The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1880-05-28


with the raptnous appreciation Of
sensitive, poetic soul, when the gioriea
of the panorama Of Nature, spread out
before her, called up such emotions ~
found expression in many sweet and
rythmic idyl, which those who reaf
were not slow TO appreciate, as belong
Ing TO q high order Of creative and i'm.
aginatiye genius.
Has tho olden fire all died out within
her, that she turns away from the inim.
table painting in full view Of her win.
dow, and husies herself in Tive petty de-
tails Of her narrow kitchen, without on.
other glance
She has no time to waste on such in
dulgences Tho setting Of the sun in
dicates that what remains Of the days
toll must be finished quickly, and only
the halfsuppressed sigh That wells up
from her heart tegtihea that she IS not
content to shut her eyes on the beauty
and loveliness that lio broadcast over
all the sweet Spring landscape. And
this is only one day-one Of many, that
follow hard one upon the other, each
like unto the rest. with lis UNMARRIED,
uuyielding pressure of toll, it's unpity-
ing. hnrrying necessities, that, like a
whip II small cords, lash the victim on
in her tagging exertions.
The Summer came-Summer over all
the world, balmy and luxuriant Sum
mer airs IN at the window Summer
roses in the garden; but no Summer
came into Miriam Grey's life.
Spring and Summer have gone by.
The days are much alike to her, wheth-
er outside are blossoms or drifting SNOW,
since the narrow world in which she
lives admits Of no change "a season That
hints at release from toll. Her task
master, after the harvestS are gathered
in, and the Winter COMES clustering
and wailing over the mountains, sits By
the kitchen iire aud allows himself rest
from his labors. But it is not so with
the woman wh6 shares bis fortunes. II
is work, work, work still. Over her
shoulder grim ghoul Is ever looking,
aud urging her on with bis hollow, pitt
less eyes She Eondcrs, sometimes,
away down ia her heart, unseen and
unheard, what there. is III tie coarse,
unsympathetic, halEcruel man whose
name she bears, that could ever have
awakened her love in tie morning Il
her happy youth.
She loyes linn yei To, a. she loycl
iiita then, for love Is a rare exotic; and,
although IL may not ,he ats once, trans.
planted into ste,ils gnil, aud rSpase,l To
chilling windp, will one by one sbcl is
| q"ivering ltases and diving blossons till
only the naked, shiveiing stalk G.
tokens it's existence, which, GA ekami.
nation. may still proxe 20 bold little
Of the elixir Of life ia its shroud,.d cen.
ire. Does lc love her lie has not
told her 70 not, at least. fpr twenty
years. lie used ta ofte,t, V hen Lilian
wHs au infant at her brcnAt, an.i tie
bong gone euho Is slIil sweet iu lcr earp.
OF course he sluse, though; that IL un.
| derstoosl, az Es,Jns ssot,t< Htc ~ a yecii-
constructed Senlclce. But o. abnt 4
strange, sweet thrill sanld go through,
/ ',Isny a Wif,.'s breast, shauen Size il nei-
thor Aoung nor handsome, aud though
hrr companion lie Il ,in, aud poor, and
unr,.tired, if hat soft. ,cfrain, II love
t"n," wosld again greet hcr en,B from
iiI's "neo 50 lavislriu their lToieslatious
uf hiiictioiT DJ men never think oi
this Or, thinking, do they pat il feum
tl,em as a sentiment unWouby maturity
i and waste cf fonduess on the Object
! und,r consideration
WErn the leaves f.il that Autumn
/ l.ilh.n Grey lpfb The oil homestead, IL,
! happy bride Of man in every respect
/! worthy Of her love, and well oil lur this
~prld's bounty. Perhaps it was th.
sweetest drop in Miriam Gre,s cup oi
existence when fhe say her Ihus hap
| I'ily mated, and knew thnt for her
hearts darling there were not the bitter
years Of drudgery in store that had
been her mother Is portion. Snch is thC
love of a mother, The other children
were boys. They would, at least, never
tread in her own troubled footsteps
| After her daughters marriage the I'm.
mitigated burden Of the care of the
whole house fell upon her already
shrinking shoulders.
Her husband did not notice that ler
step grew each dav d little slower aud
niors irTesolute; that she stopped lit
| tls lower over the wash board and iron.
ing-table; or that her nights were fre-
quently yexed with pains and aches,
that were in themselves the advance
guard of the oncoming forces Of disease
and dissolution. But the time. came
when the unwelcome truth was forced
upon him, that girl was needed to as
sist in the household cares-an original
idea with him, and one that found ex.
| preston only when Miriam Grey was
prostrated on bed of sickness, from
which il was doubtful if she would ever
rise again, The slow Winter months
dragged by, and it was not till early
Spring that she was able to sit at the
board and take her meals with the rest
of the family.
Tho long fever had left her, but in
its stead, as an equivalent, remained a
hacking, wearing cough, that sounded
hollow and terrible in the bleak Spring
nights, when she sat upSalone from
sheer inability to lie down and share
the untroubled repose of her husband.
What were her emotions, what her Wis
ions, retrospective and prospective, in
those midnight watches God alone
knows. Perhaps the thoughts Of o not
distant day Of emancipation were in
themselves compensatory for loss Of
slumber.
! have ouly told you Of one year of d