To quarrel was the one thing they were never too weary to do.
Their irritability arose out of their misery, increased with it, doubled upon it, outdistanced it.

The wonderful patience of the trail which comes to men who toil hard and suffer sore, and remain sweet of speech and kindly, did not come to these two men and the woman.

They had no inkling of such a patience.

They were stiff and in pain; their muscles ached, their bones ached, their very hearts ached; and because of this they became sharp of speech, and hard words were first on their lips in the morning and last at night.
Charles and Hal wrangled whenever Mercedes gave them a chance.

It was the cherished belief of each that he did more than his share of the work, and neither forbore to speak this belief at every opportunity.
Sometimes Mercedes sided with her husband, sometimes with her brother.
The result was a beautiful and unending family quarrel.