The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-02-19

4 '' "'u'h SNdllu ny neT GUNS. II
had told her that she would milk th
COWS tonight as usual. and he had as
suhed. as matter of course that Sh,
would do so. He was nor accustomed
to being disobeyed
where's Beulah?" he demanded.
Il guess she's in her ROOM"
harris laced up his boot. Then he
started upstairs.
Don't be too hard on her, john
urged his wife, with little catch in
her voice.
Il won't be too hard on anybody"
lie replied CURLY. ITS a strange thing
you wouldn't see that she did as she
was told. i suppose I have to plug
away in the field until dark and then
come in and do another half-day's
work because my women folk are too
lazy or stubborn to do Il themselves -
III This outburst vas intended to
crush Mary Harris il had ;ery diff
terent effest. She seemed to straightels
up under the attack; the color came
back TO her cheeks, and her eyes were
bright and defiant.
John Harris" she said. "You know
better than to say that your women
| FOLK are either lazy or stubborn, but
there's point where imposition. even
The imposition of n husband, has to
stop. and you've reached tina. point
You didn't have to stay I'm he field
until dark. There's another day COM
ing and the plowing'll keep. 1t isn't
ike the harvest. 1t was Just your own
contrariness that kept you there. You
fired the best man you ever had today.
In hit of temper. and now you're try
ing to take il out on u.s."
harris looked at her for a moment:
then, without speaking, he continued
up the stairs. He felt that he was
being very unfairly used, but he had
no intention of shrinking from his
duty as husband and father, even if
its discharge should bring oain to all
of them.
He found Beulah in her room, os-
tensibly reading.
why are the COWS not milked?" he
demanded.
Il thought l made 1t clear to you at
noon that they wouldn't be MIXED by
me-" she answered, land there didn't
seem TO be anybody else laundering for
the job"
"Beulah," he said, trying to speak
calmly, don't you think this nonsense
has gone far enough?"
Too far" she agreed. But you
started it-let's see you stop it,"
"Beulah," ne said, with rising anger.
Il won't allow you to talk to me like |
that. Remember I'm your father, and
you've a right to do as you're told. |
Haven't / given you everything-given
you home, and all that. and are you
goin' to defy me in my own house?"
Il don't want to defy you" she an
swered, but If you're going to let !
your temper run away with you, you
can put on the brakes yourself. And
as for all you've done for me-maybe
I'm ungrateful, but it doesn't look half
so big from my side of the fence"
well, what more do you want?" he
demanded.
For one thing / wouldn't mind hav-
ing father"
what do you mean? Amt l your
mo-" she cried. mol No! There's
10 father here. You're Just the boss
he foreman on the farm. You board
With mother and me. We see you at
neal-times. We wouldn't see you. then | ;
I you didn't have to make use of us 1
n that way. If you have spare hour
'ou go TO town. You're always so busy, [
'usy, with your little things, that you
ave no time for big things. I'd like to
zee you think about living instead of !
And we're not living-not $
eally living. you know-we're Just ex- $
sting. Don't you see what l mean? $
We're living all in the flesh, like an c
nimal. When you feed the horses and 4
ut them under shelter you can't do
nything more for them. But when c
on feed and shelteGyour daughter n
oushave only half provided for her,
nd it's the other half, the starving h
alf, that refuses to starve any II
NIGER" II
I'm not kickin' on religion, If t. ats II
hat you mean, BeulahP he said. II
lou set goin' to church as often as .
)u Ike, and"
"Oh, it's not religion" she protest =
!. AT least. it's not just going to ]
larch, and things like that, although
guess it is a more real religion, if N
2 just. understood. What are we
re for. anyway? What's the an
vera"
well, I'm here just now to tell You
ose cows are to be MIXED before" sc
Yes, dodge 1t! You've lodged that Oil
estion so long you daren't face il. n
1t there must be an answer some IL
here, or there wouldn't be the cues ID
IN. There's Riles, now; he doesn't IL
ow there is such a question. He II:
kes II for granted we're here to grab vi
'ney. And then, there's the Grants. fr
icy know there is such question. WI
d I'm sure that to some extent 81
ey've answered IT, You know, / like rio
I'm, but l never go into their Louise tn
IT | don't feel out of place. l feel FRI
g they have something that haven't its
something that makes them very in
h and shows me how very Door |