Romance of California Life: Illustrated by Pacific Slope Stories, Thrilling, Pathetic and HumorousHabberton, John
General
Romance of California Life: Illustrated by Pacific Slope Stories, Thrilling, Pathetic and Humorous
Habberton, John
California -- Fiction
It was with a sneaking sense of relief that Mrs. Burton awoke on the
following morning, and realized that the day was Sunday. Even
schoolteachers have two days of rest in every seven, thought Mrs. Burton
to herself, and no one doubts that they deserve them. How much more
deserving of rest and relief, then, must be the volunteer teacher who,
not for a few hours only, but from dawn to twilight, has charge of two
children whose capacity for both learning and mischief, surely equals
any school-full of boys? The realization that she was attempting, for a
few days only, that which mothers everywhere were doing without hope of
rest excepting in heaven, made Mrs. Burton feel more humble and
worthless than she had ever done in her life before, but it did not
banish her wish to turn the children over to the care of their uncle for
the day. If Mrs. Burton had been honest with herself she would have
admitted that the principal cause of her anxiety for relief was her
unwillingness to have her husband witness the failures which she had
come to believe were to be her daily lot while trying to train her
nephews. Thoughts of a Sunday excursion, from participation in which she
should in some way excuse herself; of volunteering to relieve her
sister-in-law's nurse during the day, and thus leaving her husband in
charge of the house and the children; of making that visit to her mother
which is always in order with the newly-made wife--all these, and other
devices not so practicable, came before Mrs. Burton's mind's eye for
comparison, but they all and together took sudden wing when Mr. Burton
awoke and complained of a raging toothache. Truly pitiful and
sympathetic as Mrs. Burton was, she exhibited remarkable resignation in
the face of the thought that her husband would probably need to remain
in his room all day, and that it would be absolutely necessary to keep
the children out of his sight and hearing. Then he could find nothing to
criticise; she might fail as frequently as she probably would, but he
would know only of her successes.
A light knock was heard at Mrs. Burton's door, and then, without waiting
for invitation, there came in two fresh, rosy faces, two heads of
disarranged hair, and two long white nightgowns, and the occupant of the
longer gown exclaimed:
"Say, Uncle Harry, do you know it's Sunday? What are you going to do
about it? We always have lots done for us Sundays, 'cause it's the only
day papa's home."
"Yes, I--think I've heard--something of the kind--before," mumbled Mr.
Burton, with difficulty, between the fingers which covered his aching
incisor.
"Oh--h," exclaimed Toddie, "I b'lieve he' goin' to play bear! Come on,
Budge, we's got to be dogs." And Toddie buried his face in the
bed-covering and succeeded in fastening his teeth in his uncle's calf. A
howl from the sufferer did not frighten off the amateur dog, and he was
finally dislodged only by being clutched by the throat by his victim.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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