Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-03-09
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How John Reforms
His Wife

By CALVIN HENDRICKS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

romance and-lived unhappily for the
rest OF their lives. Or nearly so.
II cant understand It,. said honest
John at the end Of a very. miserable
day. 1t was the twenty-fifth anniyer-
sary of their wedding.
| And nobody else can" added his
brother-in-law, Ephraim. do you
know, the didoes, antics and whlms of
that woman sister though she is, /
will say it-haye grown on us uneon-
scIousfy. We have lheekly submitted,
and she has developed into a regular
tyrant and pretty nigh nuisance"
John Dunbar sighed in pure helpless
ness and desperation of spirit.
She's a depresser and no mistake ~
commented Ephrainl. Its her way or
no way in everything, and hers is gen.
orally the wrong way. / pity you.
John, indeed do, from the very bot
tom of my hearth!
:.'AIaybe she'll change suggested
John hopefully.
i say, John, you look gray and tired
and worn out" observed Ephraim.
you need a little change. Why don't
you go up to the city and take day
or two off? See the folks, have some
recreation. You'll be the stronger for
new battle with life.n
The suggestion led to action. John
Dunbar broke the routine of quarter
of century. He went to the city.
While, there he attended the theater.
John had never seen a play before.
Its main character was modern Hera-
elites who laughed his way into the
play, all the way through it, and faded
out of 1t, leaving smile on the faces
and in the hearts of those of his audi
ence who were attentive and sympa-
thetic.-
= At all events that play made such
an impression upon' John Dunbar, that
when he got home he called together
out in the woods all the family except
'mother."
"fye got an idea, or rather a play
saw has given me an idea," he said.
Il want to tell you all what it is, and
then as the true and loving children
you are want you help me In a plot
to--to--well, to reform mother"
How, father?" inquired sixteen
year-old Blanche.
"Smile, If mother is cross, don't get
grumpy. II she's out Of sorts, don't
cater to 1t. Just smile-smile-smile."
There was n certain fairly mischie-
vous spirit Of delight injected into the
situation, When. Mrs. Dunbar that
evening began her usual I'm dead
worn out with this ceaseless house
work. her husband beamed upon her
expansiyely. with the comforting OBJ
servation, 'That's because you insist
on doing 1t better than anybody else
In the town.
If shrewd Mrs. Dunbar suspected the
obvious change In the genial mood of
the family, she was disarmed, helpless
to resist it.
Then. although she never relaxed
that grim temper Of hers outwardly
and never admitted 1t, she took a Sc
cret, silent delight in basking In the
loneliness and inspiring cheer of the
hours spent around the evening lamp,
where the family circle was encom-
passed in CHEEKY laughter, bright rep
artee and-smiles.
Then climax caine-two of them
that shook the supposed domestic In
fnllibility of The self-willed mistress
Of the household.
.'The house has been burglarized! !"
was the direfuh announcement of John
one night when they returned from
church sociable.
Yes, and four hundred dollars In
cash missing from a secret hiding
place where Mary had insisted on
keeping 1t, instead Of placing 1t in the
banki
1T was all her fault and she looked
pretty gIum. But no one: blamed her.
John only touched her affectionately
on the cheek and said:
Thankful ! wore my watch! II the
thieves had taken that with your pic
tuTe in 1t, I'd have mourned, / tell
your"
And Mrs. Dunbar actually flushed
and murmured: "You foolish man!",
and then her hard nature softened
stin more as the iov1al family kept on
smiling, despite the loss of the money.
The very next day Mary left a
hot fire going while she run over to a
neigibor's. 1t was to return to find the
house In flames. II burned to the
ground.
Again her fault but John only
smiled, saying pleasantly:
Suppose you'd been In the housed
I tell you, we're lucky people,. You |
deserve new house with more con-
veniences In 1t, and you're going to
have It'll"
And tile day this splendid new cdi-
fee was completed, and the smiling |
faces OF the whole family beamed on
mother as she came up the steps, her
lip quiyered.
"John, Tm-I'm going to behave my
self |" she whispered meekly.
And the corners OF her lips were no
longer drawn down, but parted in
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