River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-11-28

give up my pride, and was just as high
spirited as ever. But our farm didn't
prosper, and Jesse didn't prosper aud
Mrs. Plumber came to live with us, to
look after things, she said and she
got to plying him every now and then
for marrying poor wife, and-oh well,
what's the use of talking sometimes
| couldn't help,wishing John Stnnger,s
strong shoulders were at the wheei,
when was working myself to death
morning and night for nothing.
Then when the baby grew bigger l
took to teaching an A b Q class as l
used TO before | was married but
what little | knew hal run wild since
then, and / couldn't keep the boys
straight somehow and the girls didn't
care about samplers, for the sewing
machine had ridden right over every
thing. Then Jesse fell i'll of the fever,
and with all the tuning and fretting
and nursing of his mother, and with all
my watching day and night somehow
he slipped oil between us. And l found
myself widow with the ill-fared, vast
ed farm on my hands, and Mother
Plumber drzzling and Wandering
after Jesse in a way to break my heart.
But | kept my spirit up yet, and I
advertised the place for sale at the
Court House, for if l could sell it we
could skin through somehow on an acre
or two, | thought
Well, who do you suppose came over
one sunny afternoon, as | was standing
in the kitchens Who, to be sure, but
John Stringer, large as life--a little
gray, mayhap, and little more angu-
lar, but keen and strong as ever. He'd
"A use for that bit of land, it seemed,
and had his eyes on it along back.
Always was wanting what wasn't
his, Mother Plumber said. She owed
HIM grudge for being more fore
handed thansJesse. 1t took deal of
looking after, and lawyering and sur
veying, and the Lord knows what, to
settle it; and | used to see John
Stnnger's STOPPING shoulders and broad
felt hat down just beyond the rise of
the meadow time and again. But he
scarce ever came near the door, till one
day. can't tell how it was-when the
settlements were to be made, l Just
took baby up stairs and had good
cry for that bit o land had been
Jesse's favorite piece, and Mother
Plumber had been worrying me all day
about it.
1.-The way o. Providence are so very
strange !" said Mother Plumber, lay
ing her specs down atop o. the Bible,
and putting on that awfully patient air
which was wearing me to skin and
bone-"past finding out. Now if Jes-
RE had married Sophie Mills that was,
and you"
But did not wait to hear any more.
As say, | just caught up baby and
went off to the garnet. And while |
sat by the cob-webbed window Mrs.
Barret-Sophie Mills that was-went
riding by in their new spring wagon !;
she had her half dozen children, round
and rosy as a barrel of apples. Sophie
nodded and smiled to some one coming
up the road; and looking along / saw
John Stringer walking, thoughtful
like, right up to our gate, Just as he
used to come in counting days-for
John never had any foolish way about
| him. | saw Sophia look back at him
as she and the children, with their
fluttering ribbons and gay ginghams,
disappeared at the turn o. the road
Then smoothed my hair and washed
my face and went down. The time of
settlement had come, 1 knew.
Mary Ann said John, gravely,
"the lawyer will be here presently; but
reckon we can make it all clear in
our own iinds without his help. And
I've settled it, in fact, that there are
certain conditions on which I'll take
the land-if you agree.
Then / flew into a passion. you've
been long enough making up your
mind says 1. II don't throw nv
land at anybody's feet, and L haven't
asked any favors of you, leastways,
John Stringer."
Softly there, softly!n said John,
putting out his hand. (" Don't be in a
hurry, little woman"
John Stringer, says all in heat,
you're just the same man you was
years ago, when you thought l was al
ways flying up every time you got out
O. temper yourself"
'And weren't you, little woman p"
said John, quite gravely. "Don't
women folks always like their own way
better than anything else 2"
"You don't know anything about
women, - l cried, "any more than you
did then. You thought ! wanted silks
aud furbelows more than-than-
ethan you did me-" said John,
"and right enough You was, too, if
yod could ha' got EN-. l always said
so, Mary Ann"
"Any mar with half an eve would
have known better" says /, hotly.
"How2" said John. His great
hulking figure lifted itself up, and he
looked ut me with those sharp brown
eyes that used to give me start in the
old time. "How 2" he repeated, soft
~. Do You mean to say was mis-
taken years ago 2" His big, brown
hand was all of tremble as he held il
out 90 me. Little woman, little
woman" says he, "let's ha' done
with it all now, and it'll all be as 1t
never was
Presently Mother Plumber put her
head in the door. Perhaps 10 me that
lawyers making a long spell of il,
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