The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1898-12-13

Mr.. Jones missing
the train to the city two days before
Christmas. A heavy snow and RAIN
storm had come up in the night, and in
the morning the suburb of Jonesvillc
was a thing of beauty to the eye, but q
thing of discomfort to the feet of Pc
destrians, especially to those who must
catch the early morning train to the
city. Breakfast had been little late;
the coffee had been poor, the mullins
underdone and the eggs overdone; the
jdining-room was cold and Mr.. Jones in
one Of his most irritable humors. Had
his wife been at the breakfast table he
would have INDUCED in few sarcastic
remarks about the incompetence of
women to manage a household or to
train and direct servants, but the poor
woman had not come down owing to
the fact that the baby had Weakened and
iset up a loud demand for attention just
rs the breakfast bell rang. Little Rob-
bic, three years old, had come down
stairs half dressed and had been sent
back with sharp reprimand and
must it be confessed-a sharp slap on
his little bare legs. Yes, Mr.. Jones was
an educated, Christian gentleman, but
all the same he slapped his little son so
smartly that the child cried out with
pain and started to climb the stairs to
his mother. For moment Mr.. Jones
realized the atrocity of his act and it's
utterly unwalranted nature, and then,
he excused himself to his conscience by
saying that he was naturally irritable,
and that cold house, a poor breakfast
and the prospect of wading through
the unbrolSen snow drifts TIC the train
were too much for human nature-his
human nature-to bear. AS he thus ex-
cused himself his temper began to rise
again, and just before leaving the
house he called to his wife from the foot
of the stairs:
Tell that old fool Hans that if he
can't manage the furnace so as to get
the house warm in the morning he can
get another job" Then, remembering
that for several days his wife had been
telling him that something about the
furnace was wrong that Hans could not
fix, and had asked him to see about it,
he hurried off to avoid hearing her re-
ply. He knew his wife would feel badly
TO have Robbie hear his father cali
names ard exploit his ill-temper, but
Mr. Jones was in that very common,
very human, yet very cruel frame OF
mind that finds a satisfaction in vent
ing its discomfort and ill-temper on
some other human being; and although
he loved his wife and was in the main
kind husband, yet when he was in one
of his irritable spells" she was usually
thevictim.
1t was good half mile to the station,
and when Mr.. Jones reached it he was
in glow of perspiration, besides be-
ing almost exhausted with his walk
through the deep unbroken snow. Ar.
irving there, he learned what he had
not suspected before, that the stor1a
was one OF the heaviest and most dis
astrous of the season; that wires were
down in all directions and that no
trains had passed or were likely to pass
for some hours. The alternative
seemed to be either to stay in the cold
and dismal station or to return home.
The idea of a morning at home was not
very alluring to Mr.. Jones. He was at
home SO little except on Sundays that
he really felt quite awkward and out Of
place there at any time but evenings
and Sundays. Then he had not forgot
ten the encounter with Robbie, nor for
given the household management for
the poor breakfast and the cold house.
4 Just at this juncture neighbor
- E,,I
cutter, filed with furs. His horses
were full of life and spirit and their sill
yer bells jingled merrily on the frosty
air. He was accompanied by his wife,
whose rosy cheeks, sparkling eyes and
merry smile told of her enjoyment of
the ride. On learning the state of af-
fairs regarding the trains, he said:
sWell, wife, it's no use fretting; there
mayn't be train till noon. Let's GO
home and get the children and have a
jolly sleigh-ride. 1t will be real lark
to have an extra morning with them.
Here, Jones, jump in and We'll take you
home"
Mr.. Jones climbed into the sleigh,
well pleased to be saved the laborious
walk home. But what affected him
most was the unaffected good humot
of his friend and his friends wife
Both were enthusiastically remarkin9
on the beauty of the morning, the trees
covered with icicles to the tip of every
slender, leafess branch; on the bright
ness and intense blue of the sky; or
the feathery snowdrifts piled on every
side. Mr.. Jones had noticed none Of
these things; he had been affected only
by the inconvenience of the walking
and the loss of his day in the city. But
such good humor as that shown by his
neighbors was contagious, and, since
his attention was directed to it, he real
ICED that the snow-covered landscape
was truly magnificent. mo artist
could ever begin to represent its beau
ty," said his neighbours wife. "Wha'
were all the art galleries@of the wor't
compared to this?"
By the time Mr.. Jones was set dow