The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-06-03
THE CRACK
OF THE WHIP
By SADIE OLCoTT
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation, 1871.

AVlt hldlllusc luul you NV "ii'i"
"You show a great deal Of good
sense" / replied. "There is a great
deal in what you say. Come and take
up your quarters with us for month,
There you will see me every day and
often when | am off my guard. !
shall be compelled to show my natu-
raj disposition"
"And as soon as the month Is over
we win enter upon that other month
called the honeymoon he cried enthu-
siastically, and, throwing lis arms
around my neck, he covered my face
with kisses.
Now, we women have way OF do
ing things by strategy. ! didn't feel
any more fear Of betraying n disagree
able nature with Neil In the house
than when he came to call on me.
knew well enough that matrimony is
different from courtship and that when
two people settle down to work in dou-
BILE harness there is going to be
good deal of friction. for awhile, at
any rate. | thought 1t fine chance 10
let Neil see before marriage that these
frictlons are not all the wife's fault
/ was especially equipped to do this
for my little brother Jack was at
home. and | well knew that If Nell
could stand Jacks antics without los
ing his temper he would be quite able
to stagger under my most glar1ng
faults.
Neil came and settled himself for
the trial--my trial. He hadn't said
anything about being tried himself,
and | didn't tell him that he was to
be under observation. Neil went to
business In the morning, returning
about 5 In the afternoon. Jack took
him In charge as soon as he arrived
Neil tried to get rid of him, but Jack
stuck like leech. Neil would be read
ing poetry to me in the garden. Jack
would come up behind him and with
stick and horses hair and tiny ball
Of paper would make him think that
a bumblebee was lighting on his nose.
Jack. sneaked into eNeil's room and
filed his underclothing ION the inside)
with burs. Nell got the clothing on,
then had to take it of again ana was
half an hour picking out the bnrs.
He was late TO business that day and
came home in very bad humor.
BY such innocent juvenile express
sions of q child's nature did Jack in
gratiate himself into Neil's disfayor
Neil remarked that the boy had been
very badly brought up, whereupon |
simply said that 1t was evident he
didn't like children. To me these little
pranks were delightful. Neil said that
the boy being my brother. | was doubt
less used to him.
Jack during this preparation for
honeymoon found boy he would
rather play with than annoy Neil. So
I was obliged to bride my brother with
candy every day and the promise Of
football at the end Of the season to
keep him at home during this test OF
my disposition. Besides. ! was Obliged
to conjure up methods for harassing
my lover and suggesting them to the
dear boy. When Neil was snoozing
Jack poured sand in his ear. Then
Jack would steal up behind Neil and
slip small piece Of ice down bis
back under his clothing. And one day
when Neil and l were walking over
the lawn together Jack. who was
watering the grass with the hose.
turned 1t on my companion and
drenched him.
This was the climax of long term
of annoyances. and Neil could not have
kept his equanimity any longer unless
he had been descended from the'
angels. He broke loose in profusion
of Bible quotations in which the word
elimination" occurred oftenest Then
he ran after Jack, vowing that he
would knock every bit of spirit out OF
his villainous little body.
"Mr. Walker" / exclaimed severely,
how Gun you speak so OF the dear
childr'
"ChIdr he cried. ''Helion, rather!
''Mr. Walker" / continued In dig
nified tone, II am disappointed. l sup
posed that your disposition was as
gentle as lambs. find that you are
easily angered and when angered not
only fierce, but vindictiye. How fortu-
nate that | should have discovered the
true acerbity of your makeup! Our
engagement is at an end. Had mar
ried man with such temper
should have looked forward to the
rest Of my life with horror"
These last words were the same as
he had used to me, but he didn't re-
member them.
"And had / married you" he re
torted, forgetting himself In a new
burst of anger, zone In whose veins
flows the blood of that little viper, !
would
walked straight into the house and
shut the door after me.
Where be stayed that night didn't
know, but the next morning he came
to me and on Bonded knee begged me TO
forgive him. / asked him If he wished
to test my disposition any further, and
he said he was quite satisfied with it.
Then forgave him.
l do think men are the stupidest
creatures in the world. And yet they
think themselves superior to women.
They have so many theories about
them for our guidance. They bluster
and arrocate TO themselves, but they