Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-08-17

pet, anu Sonie curtains OF white muslin
or lace, and set of nice furniture, and
and-a piano. Oh, John, i'll could have
apiano !"
John Edwards looked at his wife as If
she had proposed to him TO buy up the
crown jewels of Russia.
"a piano! DO you know what nj.
ano costs ?"
mo. Aunt Louise had one, you know.
ever since l can remember. But think
II we had pretty parlor to rest iu in
the evening, L could play for you, and
sing You never heard me play or sing,
John" %
III have heard you sing, but not late.
ly," said John, rather goomily.
"Oh, that was Just humminp ronnd
the house; | mean real singing. have
lots of music in my trunk"
but you are only farmers wife,
now, Lima. thought you understood
when we were married, that you were
not TO have city fnery and pleasures"
$50 did, John. don't want finerv.
l don't want any pleasure but your love,
John. Don't scowl up your face so.
am silly TO think of these things at all.
There, kiss me and forget it. / am nice.
ly rested now, and I'll get your tea in
ten minutes"
John put her down with very tender
kiss, and fell into deep reverie.
Lima Rivers had been district school
teacher in Scottstield just four months.
when John Reynolds offered her his
hand aud heart. She was an orphan
from Infancy, but her fathers sister had
adopted and educated her in a life of
luxury, and died without altering a will
made years before, leaving her entire for.
tune to charity asylum. Lima, left
alone, thankfully accepted the position of
country school teacher procured for her
by some friends, and was thinking life
a hard burden when John came to
brighten 1t. She gave her whole gentle
little heart into his keeping at once, ap-
preciating at their full value his honest.
true heart, his frank nature, his sterling
good qualities, and looking with pro,
found admiration upon his tall, strong
frame aud handsome face. leg.
1t was perfect love-match, for John
fairly worshlpped the dainty, refined lit
tie beauty he had married; and having
married her, he took her to his home and
III all ignorance proceeded to kill her.
There was no blame TO be laid upon
him. Living in the old farmhouse,
where he had spent his entire life. the
one ambition of his heart was to own
land, stock, barns, and q model farm.
lie had seen his mother cook, churn,
teed poultry and drudge all her life, and
1t Lima made odd mistakes she put
willing heart into her work, and soon
conquered it's difficulties. Surely, he
thought, it was an easier life TO be mis-
tress OF his home, with the Stanley farm
in prospect, than to toll over stupid
children in district school. He had
never seen velvet carpets and lace cur
tains, grand pianos, dainty silks and 9TH
err surroundings that had been Liua's
from babyhood. He had never heard
the wonderful music the little white
hands, all rough and SCARED now, could
draw from the ivory keys of an organ or
piano, or the clear, pure voice in song.
1t was an unknown world to John,
where his wites memory fingered as she
secured tins. strained milk and cooked
huge dishes for the farm hands. He
would have thought it wicked waste, if
not positive insanity, to draw from the
|
them in beautifying his plain, comforta-
BILE home.
And Lima lashed her consciousness
sharply, telling herself that she was un-
grateful, repining and wicked. Was not
her John tender, true and loving
Where among her city friends was there
a heart like his? Had she not known
he was only farmer?
And so the loving little woman toiled
and shaved, undertook tasks far beyond
her strength, worked early and late, un.
til just one year after his wedding day,
John Edwards, coming home to his tea,
found lying upon the kitchen floor lit
tie senseless figure, with a face like death
and hands that sent a chill to his heart.
The doctor, hastily summoned, looked
grave, and advised perfect quiet aud
rest. A girl was hired, and John tender
ly narsed the invalid, but though she
grew better she grew pale and weak
"Take her away awhile" said the doc
tor; "try change of air. She is'over-
worked" .. 90. ..
'But," said honest, puzzled John, she
does nothing but the housework for us
two. She has no child, and our sewing
is not much"
The doctor looked into his troubled
face. "You are o good man, John Ed
wards, and strong one. Will you let
me tell you few plain truths?" 3rIS
| "Yes. About Lina?" - ~
"About Lima. You remember, do you
not, the tiny antelope you admired so
much in the menagerie we had here last
summer ?"
Certainly" said John, looking more
puzzled thai ever. lltk
Suppose you had brought that little
creature aud yokedi it with one of your
oxen to cart to do the same work ?'.
I'D been fool; that little thing
couldn't work. 1t was just made pretty
to look at and to play"
"That's it, John. Now don't think
God ever made any woman to look pref
ty and play, but he made some for the
rough work OF this world, and some,tor
the dainty places, some to draw nieh's
souls TO heaven by gentle loveliness.
Your wife is one of the latter. II you
were poor man would have held my
tongue, but you are rich one, Give
your wife servant; let her have books
and music, and pretty things around
her. Let her rest from toll, and you may
kaaIa har nv unur oi1a put hat haoI -,