out" he said, putting wickedly at
the cigar, Il treat he had not enjoyed for
threoyears. He put his heels upon the little
round table, with its dainty hand PAINTED
covering, and waited His wrongs trooped
complainingly before his view, and he was
filled with indignant surprise that he had
submitted as long MS he had
Then he heard laughing voices at the
door. From the window he saw Mrs
Hooks and a specialized lady, powerful in
raising mission funds, chatting there
after ALL" he said reficctively, ~
suppose this is hardly the proper thing"
and Eo held the cigar stub up between
thumb and finger. THERE'S no use put
ting myself in the wrong at the outset"
He stepped out to the grnto in the hall,
and with the tongs punched the cigar deep
into the hot Goals. Taking corner Of his
handkerchief in each hand, he whipped the
air to dispei 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 matchCs-he mustn't leave them
tossed about, for they limited of that vii
famous cigar Luckily women are talk
ative at parting, and so there yet remained
timo to replace the whisk in the holder.
Perhaps he could even get the rug back in
its place, and the hats-oh, yes, the hats
he had nearly forgotten them. Good-not
u trace left. "No use letting her see that
I've been in passion" he muttercd.
"Wcll, dear, is the little pet sleeping2"
inquired Mrs. Hooks, 1uttering a-tiptoe
to the cradle.
Eyes dear, he said.
"The wee darling!' she gloated. "Did
you change him?"