A Model Family

From his youth Joe Holmier was known as a good man. His morals were perfect. No one had ever heard him utter a profane or vulgar word, for none ever fell from his lips. He formed no bad habits and was strictly temperate; in fact, he was a leader in the temperance society in that community and had been for some time. He never used tobacco in any form, and did not know the taste of intoxicants. Being religiously inclined from his earliest childhood, when sixteen years of age he united with a church which was near, and to the best of his ability lived according to the teachings of his leaders in that particular faith. He was a very industrious young man, and, as he had to labor hard for the money which he possessed, he considered well how it was spent. His name was upon the lips of many of the parents in that community and he was pointed out to some of the wayward boys as a model after which they should pattern. Mothers would often make the remark to their sons, “Oh, if you were only like Joe Holmier, I would never have any occasion for worry.”

Parents who looked well to their daughters of marriageable age often spoke of Joe as a desirable husband, and many glances were bent his way from the fair damsels of the community. But Joe seemed to be oblivious of it all and went about his business unconcerned. He never asked for the company of the young girls, and all had formed the conclusion that Joe Holmier was destined to be a bachelor. None knew that all the time they were talking about his spending his life alone that he had let his heart go out to Susie Dietrich and was only waiting until he felt that he had accumulated sufficient means to provide a little home before he asked her to become his wife. Susie had been reared on the farm and was just the kind of girl to make a young farmer such as Joe a good wife. So at the age of twenty-five Joe decided that he was not destined to be a bachelor, for Susie promised to become his wife.

The Dietrich family were of the same religious faith as Joe, and the father and mother rejoiced to know that Susie had been able to get the model young man of the community for a husband. Susie was also very proud of her husband, but she had been married to him but a few months when she was one day awakened to the fact that Joe had a very high temper, and sometimes could not keep control of it. It all came about because Susie failed to close the garden gate, and the hogs got into the potato patch and rooted up most of the potatoes, also destroying some other vegetables. Poor Susie regretted the loss as much as Joe and felt very bad indeed because of her neglect, but she was not prepared for the outburst of temper on the part of her husband and burst into tears at his stinging, cutting remarks. After this incident Susie strove to keep Joe in a good humor, but at best he would sometimes lose control of himself, and that over the most trifling things. After each outburst, however, he would repent and ask her forgiveness, and as Susie was of an even temperament their married life together was quite congenial.

Although they worked early and late on the farm, they were never too busy to be present at services, and each Sunday found them in their accustomed places, each attired in the plain dress of their faith—Susie in her white cap and bonnet and Joe in his broad-brimmed hat. Both were members in good standing, and as Joe was a liberal giver, many a dollar found its way into the treasury box from his hand. All looked upon them as a model couple, and if their pastor had been asked to point out the best members of his congregation, Joe and Susie Holmier would have headed the list.