The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-01
A New Year Resolution.
MARY E. Wilkins in the Peoples Home
Journal

l1hdry f. wilkins In the Peoples Home
Journal
My brother Lemuel married Mehita-
Bile Pierce when he was quite along in
years. Nobody thought he'd ever get
married at all, any more'n my brother
Reuben and Silas. The three had lived
together and kept bachelors hall ever
since our mother died. 1 was married
and away from home long before she
died didn't know how they would get
along at first but all of the boys had
been used to helpin' ma a good deal,
and they were real handy, and when
| asked If they wasn't goin' to have
housekeeper, they wouldn't hear to it.
They said they wasn't going to have no
strange women round In mas place,
nohow. So Silas he took hold and did
the WaShln and irOnin' and Reuben did
the sweepin', and Lemuel, he was the
youngest, next to me, did the eookin'.
he could cook dinner equal to any
woman, and his pies beat mine. My
husband said SO. and 1 had to give in
they did.
Well, they seemed to get on so nice,
and none of 'em had ever seemed to
think much about the girls. not even
when they was boys. that 1 must say
L was aStonished when Lemuel he up
and got m arried to Mehitable Pierce
She was little along in years, too,
rather more SO than Lemuel, and a
dread ful smart piece. She was good
lool1in' and she had property. but she
was dreadful smart and up an comm.
I could never see how Lemuel ever got
the courage to ask her to have him, he
was always kind of mild spoken little
fellow. Reuben he declared he didn't.
He vowed that Mehitable asked him
herself He said he knew it for q fact,
and he said it with the tears rollin'
down his cheeks. Reuben was the old
est and he'd always been terrible fond
of Lemuel. THAT poor boy would never
have got in sech a fix eff that woman
hadn't up an asked him, an he didn't
have spunk enough to say no., said
Reuben, and he swallered hard.
Mehitable had nice house of her
own that her father left her, all
furnished and everything, so of course
Lemuel he went to live with her, and
Mehitable's house was pretty near
where I lived, so 1 could see everything
that was goin' on. 1t want very long
before l said to Hannah Morse, my huS-
bands old maid sister that lives with
us and teaches school, that 1 believed
Lemuel was henpecked, though I hadn't
anythin' against Mehitable.
II don't see what else anybody that
married Mehitable Pierce would ex-
pect. said Hannah. She spoke real
sharp for her I've always kind of
Lemuel If he'd asked her. WELL said
I, Il hope poor Lemuel will be happy.
He's always been such a good, mild,
willin' boy that it does seem a pity for
him to be rode over rough-shod, and
have all the will he ever did have trod-
den into the dust"
well, that is what will happen. of I'll
miss my guess said Hannah Morse.
For a long while l thought she was
right. 1t was really pitiful to see Lem
uel He didn't have no more liberty
nor will CT bis own than year old
boy, anc not so much. Mehitable
wouldn't let him do this and that, and
If there was anythin' he wanted to do,
she was sot against it. and he'd always
give right in. Many's the time
Lemuel has run over to my
house. and his wife come racin'
to the fence and screamed after him to
come home, and he'd start up as scared
as he could be. And many's the time
I've been in there, and he'd start to go
out. and she'd tell him to set down, and
he'd set without a murmur
Mehitable she bought all his clothes,
an she favored long-tailed coats, and
he bein' such a short man, never look
ed we'll in 'em, and she wouldn't let
him have store shirts and collars. but
made them herself, and she didn't have
very good patterns, she used her
fathers old ones. and he wasn't no
such built man as Lemuel, and I know
he suffered everything, both in his pride
an his feelin's. Lemuel began to look
real downtrod. He didn't seem like
half such a man as he did, and the
queerest thing about it was: Mehitable
didn't pear to like the work of her own
hands, SO to speak.
One day she talked to me about it. ct
dunno what it's" said she, "but Lemuel
he don't seem to have no go ahead and
no ambition and no will of his own. He
tries to please me, but 1t don't seem as
if he had grit enough even for that.
Sometimes I think he amt well, but 1
dunno what ails him. I've been real
careful of him. He's worn thick fan
nels, and he's lad wholesome vtctuals;
I never let him have pie"
"Lemuel was always dreadful FOND of
pie," I said. I felt kind of sorry, for 1
remembered how fond poor Lemuel had
always been of mothers pies, and what
good ones he used to make himsel8.
II know it," said Mehitable. He
wanted to make some himself when we
were first married, but I vetoed that. 1
wasn't goin' to have a man messin'
round maxim pies, and 1 wasn't goin'
to have him eatin' of EN- after they
were made. Pies amt good for him.
But I declare / dunno what does make
him act so kind of spiritless. I told
him today / thought he'd better make a
resolution for the New Year and stick
to it, and see if it wouldn't put some
spunk into him.
Pretty she went home. 1 could see
ways did think good deal of Lemuel in
spite of everything.
The next day was New Years. and in
the afternoon MehitaLseI came in again |
orally did, she. was very Industrious
woman. She jest sat down and begun |
twisting the fringe of her shawl as if sho |
was real nervous. Her face was puckered |
up, too. Il don't know what to make of |
Lemuel." she said, finally.
why. what's the matter?' said l.
He says he's made a resolution for the |
New Year said she. land that he's goin'
Wei. what is, it?" said L
We'll, if it's good one you don't care
do you said 1, land it couldt be any
r. ~rs