The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1913-11-05
THE PARSONS
REMEDY
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 1913, by Associated Lit
erary Press.
By M. QUAD

1t was love that brought about the
marriage of Abraham Scott, a young
| farmer. with Tilda Hastings, and for
the first year they were very happy.
Then it happened that Tilda's mother
passed a week with them. and when
ready to go home she said:
''Tilda, I've been watching things
since I've been here"
why, what is there to watcb?" she
asked.
"Henry's tyranny over you"
why, motherp'
ITS a fact If your father treated
me that way one of us would leave the
house in short order!'
"But l can't understand you at all.
Just what has Henry dOne?'
Hes treated you like a child or a
slave. l saw it the first day 1 was
here, and it amazed me that you didn't
show your spunk."
"Why, mother, how strange you
talk!' said the wife. Tell me one
thing Henry has done that wasn't
right"
I'm going to tell yoU of more than
one. Tilda. I've been setting them
down on paper so as to DE sure, and
here they are:
"The first day / was here he walks
in and orders, you to melt some NUT
ton taller for sore back cow
why. he didn't order. he asked me
to-" .---/
Don't try to excuse him. There was
commanding tone in his voice. The
second day he comes stOmping in like
a duke and calls out:
Hey. Tilda, Pm going to town, and
don't you forget to feed the hogs at
noon.'"
But l don't see anything wrong
about that" was protested. HE was
going after nails"
swell, I'd just like your father to
roar out at me like that just once. I'd
tell him to go to Texas quicker'n wink.
On the third day your Henry hollered
at you from the barnyard and wanted
to know if the sheep shears were in
the kitchen"
But he wanted them, mother"
| DOSc uS UuL SpOke IKE
Nero. If your father had called to me
like that I'd have gone down there
with a club. On the fourth day, as we
was eating supper at o'clock, the
clock stopped. You must remember
what Henry said?'
"He said it had stopped"
Eyes. but how did he say it? He
looked right across the table at you,
and there was pounded glass in his
tones as he said:
"'Tilda, you forgot to wind up the
clock last night"
But did forget. mother"
And what if you did,"
"What do you want me to do. moth
erY'
assert yourself. Be the boss of the
house. Have things go as you want
them to, the same as l do. Your IA
Their wouldn't dare to pull a cabbage
head in the garden without asking my
! leave"
The wife hadn't looked upon her
husband as tyrant. On the contrary,
she regarded him as one of the kindest
men she had ever heard of. She had
no wish to NEEDLE or boss, and she had
felt that she was getting all the rights
she could well take care of. But the
mother had sowed the seeds of discOn-
tent, and they soon sprOuted. Tilda
| began to find fault and tender advice
and to even threaten suicide if her
opinions were not deferred to. Henry
figured out that the mother-in-law had
been talking and using her influence
! agairS him, but he went ahead pa
tiently and avoided anything like a
rupture
1t was when the boy baby was born
that Tilda's mother said to her:
Nov, you want to put your foot
right down about a name for baby. I
am sure Henry will want to call him
James, after an uncle"
But that's good name, isn't it,"
''Tilda Scott. have you lost your
senses?"
81 hope not. mother"
Then perhaps you can tell me who
the ravens fed
Moses, wasn't it?''
Not by jugful! 1t was Elisha,
and that's the name you want to give
baby"
But I'm sure Henry won't like 1t.
1t so happened that Henry overheard
most of the conversation as he was
training a vine by an open window.
He didn't walk in and order the moth
er-in-law out Of the house, but he
sauntered off to the home Of the par
son whose church he and his wife at
tended and stated his case down to the
baby, then added:
My wife is to threaten to jump into
the horse pond if l object to the
name"
You have a horse pond?"
II have, sir"
How deep is the water?'
About four feet"
1.-The mother-in-law is about FIVE feet,
| believe"
Thanks said Henry. 81 have the
idea
I i,,e hn ~