The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-03-15

and you can see that Il don't make
much difference whether your wife's
relations five with you or you have to
support 'em at long range. Philander
come to see me about II, and | told
him TO put his foot down AID keep II
down, but I'm willing TO admit that
It's heap easier 60 give advice than
to foller It. AS | said before, I've lis.
tened to them sobs aud seen them
scaldlng tears in my own house. Phi
lander said he'd try II, and he had two
weeks of peace. Then one day when
he had six hives OF bees swarming all
at once and was bobbing all over the
orchard he sees his wife come in
from the postofice and read letter
and faint dead away ON the veranda
Between trying 10 hive the swarming
bees and bring his wife back 60 life he
lost the six swarms. Mebbe the wo
man wouldn't have recovered con
seriousness when she did if half doz
en- of the insects hadn't turned In and
helped Philander before taking their
final departure.
~ WIS Nnt Wu Nulilk ONti ukuih
with a slight change of program. One
Of his wife's sisters had married o
wire fence man, and he had slapped
her chops three days after marriage.
Honor demanded that she must leave
him. She could do II II PhilandeT
would forward her $40. If not, she
would jump into the mill pond and
n1l n "a tIno
horn spoon that he'd see her in Texas
first. and for a day he stomped around
and looked fierce and determined, but
all the time he knew he'd be licked
man I'm the end, and 80 he was. His
wife's sobs continued for thirty hours
without n break, and then he gave in.
He gave In declaring that he'd perish
was talking through his hat. I'm tell.
Ing you that no husband lives who can
beat sobs and tears and heartbreak.
Ing means, backed up by the gossip Of
the nelghbors to the effect that you
are wife beater
THE next letter that arrived con.
veyed the news that the mother-in-law
her leg. If she couldn't get $15 in cash
within week the doctors would set
the leg with the knee ON the wrong
side. SO that when she got able TO walk
one leg would be going backward while
the other went forward. In such a
case If she started for California she
might bring up at Philander's instead.
Was Too Late.
at was ten years ago that poor Phi.
lander slipped his neck into the mar.
riage yoke, and during all this time
letters have been coming from his
wife's relatives. He has had 'em to
provide for. from the mother-in-law TO
second and third cousins He has had
to sell Off standing crops and live stock
TO do 1t. and he has had to borrow
money at high interest and go around
looking like q scarecrow l met him
on the road week ago and tried to
put heart into him. In fact, offered
him the money to run away on, but he
looked at ne In that sad, solemn way
he has carried with him for the last
six years and shook his head. 1t was
too late.
"I could have told you then what
was sure to come. Them relations and
letters and sobs and tears had worn
him out, and life held nothing more
for him. Mebbe he might have waited
day or two more, but this morning
he saw his wife put on her bonnet and
start for the postoflice, and that de.
cided him. He knew she'd come back
with the usual letter, and he decided
to end all. / was one of those who cut
the body down. looked into Philan.
der's face to see how he had taken It,
He was actually smiling. 1t was the
| smile Of peace and content. II was the
| smile any man would smile as he
thought OF his soboing wife rushing in
with a letter from some relation want.
ing $40 to get new bottom put into
the well and to find that the game had
| been played out. We shall bury Phi.
lander, and we shall mourn his loss,
! but IL the moral lesson here conveyed
falls on fruitful ground he will not
have lived and died in vain"
NJ. QUAD.