Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1901-08-08
CHAPTER I.
THE WORLD NEEDS LOVE.

back to the old question: What are
we to do? You know l am not strong
enough to keep house alone. We can't
afford to break up our home and go
into a hotel, and yet it seems almost
the only thing left to do. What shall
we do?"
81 don't understand why all our girls
stay so short time!" exclaimed Mr..
Ward, irritably. And then he looked
across the table at his wife, and his
look softened little as he noted more
carefully her tired face and the traces
of tears on her cheeks.
"Oh, | don't understand it! All
know is that they are all simply hor-
aid. l do everything for them and
never get anything but ingratitude
from every one of them! The idea OF
Maggie leaving me to-day of all the
days, just when Aunt Wilson was com
ing. and Alfred home from college, and
Lewis down with his accident; it is
more than l can bear, Richard. If you
were any sort of man, you would
know what to dol"
"Well, am any sort of man, and
don't know in the least what to do, re-
piled Mr.. Richard Ward to himself, as
his wife laid her head down on the
table, regardless of several dishes
overturned, and broke into sobs as
relief to her feelings which had been
growing in hysterical power ever since
Maggie, the hired girl, had that morn
ing not only given notice of her de-
parture but had actually left, after
brief but heated discussion about the
.housework in the Ward family.
The two children al the table turned
frightened looks first at the father and
then at the mother, and the youngest
OF them began to cry.
Stop that, CARL" exclaimed Mr..
Ward, sharply. Then, as he pushed
back his plate with the food on it un-
touched, he muttered to himself:
'|I'm losing all my Christianity over
this miserable hired-girl business. It's
breaking up our home life and wreck
ing the JOY of our very children"
The child's lip curled in piteous eff
fort at control and the older one be-
gan eating again, looking from father
to mother anXiously.
Mr. Ward rose, and, going over to his
wife, he sat down by her and stroked
her head gently.
There, Martha, you are all worn
out. just go into the sittingroom and
lie down. George and / will do up the
dishes, won't we, George? Wen play
hired girl tonight, won't we?"
LET me help, tool" cried Carl.
"Yes, you can help, too. Finish your
supper, and We'll have a jolly time
washing and wiping. Now, Martha
you go in and lie down. Wen get
things Strengthened out somehow"
Mrs. Ward feebly protested, but al
lowed her husband to lead her into the
sitting-room, where she sank down or
a lounge.
''Pve got splitting headache, Rich
ard; leave the dishes until morning
You're tired with your business"
"No, l don't like to see them lying
around. Besides, dirty dishes have ;
way of growing with miraculous rapid
ity when the girls gone and things &C
to pieces like this" he said, with {
lapse into irritation again.
It's not my fault" exclaimed Mrs
Ward, sharply. Carl, stop that noise,
she added as Carl began to gather VI
some of the dishes, piling the bigges
plates on the little ones and lettin.
several knives and forks clatter to tn
floor in his eagerness to help.
Don't be always nagging the chill
dren, Martial" said Mr.. Ward, angrily
losing his temper for the tenth tim
that evening. The other times he hat
lost it silently.
cts always: Stop that noise!' from
hnr OF
George as he tried to pick up tn
knives and forks quietly, and let then
drop twice before he had them back Of
the table.
"See me help! See me help!" sun
Carl as he started towards the kitche
door with his arms full of dishes Th
pile was too heavy for his strength
and, as he neared the door the colum
began to topple, it balanced for me
ment on the edge of safety, and the
fell with a crash. The child looked a
the ruin a moment in terrified silence
then sat down on the floor and bega
TO cry.
Mrs. Ward sat up on the lounge an
looked at her husband almost sa,
agely.
Richard Ward, if you don't do some
thing to change all this"
She did not finish her sentence, bu
lay down and turned her face to tn
wall in despair. And Richard Ward, Q
the firm of Mead, Ward and Compan,
known in business circles as a goot
agreeable, and fairly successful mel
chant, and in church circles as a col
kistent member and active Christia
man, turned from his wife and wer
out into the dining-room with a loo
on his face that his minister had ne We
seen, and feeling in his heart tha
was good way from being wha
might be expected in a man who wa
''ln good and regular standing" in th