Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III ABOUT MY FATHER Ti /T Y father was an instructor in higher mathe- l/l matis and physical science at some edu- Jlt JL cational institution in the town, which was about three miles distant. In summer, during vacation season, he was at home much of the time, and it was seldom pleasant when he was about. The atmosphere seemed oppressive, and a Sunday- like stillness pervaded the premises, excepting for his tirades and vociferations which could be heard at frequent intervals throughout the day, and often well into the night. He was seldom still during his wakeful hours, except when reading or writing, and at these times everyone in the household had to suspend all audible communication and resort to whispers and signs. When not reading or writing he was singing or scolding, usually the latter. He would sing when alone and scold when anyone was around. He scolded a great deal about wastefulness, and would say: Save everything?throw nothing away, for some day you will come to want. It seemed always to make him miserable and cross to see his children enjoy themselves, or laugh in childish fashion. A peal of merry laughter in the household never failed to rankle in his breast. It may be said, however, that he was not given frequent occasion for provocation by this transgression. And strangely enough, too, when he was in good humor he would discourse at length upon the beauties of a happy and tranquil home, and ten minutes later he would, as likely as not, thrash some one of us for
giggling and tee-heeing, as he was wont to call it. A singular feature of his anomalous disposition was that, although stern and harsh toward his own children, he was generally kind and sympathetic with the children of others. He was sanctimonious to the last degree, and never …