Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-06-17

THE VERMoNTER's WIFE:


woman with large blue eyes, 81 think |
shall go to California and try my luck
Darn it all, every body is going about
here. Do you think you could spare me
for year, Neliy!"
Mrs. Dana made no immediate reply,
she appeared to be very busy turning out
a cup of tea, although deeper observer
than her husband would have noticed an
uncommon tremulousness in her hands, as
Mr.. Dana ceased speaking.
g / think / might do well there" the
husband continued, as though speaking to
himself.
Are you not doing well here on your
farms q the wife at length asked.
"Im making living, perhaps, but it's
only by hard work. Now, if l should 90
to California, be lucky, why, we could
have great many comforts that we are
not blessed with at present"
We have every thing that we could
wish for TO make us content, and | am
sure | sigh for no Injuries, excepting
what we can well afford" Mrs Dana re-
piled.
"Yes, we have enough to eat and
clothes to wear, but we can't buy lots of
good furniture, and have piano like
Squire Bolton. Darn it | want to be rich
as he is, and then | shall be contented."
Mr.. Bolton is far from being happy,
with all his wealth. said the wife
We'll know that; and then who could
be contented with such wife as he has
She's either crazy half the time or else"
q Hush,' cried Mrs. Dana, with a re-
proachful look. Remember, if she has
faults, 50 have we allr'
''But, what | mean, Nelly, was that if
he had a wife like mine, and with his
wealth, he couldn't help being happy"
And you want to leave a wife YOU
think SO highly off, Mrs. Dana said with
very reproachful look.
6 But you don't see that it is for your
comfort and benefit in the end. You
know, Nelly, that nothing in the world
would induce me to quit You, unless it was
the hope of making fortune in a short
time. | wouldn't be gone longer than a
year, if | liked the country, and thought
You could be contented there, I'd send for
YOU
''The young wife strove hard to retain
her eomposure.
81 will get my youngest brother to
come and live on the farm, and carry it
on. You shall be left in full charge Mel
ly, with power to do as you please"
"Give me a week to think of it, the
wife replied at the end of that time
I'll make up my mind whether | can con-
sent to your leaving me or not"
Mr.. Dana was too well pleased to OBJ
tain even this concession, to argue any
further that day, and after bidding his wife
read the accounts III the newspaper con-
tanning the latest news from California,
he went off to his work.
Mr.. Dana owned a farm of about one
hundred acres, near the town of Windsor,
Vermont. He was a young man, and
person of considerable energy, and had
saved during his minority, small sum of
money, which he had safely deposited in |
the saving bank until such time as he |
wished to use it.
After he had become of age, he had
added to his capital, and when he thought !
he should like Jane Perkins for a wife, |
and proposed TO her and was accepted, he
| bought farm which we found him occu-
pying; and was doing as well as any
young farmer in the :ieighborhood.
! He had been married two years when |
the gold fever of 1913 aud 40 broke out |
sweeping off thousands of our most indus |
trious mechanics and farmers and leaving
many hearth stones desolate, and many
wife to mourn an absent husband.
How few have returned with their an
ticipations fulfilled. Thousands who left !,
the New England States expecting to win |
a competency in short time, have been
glad to work their passage back In some
slow sailing tub, while others too proud to
Ietufh tInpty-nandeu, nave tolled on, bare /
! ly gaining a livelihood, and now rest from
their care and troubles by the banks of
some river with nothing but a board to
to mark their grave.
After Mr.. Dana had left his wife, she
washed her dishes and put them away,
and sat down to read the glowing account
1 ,f tho roId discovers Tho more sho rood
the more facinated did she become, until
at last she came to the conclusion that If
she were a man, she would be tempted to
try her luck.
Twice during the forenoon did she peruse
the paper, and each time the resolution of