Evening star., 1922-12-10

ghost OF an Irish accent.
II. SO old Tim is always say
Ing to young Tim. put ut away. b'y!"
AZ she quoted her husband, Mrs. Do
lan's voice assumed q thickness of
brogue normally alien to It. "'The
time'll come when you'll want Ut"
How Is Tim these days?". Mrs.
oconnell questioned.
| "Fine." Mrs. Dolan answered.
AN you say Molly Ryan isn't
making Joe a good wife?"
"Far from It! There's not O mo-
ment that the t~o be together that
they're not quarreling. Twas this
way: Molly was as pretty and modest
girl as ever you Seen. And at FIRST
she kept the house as neat as q pin.
But then Joe came home every night
all white and dusty from the works,
and Molly used to scold m for dirty
! ing the house. Joe wouldn't mend
his ways-it's the contrary lad he's
always been. And then-Molly had a
perverseness. too. And after a while.
she grew careless-like. And now you
| should see their house, pigpen 1t
is.'
| "Tis q pity" Mrs. o'connell sighed.
For vance they 60 that way. it's not
often they get loving again"
"'Tis the true word you said" Mrs.
Dolan agreed.
"And yet it's very annoying to have
a man come home and tramp dirt all
. over a clean house." Mrs. O'ConnelI
observed pensively.
"'Tis right you are again. Mrs
| O'connell," said Mrs. Dolan It re-
member" She paused: her voice
seemed to melt away and merge with
oncomlng revery; but she pulled her
self out Of it. ut takes me back
twenty-five years. to the beginning Of
my own married life. I shall never
forget the first night Tim Dolan came
, home after fis days work. Before
God. woman dear. did not know m.
l was looking out the dure when the
gate opened. I looked up. and at first
I thought 1t was naygur-he was
that black with the coal dust. But
Tim. 1t gave me a turn. When he
came into my kitchen I felt strange
like-as II it wasn't my own man.
Well, he washed his hands and face
at the sink and we sat down to the
table to eat. You mind what a clean
creature I Wat
Never have these eyes sazed on
the like Mrs OConnell reassured
her
"A like. And all that night in bed
kept thinking of Tim lying be-
side Inc covered with the coal dust.
The next night, when Tim came home.
had a great tub of suds on the floor
in front Of the stove, waiting for m.
and 1 wouldn't give m his dinner
| till he TUX BATH
. are" Again Mrs. o'Conpell laughed
with an exquisite enjoyment. And
! what did Tim say?"
! "At first he wouldn't. but In the end
he did" Again Mrs. Dolan paused
"And the next night, when he comes
home, there was another tub of suds
/ waiting 'm-and the next and the
next"
! "And how did Tim like that?'
! AT first not at all. Eut put my
foot down. And after a while he
, couldn't do without 1t. For. as you
say. the scrubbing craychure I am
How I used to scrub his back. And
what fun we did be having! The two
Of us Laughing like pair of~ehildren.
And sometimes we'd get to throwing
soapsuds at each other"
! Throwing soapsuds!" Mrs. O'Con-
nell repeated. Go along with you
ut was ten long years my Tim kept
on the coal wagon before they put
him on the Weighing. But after he'd
got on the Weighing every night when
he came home, there was the tub OF
ence it made in m. He'd be the that
tired he was ready to drop. when he
came in. But after that warm tub
twas like a fighting cock he was
Then, when the children began to
earn money. they teased me to move
into an apartment house where there
was a bathroom. Twas proud
man Tim was when he took his first
bath In a bathtub. 1 scrubbed his
back every night for m Just the
: same"
Marriage was different in them
days." Mrs. OConnell sighed. with a
! rich, reminiscent ferror Young folks
getting married these days think only
i Of themselves. What do they be get
ting out Of it, theirsslves. is all they
+, asks. Silk stockings and high-heeled
shoes. and feathers and powder and
paint. Cud We imagine any one OF
them heating the water every night
Of their lives, SOS to give himself a
bath when he got home?"
Marriage 10 a quare thing" pro-
mulgated Mrs. Dolan. Mostly the
women gets the best out Of it. Mostly
it's hardest on the men. With family
coming along. there's need for 4 lot
Of money. And it's the man who has
to earn II. Women has their bothers,
the blessed Virgin herself knows: but
when airs said and done its the soft
est for them. II she don't make it
pleasant for her husband rs she can
when he's in the house. she's no true
wife. And II she don't work her
hands to the bone to keep m healthy
and handsome and young. she no true
woman. I have no use for these little
slipper-snips who thinks they're
queens. and tries to make tired-out
working man wait on m by inches