Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-18
Jared the Hard.


JARED MEADOWS lowered beside his
a.. wife's bed, scorn writ large in his
attitude and on his handsome, rudoy
face. His eyes of that bright. unclouded
blue that denotes nature not given TO
Softness, to sentimental concern for the
woes of this world dwelt briefly on his
wife's recumbent figure and then turned
in diStaste away.
Phyllis Meadows, her small. delicate
face turned toward the window. lay and
regarded with unseeing eyes the country
without Her lips trembled, and flush
crept up and burned into momentary
rose her thin, pale cheek.
Calmly, resonantly, Jared voiced his
sentiments.
Doctors are grafters. Keep people in
bed and coddle EN- up to get their
money. You've got to use your will
power; make up your mind you're all
right and you'll be all right No, don't
hold with doctors. Why, never had a
doctor PAWN over me in all my life!"
Phyllis made no comment; continued
to stare inertly out upon the landscape
Jared expected iler, the first day a; ;iome
from the hospital after an emergency
appendicitis operation, to plunge into
housekeeping. to get his meals, wash the
dishes. churn bake, feed the chickens,
yes and probably hoe the turnips. she
reflected bitterly. And you couldn't
make big, strong Jared understand. You
couldn't. Healthy, strong, candid, "sensi-
ble." he was simply unable to compre-
bend frailty And she didn't want him
to! His strength she adored. His intol
erance of weakness seemed to her god
like. Attentively she listened as he went
on.
IT sure never thought you would ever
be the kind of woman to lie around and
compel busy man to wait on you"
"Ill-Ill try to get up and get some
thing for your dinner" she murmured,
and winked her eyelids to dispel the
black dots from before her frightened
eyes. Why, she couldn't. She couldn't.
Yesterday a nurse had taken care of
her. Today she had to take care Of
Jared And they had told her it would
be two months before she would be
strong enough to take up her work at
the point where she had laid it down.
But she turned and smiled up at her
blue-eyed Jared.
That's my girl" Jared rewarded and
she felt his lips upon her cheek. his
hand firm upon her shoulder. I've
got a buShel of things to do today.
Can't work on an empty stomach. you
know. / told Tina Burwell she'd not
need to hang around here any more.
her off and said she could skedaddle.
I tell you the doctors do just like 1
said, coddle you up. keep you in bed.
Why, how'd they make a living if folks
wouldn't stay sick a while for EN-?
You're all ri ght. Phyllis. You're all
right Utter nonsense this business of
bein sick is Well, I'll be getting to
work. Good to have you home, old
girl Jehosophat I missed you some
thing awful" Again Phyllis thrilled at
the touch of his lips.
"Oh, / will try to do as he wants
me to. He is so dear-big, old, strong
Jared" she whispered as she felt the
little farmhouse slake at his march
through it.
minutes now and again, but always
was the dread upon her of the mo-
ment, II o'clock when she must get
up and begin preparation for Jared's
dinner. And he could not do with just
a lunch. Dear me. Fancy Jared
Meadows coming in to cereal and milk
and fruit and store cookies! Oh, he
would despise her, never have any love
for her again If she failed him. All,
but hadn't the hospital been heavenly
place. All day she could lie still, all
day and all day, resting, getting well,
eating, drinking, thinking dreaming,
building up strength At the hospital
everybody had smiled at her, nurses had
brought her things, brushed her hair,
the doctors had been sympathetically
interesting. kind, understanding. And
she had been homesick. How could
she have been, she asked. longing for
the peace of the place Well, she had
been homesick for Jared, for this hale
blue-eyed young giant who was her
husband. Never once had she failed
to cry when the sisters sang vespers
and she knew night was coming down
and she was alone in the big white
peopled place, far. far from Jared. In
her mind now as she lay she dwelt upon
his strength. Perhaps if she thought
of his health and vigor it would help
her to gain them for herself She
must have some will power as he sug-
gested. IF you think you're all right