The Republican journal., 1901-07-25
A DISCOURAGED MAN.

cts the last time I'm going to try.
Luck is against me. and I'll just give up!
:: There is no use in trying to do anything
when the odds are against YOU"
1t was John Harris who was doing the
talking. His wife was sewing buttons
on to the children's clothes after they
had gone to bed. As she held the but
tons in her mouth, to prevent their roll
ling off, she had no opportunity to an
Swer her husband, even if she had the
inclination.
MI. Harris resumed
| I'm clean discouraged, that's what |
I am! OF course, don't think of myself
Mrs. Harris lip curled little, and
one button escaped and rolled under the
table-'1t's you and the children I'm
worried about another button rolled
away-'and if it wasn't for leaving you
alone, Mary, I'd"
He did not finish what he was saying,
as just then Mrs. Harris coughed, and
all the buttons flew out of her mouth.
lis it such bad failure?" she asked,
presently. She was darning the chill
dren's stockings, having sewed on all
the fugitive buttons.
''Itcouldn't be worse. When mans
partner takes all the money out of the
business and skips to foreign country,
everybody hounds him to death as if he
had been dishonest. All the creditors
are clamoring for their money, not be-
cause they need it, hut because haven't
got it. It's no use, Mary; I'm ruined
man, and I'm going to find way out of
it ALL
''How?" asked Mrs. Harris, calmly,
although the long, slender needle she
/ 1rac froy h1o1 md vii tod in, har
hand.
. There are more ways than one," he
answered, significantly. 81 shall not
live to see you want, or to be burden
on you and the children. There is no
dishonor attached to my name now.
! We have lived within our means, and
| tried honestly to succeed. 1t was rash,
l suppose, to embark all in one venture
and lose it,
You have not lost all, suggested his
wife; you have health, wife, and chill
dren, and an unblemished character"
| Poor capital these" returned her
husband, gloomily. mo, I'm going to
give up. l tell you, Mary, I'm a dis
couraged man! You don't know what
it is to endure business worries; women
are sheltered and protected from all
those annOyances."
"Are they" answered Mrs. Harris,
with dry lips. She had done the work
of three women that day. She had been
cook, and nurse, now she was seam
stress. She had cut and contrived,
counted pennies, and was engaged to
give music lessons to the doctors daugh-
ter to offset their last years bill. Her
whole frame quivered with the pain of
Jared and tangled nerves. But it had
never entered into her mind that she
dared to complain.
doe the Next Thynge' was the mot
to she had framed and hung up where
she could see it many times a day.
AS | say continued her husband,
aftera time of gloomy thought, there's
way out of it, and many man has
prosecuted by mob of circumstances
If | was out of the way, you and the
children would have enough to live on
comfortably the rest of your lives. It's
only anticipating our final fate by few
months or years
Mrs. Harris folded the last pair of
stockings and laid them neatly away
A little smile lowered about her lips.
John she said, in firm voice, 81
have last favor to ask of you"
what is it, Nary"
Don't die in the house,
Before the aStonished man could
speak, she continues:
Because it would be so unpleasant
for the children and for me. 1t is our
home. | have the deed of it in my pos
session, sent to me by my father yester-
day. And | should hate to have any
unpleasant associations connected with
it. | should very much dislike to have
you buried at the four corners near here,
with stake driven through you, though
people would soon forget that we ever
belonged to you. For would not own
to being the widow of a coward, or let
my children bear his name. And even
if you were not held responsible, |
should be responsible. | should be
ashamed to think you had written your
own epitaph, Here lies a discouraged
man.
John Harris was dumb with surprise.
81 KNOW continued his wife, that
it is favorite thing for men to say that
they will get out of it all, and that
women do not realize how desperate the
situation is, and lot more rubbish they
ought to be ashamed Of
John tried to speak, but his wife had
the floor.
cit is only a coward who would take
refuge in death, and leave his wife and
children to fight the battle of life alone.
And right here, John, | want that sub
ject to end forever. 1t is hard enough
to live with man who is chronically dis
couraged, but when he hints at getting
out of it, object"
John Harris never again made any
vague and improbable threats, but took
the dilemma of business by both horns
ana practically mastered it. Nor has
his wife ever heard him declare since
that evening that he is ga discouraged
mar" Detroit Free Press.
Miss Anderson will Christen the Maine.
The matter of the selection of a