River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-11-29

George. your last words haunted me
all day-or perhaps it was your voice or
look. Then when Alice and Lucy were
sick, / set up with them; and as | watch
ed their panied and troubled faces, |
q ked myself these and few more ques-
tons:
"Whether mother-love or money was
best for theml
Whether l had a right to sacrifice
your peace, comfort and home for
money!
Whether you, or the children, or
had got any happiness out of my expert
ment9
Whether we were any richer, in any
way for 1T
+" Whether could expect God TO bless me
and my house and my self-imposed duties,
when l neglected the duties He had given
met And the answers were such that /
dismissed school next day
"What did yea do with the furniture
and thingssn
Il sold everything Just as it stood;
called in my dues and debts, paid what /
owed, rented this little place and bought
fresh things for every room in it. l did
not want even chair TO remind me of
the last two years"
How much money have you leftln
1t took all got to pay my debts and
furnish this place. have not ter dollars
left, George"
"Then how much have you made, lit
tie womsnlH said Gnorge, rising and kiss
ing her tondly, in order to soften the
needful question.
''0h, George, George have made moth
ing, and | have lost two years of real
happiness, ''and Nellie looked so distressed
that George kissed her again.
Never mind, little Speculation, you have
learned great lesson. Learned to thank
God that he has hid you from the storms
! of life in the blessed sanctuary of home:
/ learned that gold is dear bought if You
have to pay peace, love and happiness for
| it."
So year after year went on, and Mel
lies experiment had been almost for
gotten in the increasing joys and cares
of Georges increasing wealth and fam
| lily. The little cottage had been ex-
changed for spacious mapsiOn on the
/ lake shore. Alice and Lucy were in Paris
at school, and half dozen other boys
and girls kept the mothers heart and
hand busy.
One summer, George finding business
called him into the interior of Wiscon-
sin, took his wife with him, intending to
make leisurely pleasure trip of the at
fair. They passed very happy week or
! two, coming gradually through the fine
f. oak forests back of Milwaukee. Toward
noon, one day, they perceived a thunder
storm coming on, and Nellie remem-
bering house that they had passed half
mile TO their right, urged return to its
shelter.
1t was but a shaGty of ordinary size,
but extraordinary pains had been taken
with the vines that covered il, and tine
! garden-plot around was miracle of floral
beauty. The owner was a man rather
past middle life and apparently a bache
Tor; neither woman or child was about
the place, but he sent them very hand
some meal, and was talkative and happy.
When he heard they were from Chicago
he seemed much interested. at is fiji
teen years, stranger, since | trod Lake
street." he said, " but / don't forget folks.
| There's two or three kin folks there I'm
working and saving for. How is Chap
man & Co., and Richmond & Co, and the
Sherman House peoplep And so on for
at least half an hour, ending with the
statement: 81 used to stay with Mrs.
Myra Smith; she kept lively house."
ayes" answered George, ave stayed
with her when we first came TO Chicago,
Poor woman"
Poor woman9 Is she deadl"
"No, but things have gone badly with
her."
sim glad to hear it,"
Sir, don't think that is very manly
speech, not to speak of it being unchrist-
ian, said Nellie, warmly; II like Mrs.
Smith, she is very good industrious
woman.
Excuse me, ma'am, perhaps you don't
know what you're talking about. So
things went wrong with her, stranger.
Where's Lymanl"
THAT was the trouble. Lyman got
either murdered or drowned, and his wife
made herself ill about it.. Nobody had
thought she cared so much for him, but
she had long sickness. and things got
wrong, and before she had been on her
feet long enough to put them right, some
one opened hotel just below hers. She's
getting old and her little boarding house
does no more tkan keep body and soul
together Susie is trying to make dresses,
and Jim is in my office-a good lad, but
he wants more schooling"
Three days after this conversation Mrs.
Myra Smith rushed into Nellie's pres
ence, "Lyman has come homel Lyman
has come homer she cried in a voice
that might have been young girls, it
was so glad. "He says you and Mr..
Wright told him all about me last Tues
day; and oh, I'm so happy I'm so hap
py"
"Why did he go away from your"
s'He thought, poor fellow, that he was
in the way; thought / did not care for
him; thought could do better without
him. But he's been working and saving
for us, and Just as soon as he knew he
was needed and wanted he came without
an hours delay"
Now, Myra, try and make him happy.
You can't buy loving, faithful heart
like his, even if you had Chicago full of
money"
'Yet did mean to be helpful to Ly
man. did mean to serve him and my
children, but
But, my dear friend, both you and |
wanted to serve them in our own way.
Our way is not always either Gods way
or the best way; not all women can go
down into the battle of life; but those
who cannot, can spread the tent and lay
the table, and provide rest and refresh
ment; for They also serve who only stand
and wait"
Down the Back of His Neck.