The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-01-26

the evening passed of pleasantly
enough, but the morning brought its
troubles. Harrington was always at
his worst In the early hours.
He HAD been compelled to rise a full
hour before his accustomed time, and
there was no hot water for shaving.
The suds were not I'm his clean shirt,
nor was the shirt laid out. At home,
even from her sick bed, Fannie had /
made certain that the little things
were looked after.
He had been slow In dressing. and /
the breakfast was cold, though 1t had |
been placed in the oven to keep warm. |
Sam had already left the table and |
Ella was alone.
Harrington pushed the bacon from
him
II never eat bacon unless it's crisp"
he said irritably, land / don't like the
eggs fried so hard. Can't you cook
some more that are just set? And for
heavens sake, Ella, please remember
can't eat hot bread for breakfast
I'm get some cold Bread velun-
teered Ella. 1T will only take few.
minutes, Ben"
Then hurry" he commanded. 81
hate to sit idle at the table"
There was a little exclamation from
Ella, and Harrington looked up into
Sans gray eyes. There was an ex-
preston there that he did not like.
You're not going to SIT idle at the
table" exclaimed Sam. You're going
to hurry up end eat your bacon and.
eggs. You don't have to eat biscuit.
if you'd rather have bread, but that
stuff was all good when breakfast was
ready. If you want to spend an hour
in your room cursing your cuffs and
your collar button, get up earlier, or
else eat cold breakfast.
You're welcome here, Ben, because
you're Elias brother, and because
she's got her heart set on a visit from
you, but you've just got to understand
that you can't cuss and domineer- my
wife into a sick bed the way you've
done your own
Harrington swallowed a retort, then
he swallowed the bacon and eggs. Sam
stood over the chair, and Ben knew
that he meant what he said.
When the meal was done Sam left
the room, and Ben followed him out
to the yard to stammer an apology.
Then he sat on the horse block while
he smoked a cigar and Sans words
~came back to him.
His brotherin-law was right He had
cursed and domineered his wife.
There had been lots of mornings when
he had acted worse than this, and
with far less cause.
Once or twice he half rose to go in
to the house and ask Elias pardon,
but he thought OF something else at
home and sank back into his seat
again. He did not even realize that
the horse block was an uncomfortable
seat, and Sam came in from the fields
at noon to find him still sitting there
with a half-smoked cigar.
Thought worth a penny?" he asked
pleasantly. as he made pretence of
feeling in his pocket for the coin.
You can buy my whole miserable
carcass for a penny" retorted Ben
dolefully. 1--WE been sitting here
thinking over what you said"
Il didn't mean to get so hopping
mad" said Sam shamefacedly.
1T was right" went on Harrington.
81 have rowed Fannie into her bed,
just as you said. She made things
so comfortable that when anything
did go wrong l scolded her about that
instead of giving her credit for all that
she had DONE"
IF you know it, that helps some"
reminded Sam n tell you what the
trouble is, Ben. Just because you
earn the money that pays the bills,
you don't realize that your wife is
TOO. 1Ou WOulQn udIG 10
talk to a servant the way you talk
to her You know your wife won't
get mad and quit"
II never should have come away and
left her." lamented Harrington.
They sent you on vacation to
give Fannie a rest" explained Sam.
"but If you really mean to be a good
boy. it would be good idea to send
for her. The trouble with her has
been that she cared so much for you
that she worried when you were not
pleased. so she worried all the time.
1t will do her good to come up here
and have you wait on her"
III go after her." offered Ben has
tily. He was thinking of the cool OF
the morning on the boat when tn
two should have the deck alone. 1t
was there that he wanted to tell her
how sorry he was. He could not
know that Sam had wired. 1t was we'll
that he could read the message, for
1t ran:
Better come up. Ben's found out
what the matter was and I'll see that
he remembers. Sam"
But Sans share of the task was
light, for Harrington remembered of !
his own accord, as he coaxed the roses !
back to where the lilies had been in !
his wife's pale cheeks.
When his irritation rose there rose I
before him vision of cold bacon and (
a threatening face. 1t was not roman
tic, but it was effective.