River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-08-12
BETTER THAN GOLD OR LANDS.

invest it,
Hiram Graham, sitting just outside OF
the open door to enjoy the GOODNESS OF
the summer evening, threw aside his
paper rs he spoke and awaited his
wife's reply His wife, busy over her
sewing, did not answer Immediately.
Come" he said, let me have your
opinion. I'll bet you have made up your
mind what 10 do with it long ago. You
know the saving, a man to save money
and a woman To spend it, and he laugh
ed good-naturedly.
Yes, Mrs Graham had made up cr
mind long ago. The thought of a time
when they should be clear of debt, and
some of their surplus earnings could bo
expended for home comfort, had helped
her to make over and repair many an
old garment that She was about to
throw away in despair; it had encour-
aged her to contend with numberles9
Inconvenience. But now that the time
had really come, she felt a reluctance
about revealing her thoughts She was
oppressed with the fear that her long
cherished plans might be dashed to the
earth. However, she began brayely
enough
Il have thought We could repaint the
house some pretty color, such rs silver
gray and have : utters put up At the
windows the right shade of green to
harmonic with the house-the same as
the green leaves Of the poplar harmo-
nize with the soft gray trunk and
branches
why, Jennie? exclaimed Mr.
Graham, there Is a good coat Of paint
on the house now. And there is no
color as durable rs red lead in my esti-
nation.
And, continued the wife Il would
have the Eard enclosed in Il neat picket
fence
Il don't see any use in tearing down
that fence. The rails are as good and
sound MS twenty years ago.
please don't interrupt me, Hiram. |
would repaper the rooms, buy a new
ingram carpet for the parlor, and mus
lin curtains for the windows
'Thunderation, What is the sense
of having curtains if YOU have shutters
Besides, the paper curtains answer
every purpose, as | can see. The paper
on the walls is perfectly whole. 1t is
true that YOU have patched considerably,
but that don't show much. And as for
the carpet-why haven't you got a new
rag carpet in the room now?'
Eyes. but that wonld be for the sitting
room. And would have bay window
made oil the south side Of the sitting
room for house plants"
Mr.. Graham laughed outright at this.
Now Jennie, said he, Il have never
said anything about it, but have always
thought it foolish 10 spend as much
money and time as YOU do fussing with
flowers out of doors: but when you
come to make house flower beds-that
beats me -
Hiram, said Mrs Graham. YOU
asked me for my opinion. Now please
don't interrupt me.
Very well, 90 ahead.
II would have Il pOrticO built over
where you are sitting, and a woOdhouse
and a large cool pantry, that | need so
much on the back of the kitchen. One
part Of the woodhouse would be so
much cooler for us to eat in. Besides
this, there are SO many little adorn-
ments. such as pictures. etc. that
would add aiterward.
why" exclaimed Mr.. Graham IF
we were going into that it would take
every cent of the money.
We'll. we earned tito invest in some
thing, didn't we?'
Yes. but | want to invest my money
in something that Will bring me IN
some kind of an income.
1T would bring us the best of all in
eomcS-not in dollars. but what Is bet
ter farm JOY and happiness. Life
would have Il fuller and purcr meaning
for us both: it would bring higher and
better atmosphere in which To rear our
children Even the humminghird
loves To deck its sweet little nest with
pretty MOSES and Iichcns Ought We
not To have rs much love for our home
aud its adjoining a~ Gods dumb crea-
lures o.
Il have something more important
to live for than humming-bird has, >
said Mr. Graham. tartly. Il would
rather leave something more substan-
tial to my children, such rs broad, we'll
titled acres. for instance. | will tell
You that | have been thinking of. he
said, with an air Of one who felt that
the expressing of an opinion must
necessarily bring conviction of his
II perior Judgment You know that
have always wanted that forty-acre lot
Of South-wcIl'S that Joins me on the
north They say he Is hard up now
and when he finds out that | can make
a large payment down. | believe can
oct il mighty reasonable And when
/ get that paid far | shall have one Of
the best farms in the country. Now
what do you say to that" he asked trl-
umphantly.
lit would nun us in debt again. said
Mrs Graham
Well suppo>inS il did We have
swung clear this time easy enough, and
can again You must remember that
this land WAS badly run down when |
first got hold of il, but the farm is in
good condition nov
Easy enough Mrs Graham did not
repeat the words about. Her husband
did not know Of the little sacrifices and
acts Of sclfdrllia That it had est her.
He never could know. and therein lies
the pathus uf many Il sacrifice
The next morning Mrs Graham wa,
up bctimes. and busy IS usual amidst
her household cares but her heart had
lost il liehtncss. and a. She stood under
the locust tree which shaded tho back
door. churning, il seemed. too. ~ II
Hlittti tt the BRIGHTNESS tA't'A ~NAiN 49,
her life. Golden dandelionS nestled IN
the grass that carpettd the yard Ike
bits of sunshine; taey We're still bright
with the deNy freshness of early morn
ing. To the right there was low
meadow land the silver thread that
traversed it showed where Il brook muir
INJURED along, it, tiny waves sparkling
i'm the sunlight To the left were fields
of grain with ripcned heads bowed
down, waiting for the sickle The mir
was fall of happy sounds the tinklc OF
distant cow-bells the voice Of domestic
fowls. and the song of wild birds But
her great disappointment overshadowed
it all
She could think of nothing but the
great barn-Ile house painted glaring
red. with its large shutterless windows