recognized her husband as a hero, and was ashamed of herself. They each
waited for the other to make the first confession, but it was left to
both. They sprang into each other's arms and became welded for life in
one beautiful but awful squeeze.

The fright had cured them. It had opened their eyes to the realization
of the ridiculousness of the situation, and revealed the criminality of
their past behavior.

The volcano ceased to pour forth lava. The earth-tremblings became
still. The sun peeped out from behind the clouds. Manfred got back his
job on the railway. The water and light arrears were paid up. The fence
was repaired, and the garden irrigated. The children were called in from
the woods and curried down. Kisses and smiles took the place of scowls
and curses. The sideboard was replenished, and the hens were persuaded
to work for their own family. Even the willows ceased to weep; and, oh,
my! but it was a beautiful resurrection. And thus Paradise was gained
again.

Of the Two Ladies in Contrast

Once upon a time in Ashcroft two ladies were thrown into the same
society; because in Ashcroft there is only one class. When any function
took place the glad hand was extended to one and all. For every dollar
possessed by one of the ladies' husbands the other husband had five.
Mrs. Fivedollars was very extravagant in her dress and domestic
department, and Mrs. Onedollar was very envious and ambitious. The
husband of the one dollar variety was more or less of a henpeck because
he could not multiply his income by five and produce a concrete result.

It was a very predominating mania with Mrs. Onedollar to shine in
society with as great a number of amperes as her rival; and this
ambition gave rise to one of the greatest domestic civil wars that
Ashcroft has even seen. Mrs. Fivedollars had no envy. There was no
corner in the remote recesses of her heart rented by this mischievous
goddess. She made no effort to "outfashion" fashion or to outshine her
neighbors. What she displayed in dress did not extend beyond the natural
female instincts for attire. Of course she had no cause to be envious,
being by far the best dressed lady in town without undue effort. Mrs.
Onedollar viewed the situation from a social apex, and the more she
studied the situation the more she realized that the world was
discriminating against her. From being the best of friends, they
developed into the most deadly of enemies.

Now, it came to