Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 10, 1900)
THE COURIER. A. I h tfcr r- philosophically. They grumbled, half fearsomely, at scrambled eggs three times a day. Lem pulled his chair to ward the table with great force one day on seeing the inevitable diet, and ra marked with enthusiasm: "Gee, but it did smell good as I came by Mrs. Welch's this noon. I do believe she was a-makin'someof that raisin bread you used to make, maw, only ours was always better'n hers. She's got a lot of jell, too. Ain't you goin' to make none of that chili sauce this year, maw? Thero'g lots of tomatos in the back yard." The water must be deeply troubled when the best quality of oils fails of its mission. The grim lines about Mrs. Buzzy's face did not relax at this bit of flattery. "You'll be chilly enough this fall, I reckon. Maye you'll git a frost ef coal keeps a goin' up." This. was not encouraging to a boy ish appetite yearning for goodied and incapable of understanding sarcasm, and Lemuel flung himself out of the door after Susie, and took what conso lation there might be in freeing his mind to her. "We're having a bird of a time since maw went into politics, ain't we? Don't believe we've had anything but eggs fer two weeks. 1 wonder ef maw's pay in' the hens for workin' overtime. I'd like to know what in blazes maw thinks she's goin' to do about the situa tion, as ehe calls it. She needn't think she'll yank paw out of his tracks for all he's so quiet. She just acts to me like she's nutty." "Ob, Lem, you'd not ought to talk so 'bout maw, and anyways you don't have it as bad as I do. Look at this old dress I have to wear to school. I ast maw yesterday when she would make my plaid dress, and she sed she hadn't no idee when she'd get the time. Said she was tired of us all makin' a slave out of her for our backs and our stomachs, and givin' her no thanks, neither. She fights with everybody, too. I heard her tell the milkman she wasgettin' plum sick o' hearin' men talk; that none of them didn't have two idees to rub up against each other in support of their convictions. How many convictions, do you think, Lem?" "Not unless the're the same things as wheels; she's got- them all right. I tell you the ducks that keep the women out of politics is long-headed all right. Ef it worked on all of them like it does on maw, us men would have to leave the country. 1 don't see how paw can take it so cool. He jest keeps tellin' me to never mind, and to keep quiet and say nothm', and that maw will come out all right, but I have my doubts. I believe she's headed for the lunatic asylum." Mrs. Buzzy was conscious of her fam ily's attitude, but, unheeding, continued her grim struggle toward the light. She was not much more comfortable than they, although she scorned to ac knowledge it even to herself. She had burned her bridges, and the expanse of darkened waters ahead seemed no more easily crossed than what sbe had left behinJ. Her household gods which once had satisfied every need of her nature, now seemed mean and unworthy the devotion of ono. who cared for eman cipation. So she reduced her duties to a sliding scale, which continually drop ped lower until Mrs. Buzzy only did the things she could not escape from. While the flames in the kitchen range died down and grew cold, and the voice of the sewing machine was still, she plodded doggedly through the leading editorials in all the papers, to the utter confusion of her mind, which probably established no precedent in the condi tion of the average mind. She poured over the brilliant covered books Betting forth the reasons for the faith which should be in men. She starched the pudding one day instead of the pillow chams, as she eagerly perused a pam phlet which outlined somebody's for eign policy. She attended political meetings. She listened eagerly to speakers on both Bides of the fence. ' Fer," she said, "I ain't one that holds with folks usin' only one eye an' ear, ef the Lord's give 'em two." "Maw," said Thaddeus one evening, setting bis bucket down on the kitchen table, 'I concluded that 'full dinner pail' must be one or your little jokes when I opened mine this noon. I had to borrow a fried cake of! Bill Gorgan to fill up as fer as the third rib." "Ef you ain't satisfied with yer hired help, Thaddeus Buzzy, you're welcome to git somebody else quick as ye like. How long is it since Bill Gorgan was full 'stead o' hie dinner pail?" Mr, Buzzy winked furtively at Lem uel as he followed him to the front porch. "Maw's gettin' worse every day," the young mac said, gloomily, "an' she don't know a derned thinsr fer all her hangin' over them books. I heard her talkin' to Mrs. Welch one day, an' she thinks the Filipinos is some kind of nuts." "So they air, Sonny, Maw's all right and turrible hard ones they air to crack, too but you keep quiet and don't say nsthin. She'll git over this some day tarrible sudden. You see." Shortly after this the announcement was made that two of the leading po litical lights of the city would discuss openly fer the benefit of the doubtful, the political eituation from opposite points of the compass. Mrs. Buzzy's heart beat high; here was the solution, the silken thread to lead her through the misty labyrinth of her doubts, the hands to build the bridges to guide her into the sure haven she sought. Alas! for the gorgeous tints of that old "iri descent dream." By 7 o'clock of the eventful day the clouds which had hovered weakly all afternoon drew themselves together, and nature expreesed herself in such a copious flood of tears that she might have dampened the ardor of the most enthusiastic proselyte. But if nature had any sinister designs against the education of Mrs. Buzzy, they were frustrated, for the lady, after a hurried clearing away of her supper dishes, opened the wardrobe door and took down her waterproof cape and her hat, and began drawing on her overshoes. Mr. Buzzy, who was comfortably read ing his paper, looked up in surprise. "Why, Judy, you don't 'low to go to that meeting in all this rain? You'll get your death of cold." "Well, I be goin', rain or shine; but I am glad to see you settin' to home comfortable, Don't you never get your feet damp, Thaddeus, even ef some one was rippin' up the flag or makin' a present of the hull country to Victory." It's a good thing somebody in this house bee sprawl enough to git out and try to onderstand a few tbinge, ef ycu ain't." Here the front door was brought to with a slam which served as an exclamation point for Mrs. Buzzy's remarks. About 9 o'clock, after the manner of considerate helpmates, Mr. Buzzy re tired, leaving the lamp burning dimly and the door on the latch, and proceed ed to fall into the profound sleep of one whose conscience has ceased from troubling. Mr. Buzzy was aroused earlier than usual next morning by a vague conscience that something was amiss. He looked about the room. The lamp still burned, emitting the sickly odor of an ill fed lamp wick. Mrs. Buzzy's clothes lay in a damp heap on the floor, while she, with tossing arms and burning cheeks, was mutter ing incoherently, and made no reply, to Mr. Buzzy's anxious queries. Hurried ly dressing himself he went to Lemuel's room, and with very little ceremony shook the lad from his heavy sleep. iSS&J&i 7vn (lub Witl? Courier. By special arrangement with the various publishers TLo Courier is able to make an extraordinary clubbing offer. We club with all publications, home and foreign, excepting one. $!& lOffi&i Publishers' Our Price With Price The Courier Frank Leslie's Illustrated Weekly.. $1.00 ft 00 Harper's Magazine 3.00 3.75. Harper's Weekly 400 4.00 Arena 2.50 3.00 Atlantic Monthly .100 4.10 Century Magazine 4.00 42T Chatauquan 1.00 2.00 Current Literature...... .'L00 325 Forum 3.00 350 Godey's Magazine 1.00 1.75 Harper's Bazar 400 4.15 Illustrated London News GOO G.0O Lippincott'p Magazine 250 3.15 McMillan's Magazine 3.00 3.35 Musical Courier. 4.00 4.00 New England Magazine 3.00 3.35 Public Opinion 2.50 3.15 RnmnnPA 1 ftfl 17 -r.r. ..; zx a vl onori aiories ;xj j.zu TableTalk 1.00 200 Town Topics 4.00 4.25 Women's Tribune 1.00 1.75 Youth's Companion 1.75 2.45 Zi! Review of Reviews 3.00 3.20 American Art Journal 300 3.00 American Catholic Quarterly Review. 4.00 4.00 tiujoiibnu Bfi1D"'f '''' . w w T7I American i.cuoomisi -uv uu American Rrnpp'r 'A Of) 3 00 .-: ot-. iiui i;n v'V i-kv x&iuowuaii uauBci wu -x.tn -,. B2 A... . :u i-4- ,.vi tr.n fSvit- ArtdelaMode I.... 3.50 4.00 flS Art Interchange 4.00 4.20 gSb, Art Journal G.00 G.00 vgg' Bauyland 50 J.00 The Bee 8.00 8.00. BIa:k and White 9.00 8.00 Rlnrlr Cat f0 1.90 .. TV n rj Ann ru 4$ Bookman 2.00 2.50 SJl Boot and Shoe Recorder 3.50. 4.25 5 Canadian Magazine 2.50 3.00 W Catholic World 3.00 3.00 Kr v,umn uecuraiur. j.uu .ma; Phriot on Usmofop f1 'Till u..0u.uu 6'. , -" -'" M Ulipper i.w .uu turner u vv eem jr ..................... -tuu .uu nv i.nHmnnniHHn i i c McCIure's Magazine, jail to one nnn Jn Munsey's Magazine... " address. C" ,JUU wu The Courier J J Critic. 2.00 250 Current Literature .100 .3.45 Dial 2.UU 1.40 )Jh Dramatic Mirror. 4.00 4.00 Sft n.,n'o p.vion onn om ii Educational Review..! 3.00 3.40 Rncrineerincr Newn 4.00 5.95 Grocery World 2.00 240 J& Judge 5.00 5.00 " Kindergarteu Review 2.00 250 Leslie's Illustrated Weekly 4.00 4.00 fjf? jjiorary journal n,w ow Life 5.00 5.00 Literary Digest .100 3.50 Literature 4.00 400 Living Age 6.00 .25 Mail and Express 7.00 7.00 Musical Age 4.00 4.00" Nature .. .-...6.00 ."6.00- Ne w England Magazine. ... ,-f.'.-3 00 ' "3.45 Nouveautes Parisienniee... ;,.;-. .12 00 12.00 Outing 3.00 345 & Philistine"? 1.00 1.70 Popular Science Monthly 3.00 3.50" PrintersTnk 500 3.00. 'US' Recreation 1.00 J.75- Puck.. -.v 5.00 500" VS? St. Nicholas ,.3.00 350. scnoner'a Magazine J.uu -sou h Shoe and Leather Review 3.00 335 Toilettes 2.00 2.50 SK Truth 3.00 3.00 p World.. 8.50 8.50 W These club rate subscriptions are Cash in advance.-?: 'ty TV ' &&& WSttS i nl,! kkv U am 4.m l Any publication in the world clubbed with THE COURIER at a great saving- to subscribers. Terms cash, invariably. . A 1132K: St., Up Stairs. Phone 384.
