The Glenwood post., 1914-02-14
WHAT A EARlGRR's WIPE
AAW N THE CITY

Before her marriage she worked in
q department store and boarded with
an aunt. And although she loathed the
country, she married young farmer
and went with him to his country
home.
Down deep in her heart she cherish
ed the hope that she could induce him
to leave the farm and move back to
town. But the years slipped by, ami
John refused to go, while yearly her
dissat sfaction grew.
AT last John said to her quite unex
pectedly one day:
"Pack up your ease and go visit
some of your friends in town. Do not
say anything to them about it, but
keep your eyes open as to Opportuni.
ties and which occupat on seems best
to you; then We will see about it,"
Never in her life had she been 50
happy. 1t was winter. and she could
be spared.
Her first visit was upon girl who
married one of the young men in the
department store. They lived in
tiny flat, furnished elaborately. The
sun never came in; the bedrooms were
mere closets. dark and close; the kiteh
en- was dull and dreary. Freds thought
of her big, sunshiny rooms and sighed.
When the morning work was done the
wife sat down in the little dining
room and opened . box.
"I sew at the store" she explained,
"but while you are here l have NJ.
ranged to bring my work home. Ycu
see, have 80 much time, and it does
cost so much to live! We have bought
our furniture on the installment sys.
tenn, and the payments seem to come
due every few minutes.''
Freda watched in astonishment.
Next she hunted up a friend who was
living in two rooms in = dreadful
apartment house.
"We haven't always lived lik,
this,' she said with tears in her eyes.
But these past two years have been
dreadful, Freda! / do not suppose
you know about them in the country.
Jack lost his place in the office, AMI
there was simply no work to be hal.
We sold things, and moved, until We
drifted here. Jack has trucked freigt.
at the station, has run . delivery wag-
on for = coal firm, and been thankful
for the worki Once I actually took
in washings, and Jack helped me-"
81 read about those things in the
papers, but did not think much shout
them," admitted Ffeda honestly.
In the plain little home Of her old
roommate Ffeda felt moro in her own
atmosphere. Hero there was no striv-
ing for pretense, neither did there
seem 70 be grinding poverty.
"Freds, Be thankful You ere bring
ing up your children in the country"
the little mother said to her. "Our
two boys are 70 active, and there is
absolutely nothing to keep them at
home. They are far beyond us al
ready And she opened her troubled
mother heart to her old friend. Thers
seemed more genuine comfort here than
Freda had seen anywhere else, yet the
cheap rooms held few of the "modern
convenience" about which she was
always ranting. In astonishment she
watched the economy that was prae-
ticed, the counting of each penny.
"We want to educate the boys if We
can, but it looks doubtful, for we have
tc ':=a it all just to live"
Freda called and called, and silently
investigated. Everywhere there were
bills and strivings and surface eie-
gance, or plainness and open economy.
"And they are of our own class, -
she admitted to herself; "just plain
people of little education, without
speclal tfaln1n8.
Freda took home q wonderful box Of
presents; and when the excited chill.
dren had at last gone to bed she ani
John had long talk.
"I did not understand, DEAR" she
said, being really IN honest little wo-
na.. eve have not been rich, but
We havs butter N our cake, and cream
in our coffee, aad egg for breakfast
II We want them. Our home has been
reasonably Wasa and comfortable and
might have been more % II we had
half tried. We have lad eoafortabls
clothing and good health. John I'll
never complain sf ny work again, fol-