Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-07-10
Working and Resting.

John, [ wish you wonld call at Mrs
Flynn's ON your way TO town and ash
her next week to help me clean house
It's getting pretty late, and don't like
to put it of so long"
The man took step or two forward
then turned toward the tall, spare, hol-
low eyed woman, who was his wife, and
answered: SIS il really necessary,
Susan Fv sa&alsl9 ~
A glance around the room was her
answer. 4s'aa
aLet it go this fall" said the man,
''I'm sure it don't look very bad.'' -
"Oh, John, the house is dreadful
dirty. Look at the walls and win
dows."
"Pooh see dirtier ones every day"
Then as if another thought struck him,
he said: Couldn't yon do a part this
week and part next?'' l'ass -
81 don't know. Perhaps so.''
The answer came in discouraged
tones, and the cburning was continued
in nervous spasmodie jerks. -s 3
The man saw, her discouraged look,
and said, as he went out: "well, if
you must, reckon can let her know"
don't see how it is, . said he, solilo-
quizing, as he trotted his horse at slow
rate along the winding prairie read.
81 can't see how 1t is that Susan thinks
she must hire so much done. Looks
like she ought to be able to do all she
has to do. True, In harvest time it
comes little hard for her. hire three
or four men then, that makes more
cooking, but then I've heard women
say they'd as soon cook for six as two.
Now, there's my mother; she used to
cook for eight or. ten men in harvest
time and had seven children to do for.
We've only four youngsters, and don't
milk half as many cows rs father used
to. Bnt reckon the women them days
were made of better stuff than now-a-
days. Git up, Dobbin. I've hired a
heap of work done for Susan this year.
She had help when we killed hogs, and
then she was sick and 'Nery Gilman
come and stayed two weeks, and had
to give her i've dollars and board. II
couldn't very well afford it, either, for
my moving machine must be paid for
this fall, and want to buy some more
stock zoo, this fall, and must have 4
corn-planter next spring. But here, if
haven'tpassed Mrs. Flynn's and didn't
stop. Git up, Dobbin."
What was the hollow-eyed, tired
looking woman thinking of all this
time? Thinking of! She had no time
to think Of anything but work. The
was not yet done, the break
fast dishes were unwashed, the milk
was not skinned, the weeks ironing
stared her in the face, and last, but not
least, was the little one tugging at her
skirts, begging for nourishment. But
it does not cry, so she keeps on churn-
ing until the little ones patience is ex-
hausted and its screams are heard above
the slash, dash, slash of the churn. The
mother can no longer resist-baby must
be cared for though all else go un-
touched. s..s i-.E
She was naturally tidy woman, and
as she looked around upon the undidy
house she grew nervous almost to de-
spair, and the tears fell fast upon the
baby's face at her breast. -.,,
Oh, how welcome are these silent Wis
itors when the heart is overburdened
by grief or trial! They seem to be the
rivers that wash our hearts from sell
fisliness. .E aiH .sT
Mrs. Wilton wept long and bitterly !;
but when the tears were wiped away SO
also was her burden of toll, and care,
and tenderly kissing her sleeping babe
she laid him in his crib and went about
her work cheerfully, if not contentedly.
She possessed cheerful disposition |
naturally, but she was not a stranger to
those hopes and aspirations that come
to most of us to cheer our discomfort.
She loved nature, and longed for stroll
over the prairie that lay broad and
bright around her. But she found very
little encouragement for luxuries, even
the luxury of ramble out of doors.
Her husband was soriid, money
loving, money-getting man, who saw
no use for anything that there was no
money in. He knew all the ways and
means of money getting and money
keeping. He had taken his wife from a
loving home in an Eastern State, and
made for himself home on the prairies
Of the West. He was deemed q very
shrewd man by the neighbors around.
He knew when to buy stock and when
to sell. He knew when piece of land
r.
was worth buying or. selling, and was
always getting some "good chance"
His wife had long ago found out that
money was his idol, and everything
must be sacrificed to it-even herself,
she sometimes thought, when. with
aching head and tired feet, she had
sought her pillow. Thus the years had
gone by, until few wonld recognize in
the hollow-eyed, sunken-cheeked, pre-
maturely old woman, the fresh, rosy
girl John Wilton had brought there
eight years BEFORE. COS yecii.HH
Mrs. Wilton Gid not ask her husband
if he had stopped at Mrs. Flynn's, she
supposed OF course he had; and the
following week she watched every day
for her expected help. Watched but
not waited, but as the hours went by, |
she began the task and kept at it until
il was done.
Mr.. Wilton pretended not to see all |
this. He kept aloof rs much as possible |
so rs to avoid any explanation he might |
be called upon to make; but when alone
with himself, he said Ar
"well, Susan Is getting along nicely,
after all. She'll have the house shining
-