The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1908-12-31
A Simple Method.

bleed. I saw a young couple, evidently
still in their teens. come into the court
room. Both looked sullen, and the
girl wife especially wretched. Both
were poorly clad, consequence, /
Judged. of difficulties between them.
The young husband gave every evil
dence of being able to- make a living
for himself and his wife except for
| some especial obstacle. The wife had
sweet face and was very pretty.
While sitting on the seat of judgment,
sending hardened criminals to their
punishment kept my eye on this
| couple. Experience told me that one
had come to make some complaint of
| the others treatment; burt, familiar as
| l was with real guilt, [ knew that it
| did not belong to either. When / had
DISPOSED of the bulk of my cases
called the couple before me and with
out inviting either to state the diff
Guilty between them l asked:
How long have you two been mar
riedy
"Just one year today" replied the
girl sadly.
"And this is the anniversary of your
wedding day. You come here with
what you consider trouble. Do you
know that you have no troubleY'
There was no reply to this Both
stood mutely belying my statement by
the misery Of their appearance and the
| expression on their faces.
"How old are you" asked the hus-
band.
| Nineteen, your honor"
"And you" Of the girl.
Seventeen"
| What should do with this boy and
girl to turn their antagonism into for
| giveness and affection? Suddenly it
came to me as an inspiration from
heaven.
"Sit down there, side by side, and
think pleasant things Of each other
Mind, you are not to think anything
disagreeable. II such things come into
| your heads, drive them out at once and
begin again on something affectionate."
They did as bid them, while pro-
ceeded with the remaining cases to
| come before me. 1 still had my eye
on them and found them an interesting
study. The husband sat for awhile
with lowering brow, but he was evil
IDENTITY trying to do my bidding, and
| after awhile noticed that it had re-
Taxed. The wife apparently found it
easier to think pleasantly of him, and
presently saw her steal glance at
him. It was anxious, pleading, loving
| His hand was on the seat and partly
covered by her skirts. Hers disap-
peared from view, and 1 knew that it
rested on his. I waited a moment to
see If he would withdraw his, and
when he did not knew that the case
was won.
| A pleasurable feeling came. over my
hardened judicial heart, and, looking
| from this comparatively innocent pair
to creatures into whom only divinity
could inject a mite Of the good, I
| wished that might be endowed with
such divine power. | sent one who
had inherited sin and had lived since
birth in its environment to jail, anoth-
er to the workhouse, third dismissed
with a warming Men and women,
even children, / disposed of mercilessly.
Then when I had attended to all
called the young couple before me.
This Is the anniversary of your
wedding" I said. "You remember
how happy you were on that day.
You remember" to the husband, 'how
pretty she looked. Well, she is as
pretty today, only senseless bicker-
ings have kept you from work, and she
Is not so we'll dressed. And you," to
| the wife. don't bother him about I'M
important things, nor importune him.
but dust trouble off him every day as
| you dust your rooms. 1t is the wifets
part. Now 90 and celebrate your first
wedding anniversary"
They turned away, but l noticed that
there was something on the mans
| mind. The wife came back and whis-
pered to me:
HE has nothing to celebrate with"
I put my hand in my pocket and
| drew forth some bills. "Th1s Is for
the supper" 1 said, land this for the
alter tickets. Have good time and
| don't ever come here again on such an
Grand"
AS they left me the man had an
abashed look, while his young wife's
face was wreathed in smiles. AS
looked at them / felt the justice In
my charge to the girl that 1t was her
part to ward trouble from her hus-
band. Whatever he felt he had no abil-
ity to show; what she felt was as plain
| as the sun In heaven.
The case, though different from the
| thousands that came before me and re-
freshing as it was, had passed out Jof
nv mind when one day on taking my
seat for my days work l saw on my
desk q cheap glass vase containing a
bunch of ordinary flowers. Before it
rested a card on which was written:
From the garden Of our happy home.
Second wedding anniversary Of John
and Mary Hilton"
Having no remembrance Of John and
Mary Hilton, I gazed at the plebeian
gift puzzled. Looking up, l saw at the
farther end Of the courtroom girl
waving a handkerchief and smiling.
Her face was familiar, and knew she
was bent on attracting my attention.
Then It came over me that she was one
Of the couple had by my simple ex-
pedient saved from a marital separa-
ton and its consequent miseries.
Once a wear I find flowers on my