Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1880-03-13

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suppose the more helpI have the
better shall get along, 80 told him
to go right to work. I don't suppose
he has been to breakfast yet, his folks
are so slack, SO you might set out q
bit for him to eat. Try and have the
lunch ready by half-past nine; you can
blow the horn, and I will send one Of
the men down for it.
Poor Jennie 1t was like the last
straw that broke the camel's back,
She struggled hard, but the tears
would come. Mr.. Graham turned
back and came instantly to her side
when he saw that she was in trouble.
"What is the matter, dear?" he
asked, compassionately, while his
large, kind hand glided down her hair
with a soft, caressing touch. "If you
are not feeling well, I will slip down
and get Miranda Powers to come out
and help you. Iguess I'd better any
way, hadn't II"
Mrs. Graham mastered her emotion
with an effort.
"Oh, no." she said. "There isn't
anything"
Mr.. Graham hesitated; he was not
satisfied with this explanation.
"There !" she said. "Now go along
to your work, or I shall be foolish
enough to cry again "and indeed she
looked very much as if she might.
Hiram Graham had faint idea as
to what the matter was, and was very
willing to do as she bads him. He
felt considerably annoyed that his
wife could not see the advantage Of
the proposed purchase that would SO
materially add to their mutual prop
erty. And then he began to wonder
what she was thinking so silently
about while she stood looking off to-
ward the distant hill. A little jeal-
ousy crept in with the thought. The
owner of that fine mansion had once
been formidable rival of his. There
could have been no reason for her
choice but the one she shyly confess
ed to him in the soft twilight of a
summer evening ten years ago. How
proud and happy he had felt He
vowed she should never want for any
thing which he could procure. But
he had changed since. he had but
little to commence with. They had
to practice such rigid economy, and
to watch every dollar SO closely, to be
able to meet the payments on the
farm, that he had learned to love
money, not so much for the good it
could purchase as for its own sake.
When he came into dinner, follow
ed by his troop Of hands, he could
not help noticing how flushed and
tired she looked, but she was as cheer
full as ever. The morning cloud pass
ed; and with the sweet spirit Of self
sacrifice that characterized her, she
had buried her dead hopes and taken
up the burden of life again as pest
she could.
Hiram Graham was not ignorant Of
this sacrifice, and lit touched him
keenly; the thought of it troubled
him during the afternoon. He even
forgot to estimate what the probable
yield per acre would be as the heavy
sheaves were showed off the rear plat
form and lay SO near together on the
shorn ground. He could not deny
that his wife had worked as hard as
he during the years past, and the
economy that he had praoticed had
been mostly in her domain. He be-
gan to wish that he had treated her
wishes more respectfully at least.
But then he could not help looking
over to where that forty acres lay.
What choice piece of land it was |
How long he had wanted it And
now, when it was almost within his
grasp, must he let it go? And even
were he to yield to Jsnnie's wishes
now, would not she know that he had
done SO reluctantly and against his
better judgment2 And during the
afternoon he thought the matter over
and over.
"Powers," he called out, az that in
dividual was leaving the field at night,
"if the folks at home can spare
Miranda, let her come up in the morn
ing, and help my wife,"
"All right, she will be glad to
oome," was the answer.
Harvest was over, and Mrs. Graham
spoke of discharging the girl. "You