The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-12-28

ems own sunlight, that had shone dowr
into her heart through the clear eve.
Of the child that looked .rustfully into
her own, and the unfailing tenderness
and sympathy of the man 20 whom hel
life was linked-she could think n,
nothing but the burden-the burden.
1t is not just-it is notm she cried
aloud, and her trembling lands fell
helpless upon the darn she was trying
10 set in a little coat sleeve-a darr
mat the 14-year-old boy was ashamed
or and had resented hotly, with a de.
mand that she could not meet for a
new garment.
1T does seem enough for 4 woman
TO have borne all these children. and
now am having to help support them,
None of them make any allowance for
! mat They expect the same of me that
other mothers can give whose respon-
slDll1ty ceases with the material care
OF them-the care of their clothes the
serving of plentiful meals. for the pro
vldlng of which she need give no
! thought. Here 1 must contrive and
plan and work until my body is dead
tred' and then whip my brain 10 turn
OUT work that only does injustice 10
what little talent have, just for the
money to help meet the ever-growing
! demands. 1t is all wrong-aI wrong
My burden is too heavy"
Her bowed head fell upon her folded
arms on her sewing table; she closed
her weary eyes and gave I'D, with the
whispered prayer that through
habitual repetition had become almost
second nature to her: ''Tea.1 me INV
viii, o God. Lead me in a plain path. -
AS the darkness swept down upon her
a swift vision shut out self and an
other burden came before her. She
saw her husband as he was when he
mao left her that morning for his work.
with his hat removed he had lent
Gown TO Kiss her where she had
stopped TO pull weed from the gar
den path. He never omitted these 1it-
Tie courteous graces-he was refined. a
gentleman 10 his finger tins she
thought, with a faint throb of pride
put he had not smiled into her ewes
along with the kiss.
She had not been very pleasant AT
breakfast; she had chided the children
more than was needful; she had COM
planned at the inadequacy of the weeks
allowance and because the food did NOT
appeal TO her she had made no effort
to eat, and had not returned her plate,
though he had besought her to let him
help her to some tidbit.
of course he could not smile said
something in her heart, reproachfullv.
Smiles are nothing but reflections of
sunshine, anyway-and shadows cast
reflections of their own kind"
Ihere was no gray in his hair, but
as her thought followed her husband
down the street she heard him cough
and saw that he had grown thin. and
that his broad shoulders had begun 40
droop Of late.
He has to keep right on at work on
ms books, no matter how tired he may
be-and for what?''
A sudden shock of realization made
her remember that of the salary for
Whlch ne toiled so unremittingly he
rad the spending of almost none. He
mad not one expensive personal habit.
days outing was, of late, for him
thing unknown. his clothes were of the
plalnest He brought it all to her. the
1rult of his hard work, the utmost his
AFFINITY would command, and he never
reproached her for the disbursement Of
1t. Did she thank him; did she teach
those children gratitude? Rather. did
they not accept it as a due and sullen-
ly. If silently. murmur within their
hearts that it was not more?
How hard it must be for him to daily
strive, to daily give of his very best.
short of what his family demanded of
him! Was there not a sting beyond
any she had ever known in the feeling |
that. compared with other men, and |
with what his youth had expected of
rls manhood, he was financially fail |
ure? And the world and its folk have |
SO little patience with any sort of fail
urei
What was an evening home coming
Ike, when instead of pleasant, restfuI |
hours, there was only a weary. heart
sick woman to greet him miserably. too
taken up with her own worries TO
spare a gay word to make his own
seem light? He never complained,
lever even looked his disappointment,
put sometimes, like this morning. he
lid not smile.
He never brought to her a single per-
1leXity that he could avoid, and yet
she knew that he had them-that he |
lad met bitter humiliation of which he 1
never limited
Hard on the heels Of that thought
anne the remembrance of times with
tut number that his tender touch had
rough places for her, and his
owe had made dark hours endurable;
md she had accepted everything with
he half-conscfOuS feeling that he could
mora 10 smile ana be brave, because
lis nerves were unracked, because be-
ne man and strong with the brute
trength of the male animal a burden
vas not a burden to hiln-the burden
vas for her alone. Suppose-her heart
TODD still at the suggestion--he should
all at his post! What would her life
e without him? What would II be?
"Oh, it must not be until / have paid .
i'm back, until ! have helped him with
is carer She sprang to her feet. The
oat lay on the floor, the needle stick
1g in the darn. 1T will have to wait:
/ sew any more now 1 will be all
ired out" She put the cover over the
Machine, brushed the gray locks back
rom her face, and ran downstairs.
'efore she thought, a song had come
D her lips, and when he came in she
ras humming something they used TO
ing together In the long ago.
well, dearie, it is good to hear YOU
lngingr' he said, and she turned her
ace up to his. You felt so badly this
forming / have been anxious about
GU all day. Poor little woman
She laid her hands lightly across mis-
ps.
Dear old man! Don't you say it! -
oman doesn't have any harder time =
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