Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-05-11


harder name than Jenny.
Work Is a good thing Auerbach says 1t
should have been the first commandment:
Thou shalt work. Jenny was too unfamil-
| lar with the art-tor.ure TO be conscious OF
| bow good her work was; bat she could not
but be awsre, ~ the morning passed away,
| that something was driving the clouds out
+, OF her sky. Roland could not despise her all
at once, she was sure. She would gather up
| the remains OF his love, and guard and nonr.
| ish II so tenderIy that, like her poor frosted
| Iamaraue rose, Il must eti1I Lift itself to the
sun again, and some time blossom into lit
| tie beauty Of sweetness, and so make life en-
| durable. She would, In 80 many noble aad
| heroic ways, prove 10 hlm-but no; how
could she do that There WA nothing noble
| or heroic TO do. Women's Extraordinary
women's lives, like hcrs--had no heroic
| chances. She could only keep his house in
| nice order, cooh his fayorite dishes, watch
over his shirt buttons, forget the old days Of
ease when she was listless young lady, and
never, never, never lose her temper again.
TWAS all dreadfuliy commonplace, and Of
no account, but she had embraced this lot Of
her own free will, and out Of her deep love for
him, and II was the only way by which she
could hope TO climb 10 the height Of his re-
gard again. AS for his old romantic love for
her, his chiyalrous devotion, that could never
come back; she want worth IL And so,
|
genuine woman, having no mercy on her
self, she went through the household duties,
thinking all the time how dear 10 her were
husband and home, and how she would strive
10 make herself endurable, please God, 70
them. 8
BY noon to-day the work was done, and
the house In the trimmest order. White
loaves, just from the oven, were diGusing
their fresh yeasty fragrance; the weeks iron
ing hung warm ard spotless across the
clothes horse. On the table smoked an ex-
eecdiDgly lonesome cup Of tea; and over il
leaned the pensiye young housekeepcr, pre-
tending TO do justice 10 her solitary lunch
con.
Her thoughts were away In the snowy
woodland with him, her husband; who was
doubtless, about this time. eating prairie
chicken and clammy bread and butter "He
might build fire, and give II a little roast
on stick she pensiyely murmured; and
then she felt how very glad she should be
when night should come, and she could, In
many furtiye ways, confess 70 him how sorry
she was, how deeply IN need Of his dear love.
IL was nearly three O'Clock when, mechan.
icaily looking through the window In the d.
rectfOn Of the forest, she was surprised TO see
the dog, David, making for the house In g
waycriDg, uncertain way, as II he had half
mind 10 turn back 10 the woods. David had
more than once wearied OF the moDotony of
watching woodworking, and come 10 the
house an hour or two In advance OF his mas
ter; so there was nothing startling In bis
coming now. He scratched at the door In his
usual obscqnious fashion; darted 10 devour.
when admitted, morsel Of bread and meat;
but, quitting II simultaneously, went and
sat down before bic mistress with the air
Of having something 10 say, and began TO
whine.
David was not a remarkable dog; not at
all any dog in particular. He was yellow and
understood with only white spot on his
forehead by way of ornament; and he was
inclined 10 be lazy. He had come TO them
one stormy night, a lame, starving yagrant
from some emigrant train, and kind-hearted
Roland fed him, put liniment on his leg, and
called him David, after faithful dog he had
recently possessed and lost. And David cor.
tentedly remained, exhibiting no marked
talent for anything, and sometimes betray-
lng lack Of decent intelligence. His men
tai faculties had been dwarfcd by persistent
ilLTeatInent, Mr.. Hardy thought; the dog
seemed TO be co,oed. One popularity Of his
was, that he Lever asked for food. He was
the most unobtrusiye, retiring sort Of animal
that ever yearned for cold meat. II meat
came 10 him, well and good; but he never
uttered q whine, nor gave one beggarly wag
Of his tail 10 indicate that he Was huDgry.
He would not have done IL II he were starry
Ing. Jenny was wont TO say that he was
",
himself before his mistress, and looked Ut her
with all the soul he bad IN his eyes, and
wblned like professional beggar. he was re-
gardcd with good deal Of astonIshment.
More dinner, David? IL II possible You
have brought yourself 10 ask for more din
nerp going to the cupboard and carving a
bone for him.
David looked hurt. Nevertheless, he took
the bone gently, carried 1t TO his rug In the
corner, and left II. That caused Mrs. Hardy
10 lo0k at the rug, which she had not done
before, and then she saw that he had not
eaten HE dinner. The dog returned to his
old position, whining, before her as she sat.
"Oh, IT. Is water, them
No, it was not water. He retreated from
the basin with an air Of increased injured
feeling, and continued 10 regard his mistress
with appealing eyes. All al once some In
stlnct penetrated 10 Jenny's mind, and her
heart gave a leap OF fear.
David! Dayidl IL IL your mastery Is It
Roland"
II glad Of being understood ut last, and trot-
ted 10 the door, casting look back ut her
over his shoulder. II ever a look said PLATA.
~ "Come on that look did.
81 will come, old fellow, said Jenny, going
10 the wardrobe and hurricdly getting on
some wraps and her fur.lined oyershoes.
" Something Ia the matter with the dog, and
II may be that. AT any rate, there viii be no
harm In my running out In the woods" she
added, with u nervous little laugh. Roland
need not know how silly am; 1 can say that
/ wanted 10 find llchensn
The sun was disappearing behind cold,
hazy horizon; q chilly wind whlrled the
snow-elouds across the level plain, ferreted
out the fallen leaves that stroye to hide from
II, and sent them scudding on again. The
still radiance " the winter day was giving
place TO an early and boisterous night; TO
such night as will not be forgotten In that
country by living man or woman.
In her stauncn ovorshOes, short cloth skirt
and shaggy walking jacket, Mrs. Hardy pre-
pared 10 start. But she first OF all unlocked
a small store-cncst, and exeavated from It's
de Jth a sealed bottle, with Catawba grape"
written In honely chlrograrhy on Its de-
liciously dingy label.
"My dear old father!n she exclaimed, by no
means addressing herself To the bottle; but,
with dim eyes, thinking OF the kind hands
that were young hands when they made this
wine; which, from It's age and strength, was,
us cordial, equal 10 brandy. The hands
were old hands now, capable OF little but
writing her shaky letters from the dear old
homestead. "Who knows but Roland may
be past it's aid that some dreadful accident
but WON'T think Of IL. And who knows but
may meet him trudging homeward; and he
will ask me what on earth | have brought
out the wine forg But he shsn't see IL viii
not show IT.; and tomorrow | shall laugh at
myself for these foolish fears"
Talking thus ineoherently, but doubtless