COMMUTER'S WIFE 71 



by the fact that the failure of her social hopes had 

 been openly confessed. " He vorks no more and he 

 ploughs no more for you. No more vill he be a 

 servant to any man, nor vill I. He is American 

 citizen already, next month he vote. But for you are 

 ritsh " (what a hiss she put into the word !) " he can 

 have as much say in dis place as you ! 



" Yes, and you tread us down ; you make us to live 

 in a stable and bring disgrace on my girls, so they be 

 slappit at, and dat vomans dere " (pointing her finger 

 at poor trembling Aunt Lot) " she tink I'm a servant 

 vomans too, and last week even she dare ask me to 

 do a vash. 



" But dere are folks so much ritsher dan you dat 

 you are nobody. You tink you can keep down de 

 pcor in stables like dey do in de ole country, but you 

 canno: .annot, mein Gott. Peter, he vill vork in a 

 shop and be no more livin'-out mans, to shame his 

 girls." Then she shook her bony fist almost under 

 Aunt Lot's nose as father stepped between. How 

 they went out none of us knew. My next recol- 

 lection was seeing father go to his medicine closet, 

 pour whiskey into a glass with a trembling hand, and 

 without adding water hold it to Aunt Lot's lips, and 

 as she took a sip and choked feebly, he swallowed 

 the rest, went into his office and closed the door, 



