The Afro-American advance., 1899-09-09
Earninq His Bride by the
Sweat of His Brow
BY Tom Hall.
By TOM Hall.

which she calls ian experimental wooing."
The plan is that the two young people un-
der the eyes Of herself. her already mar
riad niece and her husband. Jane and Alex
kelsey (ehristened by her the Utter Fall
hlres," because of their frivolous tenden-
eies). shall practice housekeeping in cot
tage provided by her. from breakfast un-
III supper time each day. returning to their
respective homes In the evening. They.are
10 live and pay all expenses on an allowance
Ii the rate of LOCO year, Laura to at
lend 10 the work of the household assist
ed by one servant. and Ned to engage in
one useful occupation, such money as he
barns to be given to ths poor If at the
md of the summer they are aot tired of
bach other and stand the further test of
Separation, to which she viii then subject
&hem, she will give her consent At the
me OF this reading, the plan Is already in
peration, Cicely Brown, a yohng Vas
ar graduate, interested in sociologic stud
; and author OF Monograph on Dones-
C Service" being engaged as maid of all
FORK Ned Wilson. one of the subjects
the experiment. is the narrator
HERE was but one thing TO mar
our complete enjoyment of our
Aunt's whim. That was the propri-
Atary interest which she and the Utter
Failures" took in it. They were omni-
present.
We could be alone in peace and quiet
Nowhere. In fact, between the three
Of them / had little or no time to pay
any of the ordinary devotions to Laura.
On one of those few occasions when
found such time / was rudely inter
rupted by Aunt Alice.
HNed," she asked, "how much of your
ailowance have you spent so far?"
j had to confess that did not know.
"And when are you going to get TO
work?' she continued. l could not
make answer in this case, either. had
forgotten all about it.
The next day l went forth in search
u work. l commenced with the higher
grades of business, as matter of
Course. l found, however, that no
bank presidents were needed at that
fime; that merchants did not at that
particular moment require a manager
3or their affairs; that even the most
ble lawyers did not require a senior
partner. who had never been admitted
% the bar: and that the most able
physician in town could attend to his
practice with the aid of couple of
Young doctors.
The next day / aimed lower. / sim
ply had to. | went in for lower posi-
fions. / even offered myself as clerk
In one of the stores. 1t was useless.
went down through the various grades
with equal success, or rather lack of it.
Finally l approached the coal and wood
man TO whom l had just raid n steep
bill for coal for our own house. sup
pose he thought me crazy. He told me
was not strong enough TO do any OF
The work he had to do. But after had
pleaded with him awhile he made me
hn offer-actually made me an offer.
IIe even went so far as to give me a
choice of work. He told me that
could go to work at once driving coal
wagon, or that he could give me a
chance to earn at least some money by
saving wood. He had to depend on a
few loafers around town to saw wood
4 for him, and. as rule, they were
drunk when he most wanted them. He
did not believe would get drunk, and
would, therefore, give me the contract
10 do all his wood-sawing. l thank
fully accepted the offer, and agreed
hever to disappoint him. The matter
pf remuneration was easily settled, and
agreed to his first offer, which seemed
10 please him. 1t really did not matter
10 me, as whatever / earned was TO go
10 charity, oand IL the amount was not
Sufficient TO satisfy Aunt Alice, / could
easily make it up out of my own pocket.
There was nothing in my agreement
with her to prohibit that.
"Well," said the coal and wood man,
stake off your coat and go TO work.
You'll find the best bucksaw in town
4 hanging on that nail over there. When
4 you find blisters on your hands, just
go right on as IL nothing had happened.
After awhile your hands will get used
to H. and you won't need to wear kid
gloves any more"
81 think" i answered. with some
hehitation. that I'll take my work
home with me-"
"What?" he roared. take your
work home with you? What do you
think you're doing-plain sewing or
washing and ironing? You're a big
ger fool than ! thought you were"
mot at ALL l answered. getting
rather angry. Il prefer to do the work
at home. and if ! pay for having the
wood drawn to my house and back
again surely you can have no objec-
ton"
The coal and wood man uttered pro-
longed whistle.
"Well. you are a queer one" he said.
"But il doesn't make any difference to
me where you do the work so long as
You do il. And If you want TO pay for
having IL drawn back and forth, why
that's Just so much more business for
my teams. But / don't see how you're
going to make living going at 1t that
way"
l did not try TO enlighten him. but
closed the bargain at once, and that
afternoon his teams began hauling
wood to our yard.
''You see," | said to Laura, when |
Explained matters TO her, "by this ar
raagement / can be near you all day
long. And then saving wood is nice.
elean work, and will be splendid ex-
ercise.''
Il The dear girl saw the point at once,
Nand approved my decision heartily.
She even tore up two of her flower beds
to make room for me TO work in near
the house.