Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-11-08

MYTH shadow OF 1mpatlence on
wv her wrinkled brow. Mrs. Page
tossed the garment she was mending
on the table and leaned YEARLY back
in the old-fashioned willow rocking
chair. Turning to her husband, who
sat by the window reading, she said,
complainingly:
Dear mel Jonas, I believe I've got
one O. the worst headaches I've had
In many a day. An there's SIGH a
stitch in my left side, I really"
THAR We go it ag'in. Car'hnyl" ex-
claimed Mr.. Page, irritabiy, as he
crushed the newspaper in his hand
and flung 1t into the rack above his
head. 81 vow never saw the beatl
Wimmen are curious critters-allers
maxim SIGH great how-d'-ye-do bout
nothin'. Got some new ache or pain
ev'ry mint of the day. Then they be
forever whinin' an tellin' We of it!
Ye never hear none O. us men groanin'
over ev'ry triflin' thing that happens
to U.S."
'Now, Jonas, We know better'n that
but We alters was so unreasonable; no
symp'thy for anybody, an no feelin's
morn stick O. woodi II I'd had
the least idee in my girlhood days
how heartless you was, never would
hev married"
Lam sakes, Car'liny! don't din that
old story into my ears ag'n! Three
hundred an sixty-five days in the
year, I've heard we singin' it regular,
till 1 kin repeat the hull bis'nss, word
for word. If I'm heartless an crool,
as We 'cuse me of bein', it's yer COINS
on like this what's made me. Ev'ry-
body has his own ills to bear an
amt exempted from 'em more'n ys
be, vet I amt a-tellin' ye of it all the
time. Mother thing, firmly believe
it's over half Imagination that ails
ye-ye let yer mind git too much
control over yer body!"
AS these haunting remarks left his
lips, the ill-natured spouse seized his
hat and flounced out Of the house
slamming the door behind him.
Two silent, unbidden teardropf
trickled gently down the thin, faded
cheeks of Mrs. Page, as she bent faI
forward and resumed her sewing.
"Mebbe 1 am rather fretful," she
said to herself, thoughtfully. iii try
to keep my troubles to myself after
this; but it's hard to git NO pity wher
ones feelin' so miser'ble.
Jonas alters looks to me for sym
pity, when he's SICK" she continued
Hell go to his bed an take on an
hev me wait on him; with me III
attentive got to keep workin
away, no matter how bad 1 feel
Imagination! Jess you wait till Jonas
Page has his next ailin' spell an SCI
how I'll symp'thize with him!"
Her eyes cleaned and glowed, ant
her lips closed tightly with a peculiar
twitch of determination.
Nothing more was seen OF JONAS
until he came to supper. He appeared
somewhat disconsolate and had hi
left hand wrapped up in his red ban
dana handkerchief. He didn't sa.
anything when he removed the GOV
ering and an ugly, ragged wound, ex
tending half way across the palm, wa
disclosed to view. He looked consid
erably disappointed, however, whel
he found that the sight of it attracted
only passing glance from "Car'liny,
and didn't even arouse her womanl,
curiosity enough to inquire how /
had happened.
How tantalizing she could act. Sh
didn't offer to assist him in binding
it up, let alone express regret at 1T
occurrence, but stood by the stow
dishing up the potatoes as uncon
cernedly as though nothing out of tn
usual had taken place.
Jonas heaved a heavy sigh an
walked silently into the pantry, wher
ON the little corner shelf he procure
a strip of court plaster with whicl
he carefully drew the edges of tn
wound together.
The evening meal was eaten i
moody silence. Jonas always dram
two cups of tea, but rather than max
the first "break in the ice" by askin
for the cup to be replenished, he GO
along with one. All the time he KEEP
wondering what could possibly hav
accustomed this remarkable alteratio
in his wife's department; he fnall
came to the conclusion it was OWN
to the indifference he had manifesto
concerning her headache.
"This kind o. actin Is somethil
new" he grumbled. on his way to tn
barn to finish the chores. III she
so sensitive as to git her back u
bout a trifin' piece O. nonsense lii
that, she kin jest keep it there! II
only time l ever got down on m
knees to her was when l popped II
marriage question; an now If s.
thinks that by goin' round with
pout on her face, she'll git me to ba
down an eat,humble pie, she's bark
up the wrong tree. When L say
thing, it's said fer all time!"
His hand was exceedingly sore;
was continually in his way and ever
thing he attempted to do he injur
it aBew.
At length when he seated hims'
beside the brindle cow and devot
himself 10 the milking, which ia
he had to perform with a single har
his temper got quite beyond his ma
agemeut.
"Lan' sakesl" he sputtered, Ca
liny don't seem to care no more
me than If / was some scalawag dc
If she had one spark O. kindness, s
would hev offered her services WI
the chores. She might a-doDe
milkin' anyway"
While conducting this one-sld
conversation, he proceeded to extra
the milk with quick, savage jerks a
! o-4s,alxy f0r00f IN anr0rd the wort