Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-04-30

John Jones was not wholly unimpres-
sible; slowly the scales fell from his
eyes, the light came, and he was as one
| born into higher and better life. He
drew his bony hands across lis eyes;
often the sight made him catch his
breath suspiciously, and he marvelled
little woman for fourteen years and not
known that he was mated with an can
gel unawares." His voice grew softer,
tender; his great talony hands touched
| her forehead and her hair lovingly as
would a woman's-touched her as
though he was afraid she would fade
away into a white mist.
Weeks afterward, when he was able
to. ride out, the old whimsical buggy
that had done service in the days or his
church-going parents, was made COM
Portable by soft wooden blanket and an
armful of understanding Oat straw.
John did not tell where be was going,
but he looked wise.
It was evening when he came home
His cup of tea was waiting for him, and
the tender little pullet fried nice and
brown. He seemed really happy. He
trotted the baby on his foot that night,
and called his wife Jenny" as in the
days when he won her, and he let John
ny play horse with his boot, and there
was such 81 contented expression on his
face that his wife could not help Won
deriDg.
The next morning the crazy old rig
was called out again, and the soft blank
ct spread in it, and John Jones took the
| lines in his emacitated hands and drove
off in the same direction as he did the
day before. When he returned he was
accompanied by a broad-shouldered
good-looking German girl, whom he in
troduced to his wife as our girl
sShe looked with amazement upon
/ "our girl" then stared at John. He
soon explained things to her satisfac
ton.
"The upshot of the mater is, Jane,
that have abused you long enough;
the Lord helping me, I'll never see you
make drudge of yourself again. It's
burning shame for any great lout like
me TO expect a frail little body like you
to be man, and dog, and wife, and
mother, and niger, and me saving
and boarding up money and means to
leave to the Lord knows who; l beg
your pardon, Jane. And now you'll tell
| this girl, Barbara Grootz, how you want
things done, and let her take your place
and work in your stead, and you'll live
here after like a human mans wife
ought to-"
By the time that speech was made,
the poor, weak fellow was numbering
like a baby. Poor little surprised wife!
She flew to him and laid her head on
his breast and cried like baby as she
said:
"John Jones, you darling!"
"No, not a bit of a darling; just ali
old bear, regular old heather, to sacri-
| fee the best little woman under the
sun, inch by inch, the way that has
been going on for years." snutfled he,
as he fun1bled over her face in an aim
less loving way.
Then our girl" Barbary, went into
Jane Jones's harness, and it fitted her
to q traction. A.a
"Now that we have turned over
new leaf, 60 and dress up, Jenny, bless
youw said the new convert.
So Jane unearthed her wedding-dress
pretty, old-fashioned collar, and brushed
out her nut-brown hair that once upon
time curled beautifully. Perhaps
she felt foolish and girlish and out of
her sphere, but looked sweet enough to
make up for all discrepancies.
She sat sewing when the children re-
turned from school. Her back was to-
ward the door. Tom came to dead
halt as he stepped on the sill, and then
ran around the lean-to to find his moth
er. No mother was there but the smil-
ing pinky-faced German girl, who was
pairing potatoes for supper.
Tom bawled out, is mother dead !?
Oh, [ want my motherw and cried
around the house, and peeped in shyly
with wet eyes.
Was that lady IN soft gray merino
dress, wearing al embroidered collar
and nice gold ear-drops, his mother?
Surely it was, for Nettie was fondling
her face and sparkling all over, and
saying: a
rs this you, mother? Why, where
have you been?'
ooh, mar said Tom, holding her
around her neck as it she might fit
away the next minute; "why, where
have you been. and when did you
come back?"
Poor little ones, how proud they were
of the household drudge in her new and
beautiful transformation. ae.E
But this is not all. Before the first
cold blast of winter came, steps were
taken to tighten the labors OF the femi-
nine portion of the farmers household.
| An addition was built to the house, new
siding was put on and painted white.
New windows were added, and green
blinds and spouting, and big cistern
C ose to the kitchen door, and a wide,
long, .-oomy porch. Closets were pct
in all the rooms. the old beds.eads were
split up and used for kindling; new
chairs were bought, including new
rocker and sewing chair for mother; a
new sewing machine that was love of
friend: the door yard was paled in,
and the calves and colts kept where
they belonged; and evergreen trees and