Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-05-11
ONE DAY IN A SETTLERS LIFE.


"If you had had one grain Of love for me,
you never would have dragged me out into
this dcsolate Wilderness" said Mrs. Roland
Hardy, half sobbing, and really angry
Had you been a gentleman, Roland, you
never would have thought Of doing IT. -
When wives get into passion they are apt
to say things that they may hereafter bitterly
regret. Mrs. Hardy was no exception. Her
husband stood breathlessly silent, his face
paling. They had not been married year
yet
AJane,r he answered at last, In tones hard
and cold "if had not thought you were
willing to come, aye, and more than willing
to risk IT, should never have brought you,
and you know IL. Remember, l told you IL
would be rough life; get you were eager to
come"
Jane Hardy remembered very well. But
the memory Other earnest prOtestatioDs, her
generous forgetflilncss 81 self, only angered
her the more just now -
Glow was 10 know IL would be like this
THERE You can GO you arc. going. -
should like 70 be alone--with al this work
TO dop
81 am going directly" was Mr.. Hardys
answer, striving for tranquility. I" Will you
be good enough TO put up my mncheonl 4
shall not come back until night"
"Oh dear yes,v she replied, with aacrity,
bringing her face away from the window
with a jerk, and proceeding 70 make great
chatter In the cupboard, which In this pioneer
cabin was a combustion 81 pantry and china
closet.
81 fear there Is but q short allowance Of
wood: will 10 last till EVENING" asked Mr..
Hardy obviously looking at the wood-box he
had just replepished, and turning 10 brush
up the bits u bark that had fallen on the neat
rug carpet. His words we're kind, but his
tone was as chilly as an icicle
"Therc Is plenty; do not trouble yourself"
responded bis wife, resentfulIy, her eyes bent
on the bread she was butteriDg.
In five minutes, man, dnDer-paiI and dog
had vanished In the direction of the great
forest and the young wife was alone, 40 she
had yehemenily desired 10 be. Roland Hardy
had gone forth TO his days work OF telling
timber.
Most young and angry wives would have
burst into tears ut this point Jane Hardy
did not. She leaned against the rude mantei-
shelf when her husbands footsteps no
longer souuded In the crisp snow, and
looked utterly cad and hopeless, as II the
light ~ her life had suddenly gone out;
looked remorsefnl, too, as II conscious of
having something 10 do with Its annihila-
ton.
The story IL one Of those often enough
enacted in The new world. Certain cxpccta.
tiolis suddenly falling him, Roland Hardy
maHfully resolved 10 betake himself 10 The
mighty woods, clear out n settlement for
himself erect his own house, Robinson Cru.
hard labor, become prosperous. Hardy, the
settler he would be then, with his farm
lands around him, his Bocks and herds, his
people and his comforts But all that would
have 10 be patiently worked FOR, and The be.
ginning must, of necessity, be weary and
. tollsome. Jane Deane, 10 whom he was en-
gagged, decided 10 20 with him--his wife.
lie told her he had better 20 on first, say for
year or Two; her friends urged the same
adyic.; but The young lady would not listen.
~. t4.f fl.astl
marriage, described what their toll and their
lonely lie would be. Jane Deanc looked ut
II with rose colored speciAees, and thought
II would be charming, kind Of perpetual
picnic IL II true she did not bargain Tor the
help they had taken with them, IN the shape
of u man and woman servant, deserving
them speedily, tired with the new rough
work, sick ut the loneliness; and those en-
gagged in their places latter endless trouble
and long ncgotiation) had not yet CONE. But
she had putIer own shoelder bravely to the
wheel Ia The summer weather, and made
light Of hnrdships. II was winter now, and
for the first time her temper had given way.
Everything seemed To- have gone wrong In
Lhe cabin this morning, and her husbandS
calm cheerlulncss through IL all had pro.
voked her most nnwarrantably. But she was
not feeling well.
It's possible that many Of us have such
fnOrnipgs--mOrnnRs When everything AM.
sgDate aud luanimnte conSpires 10 bling TO the
surface the original gorilla that hlumbers
within he soul These VsxatiODs have To be
beaten down promptly under ones feet, and
Mrs. Hardy bad stopped 10 squaoblc with
hers.
lie met her ycxatious words Ioklngly, and
IL incent cd her In her angry spirit she said
unforgiying things, and Mr.. Hardy was pro.
voked into retortipg.. 80 They Jared and
tangled through breakfast That is she did.
For some little time Roland Hardy had
I'm al ~ a af.ft AZ RilnurIQsaI tiEpDutput
was taking possession Of his wife. She was
auieter at times, almost sad, and less given 10
laughter than in their old bright days, as he
got - calling them. lie had hoped every
thing of her love and deyotion--hoped that
he might ever remain AS near and dear, AS
much ''al the wOrla" to her, as she had often
declared him 20 be. Aud now this had come
OF IT, this dreadfai quarrel. She had spoken
out her mind.
His heart was ACHING with her reproaehcs
but, generous ever, he excused her 10 himself
AS he walked along 10 the woods. IL was
asking too much OF mortal woman, he argued,
anxious TO make himself wrotched, 10 tear her
far away from home aud friends, and all the
comfortable delights Of well-rcgulated New
England lie, aud TO expect her ~ DO always
glad, and tuOyant, aud brave, aud hopeful,
Keeping his own soul up with the wiDc.like
tonic of her Dlithe spirits. No. IL was the
same old beginning Of the cnd, mere ques-
ton OF time. Eventually she would become
the Indifferent, matter. fact sort OF a woman
that most wives appeared 10 be, regarding
him---lhe loyer--as kind Of mild, inevitable
evil, necessary 70 her support, and respecta-
bic 10 have about the house. sooner or later,
he supposed, all husbands and wives awoke
from their dream OF love 10 the long, dreary
reality Of making the best Of things. Never
thelcss, her fierce outburst on this particular
morning took him by surprise; somewhat
aroused his Indignation. Had II not been her
rree choice 10 enter on this "yllainons'
house keepingY Had he not warned ncr
freely and fully that her days, II she came
with him, would be anything but bed OF
roses? Was not life harder for him. mex
pressibly harder than II had ever been, a
totally different thing altogether; but he
bore on perseyeringly and untlrlngly, looking
TO the end Ia view, and making matters light
for her sake. Suppose--supposa-- flush
dyed the young mans patient face as the
,.Eonght occurred TO hm--snppose she refused
TO stay here and went home 10 her irendsy
Meanwhile, Mrs. Hardy stood on by the
mantel piece, horribly miserabie--more mis-
cradle than she had ever dreamed OF being
In any Of the .quarrels that had lliekered
their courtshlp. There seemed to be no
milking up" in this sort OF thing; there
, was no light In IL; IL was unmitigatcd, hope
t,oa yr.tpbadness For Mrs. Jane HARDY,