The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1874-09-10
WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE.

CYRUS Ferriston and his mother were
all that remained of the family. They
lived together in snug farmhouse in
dis triot so rural that it hadn't so much
lbs a name; it had only a number
10 wnship Number One People below,
ia the adjoining farming villages, spoke
of it and its neighbors as The Numbers.
Tic might have been supposed to be the
outskirts Of civilization frontier;
for the nearest neighbor was five miles
away, the only religious exercises were
held In Deacon Crocket's kitchen, three
mules further OFF, while there we're ten
miles between them and the doctor.
Cyrus was an energetic fellow, who
Earmed In summer and logged in the
winter that is, he usually took con-
&Eact to bring the drive of logs down
9rOm the woods therefore he had been
In the habit Of borrowing Farmer Hut
toms daughter Jane to keep his mother
company and help her about the house.
for small consideration. Sometimes.
TOO, Janestayed on through the summer,
or returned for the harvesting when it
was heavy; and at such times Cyrus al
ways observed that his butter and cheese
found more ready market that the
house was more cheerful and better kept
for old Mrs. Ferriston was one of the
slack kind; that provisions went further
and relished better. But for all this
he felt no inclination to marry Jane, as
folks at Wheatfeld had predicted when
she first wentup to The Numbers. Jane
was called plain and Cyrus had pre-
possession that his wife should be ROSY
and dark-eyed, with the smile that con-
eETEnra man Jane halted in her pait the
Least bit in the World-his wife should
have the step Of panther. She always
dressed sOberly, like q brown leaf, as if
she would like to melt into the land
scape-his wife should carry her fasci-
nation into the knot of ribbon at her
throat, orthe slipper on her foot. There
fore it was utterly out of the question.
If we put any faith in logic, that Jane
should become the wife of Cyrus.
But alas AS it often happens, she
had not wintered and summered at The
Numbers for naught. When the neigh
bors had hectored her as she was about
re leave home for the first season, and
prGRhegied, -" Well, Jane, I dare saw
1t WON'T be long before you'll be chang
ing your name to Ferriston," Jane had
laughed at the notion and had reckoned
chat Cyrus hadn't enough schooling to
please her and had thought she could
never be reconciled depending her days
in The Numbers.
" Folks as held their head as high as
you, miss, hev he'd ter come ter il.
they answered her. But when she he
came aog uainted with Cyrus in his everv-
day life and thought, she found that he
knew more than she had dreamed. He
had little library of books on o swing.
ing shelf that he had made with his own
hands and had carved out with deer
heaNas anf oak leaves He could talk
Wlth'her about the heroes of PIutar
an6 die empires of the Old World
about election and free-will and seemed
10 enjoy it. Jane had taste for these
things; and so it happened that. as she
saw Cyrus in his daily comings and 90
Ings, stripped of DISCUSSES and in his
genial Preside humor, he grew in her
favor unawares. In short, his manly at
tributes, his kindness and good temper.
a1d his handsome face, won her heart.
without an effort on either side. He
lGsd so grown in her affections that one
day, when she overheard Deacon Smily
Joking him about Agnes Price. hcr BRO
phetie soul stirred in her with q mighty
TElroe., Everything seemed to reyolye
before her eyes-the churn -dasher, the
Tins on the kitchen wall and the and
irons on the hearth. She was OBLIGED
80 sit down on her way to the dairy and.
recover herself, with a tray of butter in
ler hands. +. s..4.. -
1t is too heavy for ycu," said CYRUS
coming to her relief, with his ready
Ghoughtfulness and taking the tray him
self. ala4a @ssae13
"@f He'll make good husband, Cy
'rgiIl, - said the deacon, while the young
rnaslIs back was turned. s3f5ttS She'll be o
&ucky egell that gifts him and, between
ms, I,ain't noways partial to that there
4 Aggie Price Highly, tightly Now,
1ennie, why didn't you set your cap for
Alm, and you right here. at hand (?
f.Lwould hov bin easy as lyin'?'' !,
~t Would j.? ?" laughed Jane, out of
&a1e depth OF her silent misery.
OF course Jane should have left off
sowing Cyrus after this, but she didn't;
and naturally he was as blind as others
of his sex, and never guessed what an
ache 1t gave plain Jane Hutton when he
! dressed up in his Sunday best, with the
mssck-tie she had made him on his birth
" DAY, and rode off to pay his court to
Agnes Price, five miles across the coun-
gEy. She was always awake when he
+ 4et himself in at midnight, and went
E1p-toelng to his room, and she Law won
&x@Eing how 1t must seem to be loved bv
80 man after your own heart. Her life
seemed to promise to be all November