The Russellville Democrat., 1881-03-10

Y ouiiS aiu ufillS OfeT dgdln that lar OH dream, still kept her faith and made q royal comfort of it. And yet, so far as We could ascertain, her matter-of-fact Aaron had but once in all their courtship ventured to kiss her "I'll never forget 1t, not to my dying day" she said. Tt was of a Sunday night, the last Sunday Tn September, out by the gate, as he was goin' away. We'd been a talkin' of things as turin as could be to sparkin', am all of a sudden, likes if he'd been possessed, he put his face close to mine and-l declare to gracious, 1 couldn't "a been worse surprised if he'd "a hit me. Land sakes, Aaronp 1 screamed. An the next minute l snickered right out I couldn't help it for seein' how flustered he was, and kind O undecided. I VOW. I b'lieve he thought he miffed me. But he hadn't. Lordy, lordy, it comes back to me jest like twas only yesterday
 Then she dropped her head, and her fingers twitched at her apron, as she added, in a deprecating tone:
 "You'uns Il think Pm soft, expect: but can't help it. I can't forget some things" The tears in her eyes said as much, and more.
 They were married in time, we came to know, and went to housekeeping; but they were poor; they had to rent land bad luck followed their planting, and finally, Aaron determined to 20 west with the Santa Fe freighters, many of whom, once as poor as himself had been known to return from that mysterious region with money enough to buy we'll improved farms in the Boones Lick country. q didn't cross him about il, said Aunt 'Cinda; "he was alters dreadful sot in his ways, an couldn't be coaxed ag'in the grain. That was his weak spot; everybody has one, you know. It was almost too much for me to see him start off on sech a journey, but made myself think it would turn out for the best; an l knowed he'd come back.
 Two years passed, however, and he did not return, nor did she hear aught from him, except that he had duly reach ed Santa Fe. A third year, almost dragged away without sight or tidings of him; and then she resolved to move out into Kansas, along the route he had taken, -"so's to be higher to him." she told us ''an' meet him as he comes home." And so she had been pushing on from place to place, through hardship and danger, by the great trail across the plains, until now she could see, on clear day, the outlines of the mountains that she knew he must pass over on his way eastward. She had supported herself by cooking and washing for the freighters, and car ing for the sick who fell in her way, and at length had contrived, after years of "scrimpin' and dickerin'," as she de- scribed it, to secure this isolated ranch, where she dispensed hot meals at q dollar each, including biscuits and the accompaniment of real table cloth And here she waited, watchful and patient, for the truant husband. He's sure to eome," she would say, "and l can't miss him. m;'twouldn't surprise me to have him drop in any day" She scanned the faces ofthe alighting passengers from the stage every evening with habitual eagerness, and yet trifie timidly; as if doubtful about the kind of reception he would give her; indeed, she said once ''I dunno but it'll rifle i'm to meet up with me so student away out here, an him a-thinkin Pm in Missouri; may be hadn't orter "a come" Every day some special dish was cooked as he had been wont to prefer it; the best bed, in room by itself, was kept always vacant for him; regularly, each afternoon, she would un- loose her abundant hair and gather it in- to long, thick braid, after the obsolete fashion of her girlhood and tie it with a scrap of ribbon-because "Aaron liked it better that way"
 The fact that she had received but one letter from him in all the long years did not seem so unaccountable after she in- formed us that, owing to early neglect he was "onhandy with pen" and general ly had his writing done by proxy. In strict truth, he probably could not write a word. "But he knows figgers jest as nat'ral as kin be" she hastened to plead for him, "an' never seed the steer or hog at he couldn't geuss the heft or nigh onto few pound; an, nobody could ever beat i'm a cipherin' out corn in crib She refused, also, to confess a moments uneasiness as to his personal safety; both his absence and his silence failed to dis. concert her. He kin take keer of his self anywheres," she declared, with evi- dent pride, "an' if he's done got hurt or made way with, I'd have some warnin' of it, in dream or somethin'. But ain't had's much as a sign in the coffee groun's to make me afeard. Of course he'll come back. What in the world would he stay away for?"
 It was idle to dispute such trust, even silently. Not only that, it was impossible l to avoid sharing it, and soon it became as much our habit as it was hers, to look | from day to day for the absent husband So miutely did she talk of him that we ! believed we should recognize him at I sight; in fact we felt so sure of this, and expectation come to be so fdgety with us that often, when the weather was fair,
 we would stroll out for miles on ponies to
 meet the stage and get an earlier glance ] at the occupants, hoping thus to spy 1 Aaron, and gallop back 10 Aunt 'Cinda
 with the good news of his approach 1 Such was our thought, our talk as we 1 cantered leisurely along the trail one quiet | evening, and rounding curve, came upon a single queer, covered wagon drawn by oxen, and creaking piteously i Inside the vehicle lay man with pallid 1 face and long, struggling whiskers. who ! raised himself on his elbow to salute us
 and then sank down again with an ex. 1 pres ion of pain; near his side slept q
 baby; the wife and mother sat in front
 on titling seat, guiding "the critters
 with well-wOrn Mexican goad, It was
 a novel sight, and provoked at once both
 curiosity and sympathy. We forgot about
 the stage, we forgot about Aaron; anC
 when the baby awoke presently and put
 its tiny fists to its cheeks and gazed at u'
 in shy, debating wonder-as if trying tC
 identify us with something seen in it
 just vanished dream,-w almost ceased
 to realize the great, far-stretching anc
 empty periphery of desert, a child wa
 such a godsend there,
 ,s ( sa,,la