Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-03-30
AuMILIArIoN oF SPARKS.

/
the latest cut of a collar a little dinky
necktie and the newest thing in hats.
He looks more like a young stock broker
| than sawbones, and people with meas
les In the family or with legs to cut off
won't have him simply because he
| doesn't look physicians part"
But" interposed Mrs. Sparks John
| simply dresses neatly and in good taste. "
"Oh, know all that, Eliza, but a phys
ician ought to wear a frock coat, gold
bowed spectacles and plug nat When
John dresses like that he will get more
patients than he has pills for. You mark
my words. Why, great Scott, look at
me, I've been something more than fair
~ successful in my line, and when I
was lawyer at least / owed a lot of
my clients to the fact that I looked like
a lawyer. / want to say again that the
whole thing consists in looking your part.
when / cut law for literature and
went to book reviewing for the Daily
Breeze the managing editor when ap-
piled for the position simply looked at
me- He knew in a minute from my
dress and expression that I was the
man for the job. I've dropped the law
yer-like look long since. and now every
In the literary line. There isn't any
question about it. I've had strangers
say after being introduced to them,
You're a writer, aren't you, Mr.. Sparks?'
and say this in the face OF tine fact that
the old gent won't let me sign my
articles"
Yes Henry" murmured Mrs. Sparks,
you do look literary. with your specta-
cles and your hair back from your fore
head and all that, but then you culti-
vate It, you know, and John says-you
won't mind this, dear will you?-tnat
he'd rather be natural and dress as he
feels than put on unbecoming clothes
/ hnt L.. To-
Esculapius."
well, Eliza. Johns your brother, but
I must say that he's got something Of
the fool In him. When somebody takes
me for butcher may change my ideas
on the subject, but 1 know what's what"
and Mr.. Sparks looked self-sufflcient.
Henry Sparks believed that the mid
night oil made smooth the flow Of his
thoughts. Thus it was that he did all
his book reviewing. for the Breeze at
night He went down to the Office i'm
mediately after dinner and there read
novel and history and natural science
and essays and wrote about them until
a. m, when he went home.
Now the Sparks family had been
troubled In the matter Of servants The
maids came and went. Finally Mrs
Sparks ran across a wilmette acquaint-
ance, who told her all about the expert
ments the club women Of that suburb
nau lTleu 10 better the cOnQlLlOn OF their
domestic employees by the uplifting
process. Mrs. Sparks had told her woes
and the friend said that she would send
her a maid who was not only superior
as a homework artist, but had lofty
Christian spirit, discriminating mind
and a code of morals that was as rigid
as that of John Calvin.
Two days later the maid reported at
the Sparks fiat on the south side. She
was everything that her Wilmette spon-
scr had declared her to be. Mrs. Sparks
felt almost guilty because she didn't ask
the young woman to dine with the family
Ruth, that was the girls name. made
only one stipulation as to the terms OF
her acceptance OF n position in the
Sparks's household. and that was about
the time that she was to have out She
wanted to go to church twice on Sunday
and to have every Wednesday night free
from household cares, so that she could
attend the weekly meeting OF the branch
OF the woman's Christian Temperance
union to which she belonged.
Ruth baked, fried and boiled to a turn.
Mr. Sparks had never eaten such dainty
and toothsome tribes in the way of omelet
souffies, chicken croquettes and Virginia
popovers as that girl with the white
ribbon of the w. c. T, U. in her button
hole turned out. She's all right, Eliza"
he said; hang on to her. Be kind. gem
tie and patient I'll promise you that
you'll never lose her through me. think
she looks approvingly on my quiet way
and literary demeanor"
Mr.. Sparks always came home hungry
from his book reviewing in the Breeze
office. So 1t was that at 2 o'clock in the
morning of every day in the week, barring
only Sunday-for Mr.. Sparks took Sunday
night off-he would make his way to the
kitchen and there do away with some
OF the delicate cookery of the pious Ruth
which had been left from dinner the
night before. They had had Ruth two
weeks. 1t was Thursday morning, the
day after the girl had attended the Wed
nesday night W. c. T. u. meeting, that
Henry Sparks thought he detected
trouble In her face. The girl showed
evidence of some inward conflict for the
next seven days. On the next Thursday
the look Of gravity and trouble in. her
face had deepened still further.
Friday morning at o'clock, when
Henry Sparks reached his fiat coming
from his night literary labor in the Breeze
office, he found his wife sitting up for
him. Her cheeks were tear-stained.
Henry" she said, Ruth is gone
know you'll blame me, but was as kind
and good as a woman could be. I kept
out of the kitchen and never found fault,
but she left just after you had gone to
the office last night. She said she was
sorry to leave me, but her conscience
wouldn't let her stay and no other
reason could I get her to give"
"Oh. well, it's the same old story"
said Mr. Sparks; like all other women,
you can't keep girl, and of course you're
to blame. Why can't you look the part
and act the part OF a good housekeeper
as look the part and act the part OF
literary MANI"
That same morning after Mr.. Sparks
had several hours sleep he sat at the
breakfast table with his wife opposite.
The post man had just been around with
the second delivery. There was a letter
for Mrs. Sparks. She opened 1t, read it
and then with peculiar look in her eye
she handed 1t over to her husband. He
took 1t and this is what he read:
Chicago, May 20-Dear Mrs. Sparks:
was sorry to leave you. did not tell
you why because I did not like TO hurt
your feelings, but think it is better to
tell you now. You were kind and good to
me, but you know am a member of the
Temperance union and my conscience
would not let me work in the house Of a
bartender. / suspected that Mr.. Sparks
tended bar from his appearance and be-
cause he always came home at O'Clock
In the morning, and then I was made
certain Of 1t by finding on the wall be-
hind his door certificate showing that
he was once member of the Chicago
Bar association. Can you not turn him
from his wicked ways? Yours.
RUTH JENKINS"
Did Mr.. Sparks take 1t meekly? Did
he act and look the part OF a lamb as
he had always acted and looked the