The Afro-American advance., 1899-08-26
THE CONVERSION OF
CAROLINE MERRITT
TFoRD MERRITT was certainly
By Harriet Carl Cox.


I HF0RD MERRITT was certainly
most cxpasperatinR man. In this,
for n wonder. the whole village con
CURED, with the exception Of his wife.
She maintained silence on the subject,
which was best, perhaps, inasmueh as
Ahe was the cause Of II ALL
"He-he's the most down-trodden
and meek sort o. man you ever set eyes
on. and IL Amt right that II should be
so" Mrs. Blake declared, as Lyford
Merritt. then under discussion, shuiiled
along the dusty road. Its dreadful to
see q man so suppressed" she sighed.
1T amt nature one bit.
''some men are born meek and would
rather Il woman'd go ahead and boss
the house and him, too. and then you
don't blame 'em, but Lyford amt that
kind. Fore his wife got hold Of him
he used TO be as up and coming Us any
one"
slight flush spread over her thin
cheeks as she felt "a critical glance upon
her.
THAT was the time he came n-court-
ing you, s'pose7" 2" her guest remarked
blandly. II always heard you had
some sort of words aud then he took up
with the new schpol-teacher and mar
ried her right away fore your face and
eyes"
Mrs. Blake beat her cake vigorously.
''Iie amt done nothing but he set
on ever since" she declared nj length,
80 that he amt himself at all. And
that's what's 80 exasperating. No man
with any natural stand-up To him ought
TO give in the way he does. That's
what's the trouble. lie seems 10 think
it's all right"
She poured the cake into n tin and
showed II Into the oven and shut the
door with IA bang.
We've all had spells Of talking to
him." She went on, "hnt there. IL amt
no earthly good. He always sits So
good.natured and kind o. mods his head
as II agreeing. and when you come
10 stop, he looks up with his blue eyes
aud says: Well, well, you don't under.
stand. II may seem kind o. hard some
timcs 10 outsiders. Mis- Blake. but then
you Ace. she's got the nerves
Nerves." scornfully. "As II any of
us couldn't get up that kind o. nerves
II we wanted TO. lisa mighty nice way
10 rule the house. When her husband
wants TO do anything. lt's always
nerves. She can't stand this aud she
can't stand that. and she won't even
let him sic down at the table In his
shirt sleeves, cause that makes her
nervous, too. wns there once when
he most forget and the look she gave
him was something awful. Hen said
he'd get divorced right away II he had
such wife.
"hut Lyford. he just stands IL nj.
ways, and lis terrible exasprrating."
She gave another glance out OF the
window. Lyford Merritt was not I'm
sight Unconscious of his nelghbor's
scrutiny and comment. he slowly
crossed the stuhbly field and made hls
way 20 the barn. There he deposited
the packages from the store. aud then
went 20 the woodpilc, lie seemed In
sort OF brown study aud his movements
were uncertain.
"lt aint right for a man not Ia be
master In his own house" lie ruminat.
ed as II the sentiment had just been i'm.
pressed upon his mind. ''It really amt.
and ! am going Co assert myself"
The thought caused stick 90 drop
from his arms. lie hastily picked II up
with backward glance over his shouI.
der
II wouldn't do anything TO hurt Caro-
line for anything in this world. OF
course, wouldn't. She's a good wife
very good wife 10 me. and I'm thank.
tul I've got such a good wife. and
hope mike her a good husband"
lie paused and slowly laid two more
sticks onto his burden aud walked 90.
ward the woodhouse.
And I've been thinking that perhaps
u Amt good for her Co have me always
giving In 10 her" he continued a. he
returned for a second load II read
somewhere the other day that women
was hks horses. They like 10 haze their
own way longs they can. but " aen you
make EN- mind they 20 all thv better.
Not that ! should ever try and make
Carolin.. mind" lie paused arhast
sbnt perhaps II ! kinder took things
for grated tina, she wouldn't mind my
doing iaorr things. could do 'cm and
she'd Ike H.
I'm going 10 try anyway"
II was undeniahie that ivfard Mer.
rltts heart beat somewhat faster than
usual as IL nearrd three o'clock ON the
following afternoon. The town com.
rniitee had ordained 10 have an extra
meeting II WAS usually held at the
Perkins, but Mrs. Perkins Was sick.
and 40 Lyford had generously asked
them 10 come thore.
A few had already gathered aud we're
"a sitting Ia the shade of the big elm.
- tthsrs could be seen coming down the
sd dsa'
II supaose We might a. we'll ga in.
u hrE there are 80 many OF us already. !"
aek yfo.d remarked.
3 SILT was an unwriften law that the
sss,ings Of the eommittee should al.
Bo