Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1879-02-13

81
more comfortable. And when th,
long winter approached, he did no
neglect his children, but assisted then
in their lessons, joined in their amuse
ments, and did all man could do te
make them feel less keenly the loss O
theiy mother.
When spring came, he was obliged
to enter upon so active an out door
lite that Ruth, Kitty and Don were
left almost entirely to their own re-.
sources. Tom was usually with biz
father, and especially delighted il
driving and caring for the horses.
One day, about a year after theil
mothers death, the two girls went &c
make their usual visit to their baby
brother. They found Mrs. James quite
i'll, and poor Mr.. James doing his bes,
to manage the homework and the
three or four little children. Mrs,
James explained that she was took
sudden like in the night adding that
she didn't know what was going to
become OF all those little tykes, FOL
Jonas didn't know the first thine
about taking care of them, though be
aoas the kindest man in the world
Ruth tied on one of Mrs. James,
great aprons, and busted herself in
washing the piles of dirty dishes, and
making tidy the disorderly room.
while the children gathered round
Kitty, who, with little jamie in her
arms, told them the absorbing story
OF Jack and the bean stalk, followed
by the narrowing tale Of the three kit
tens who lost their mittens.
When the girls returned home, they
carried jamie with them. And as
soon as they were out of hearing,
Ruth announced her intention Of
keeping him always
Kitty uttered a glad little cry: oh,
if father will only let us!'
Mr.. w atson looked very grave when
Ruth preached the subject that eye-
ming. But the children ell pleaded
for the baby, and his own heart
yearned for the child with eyes SO like
its mothers, who, With one fat arm
tightly clasped about his neck. in a
sweet little voice said, sPapa' and
Kitty so plainly, and made such
droll efforts to utter Tommy, Ruth
and Don.
| think his heart was the strongest
pleader there, for, although he well
knew that Ruth had already too much
care, he consented with far greater
readiness than the girls expected.
The very next day Mr.. Weston
went to talk with. Mrs. James. who.
though she had become very strongly
attached to the child, acquiesced
much more readily than she would
have done in health.
For few days all went we'll. The
pretty baby ways were a source OF
constant delight, and the mischievous
little tricks seemed so cunning that
Ruth only laughed while she repaired
the mischief, and loved the child more
fondly than before, if that were posi-
BILE. Then school was opened in the
little colony, and Kitty and Don were
daily attendants. The care. of jamie
fell almost entirely upon Ruth, as the
father and Tom were very busy in the
fields. One by one were her house.
hold tasks neglected, for jamie made.
many demands upon her time, and
she had yet to learn to systematic
her work. She never neglected the
baby, however, and the little fellow.
was so petted and indulged, that he
would have become the most tyranni-
cal little despot in existence had it not
been for his natural sweetness of dis,
position.
Mr.. Weston did what he could to
lessen Ru:h's cares, but after toiling
the long day in the sun he was too
tired to do much more than prepare
for repose.
Spiders spun their webs here and
there unmolested. The floor was sell
dom more than "broom Clean" some.
times, it must be confessed, scarcely
that. The food was, often hastily
and after time Ruth grew
careless in her personal appearance.
Of course these changes come slowly,
and occasionally she wonld make a
spasmodlc effort to get back into the
old channel, only to relapse into a
more slipshod role.
Another year passed, and Mr.. Yves.
ton began to talk about new house:
said he thought to be able to build in
one year more. The children were
delighted, but Ruth was best pleased
of all. She had come to consider her
poor housekeeping the fault of the
sc old Sod" as Tom invariably styled
his home, and imagined that in q
tasteful, roomy dwelling all difficulties
would be removed.
How it came about / know not, but
this little colony, so intent upon plow-.
ing, and sowing, and reaping, seem
ingly SO infatuated with the idea of
making money, of owning large farms
and vast herds of cattle that it had
never before thought of taking holi-
day, decided 10 celebrate the nations
by picnic under the trees,
only to be found skirting the river
that flowed through the valley where
they had settled.
Matrons made great pyramids of
cake, and rows Of pies; their ovens
turned out huge losves Of bread, as If
eating was to be the sole entertain.
ment of the day. Grave consultations
were held over wardrobes, maideps
turned over ribbons and tried on white
dresses with visible pride, or ironed
best calicoes amid signs and even
tears.
The Westons went with the rest.
Kitty radiant in a white dress that
had been Ruth's, and and blue rib.
bon in her hair. Ruth made no at
tempt to be fine. She had almost
ceased to think of her looks, and APP
peared plain enough in her dark, ill.,
fitting print, reliey ed only by white
ruffle at the throat. The day was not
particularly pleasant to Ruth. She
had held SO little intercourse with the
young people of her own age. that
they seemed to have nothing in com.
mon, and, after dinner was over, she
wandered away with Jamie to find
shells in the sand. They had become
tired at last, and sat down under
clump of willows tn rosf Jamia With