The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1881-08-26
Selected story.
HANNAH exrLDrs DOORSTEP.

Hannah Gneldt leaned upon be
broom, and looked out from the los
kitchen door ACROSS the wintiy field
and ice-glazed streamlet which laj
between her home and the little village
Of Greenock, with its one taperin.
spire aud sloping roofs and blank
white walls, bare now OF tho summer
verdure. She had done her household
work. polished every article capable oI
polish, and soaped and sanded all the
rest. At the last sho had swept clean
her doorstone, and now felt fee to dc
what she chose, to rest or gossip OF
sit down TO needle-work thing im.
possible to her while spot bor cath
her roof was oats0f 0rsivr. just now
she felt neither like gossiping nor sew.
ing; her hoart was very full, aud she
found il necessary 10 stand still and
think awhile. Only that she was
not used to II, she would have
cried, she w,s 30 very cal. IL seemed
TO her that tho happiest people were
thoto who lay in their green graves In
the ohuTch.yard, with crossed hands
upon their bosoms, and feel quiet
from al earthly going 10 and fro for
evermore.
Not that Hannah Gneldt was tired
in body or weary with the toll oi
of household duty; for she was strong
Of frame, and her health was perfect,
a4 her hands were wiling. IL was on
her humble heart tho burden lay, her
spirit that was worn with earthly
travail
"rsenty-three years to-day I've
been his wife," she mattered, "and
I've loved him we'll, and worked hard
and faithful To keep things decent, and
it's come 10 this nj last. Things had
been BETTER" says he. 'if he'd married
Miss Lesterl'
Yes, that wss what farmer Gneldt,
harrassed by toll and debt, had said
that very morning; aud il seemed 10
Hannah like the confession Of long
repentance, forced from her husbands =
| lips st last.
poor mani | wish | could help
nm" she sighed, leaning on har broom
beside the door. II doubt has right
about Miss Lester.
With that her eyes fell and rested
by chance ON the doorstep.
81 can mend that, anyhow" she
said, "and ! have time, for work il
DONE
So she hung the broom up and
peeped into her oven and SCI the
kettle on, and then, hooded aud
shawled, crossed the fields 70 where
the farm joined that Of Simson Gray.
On ono. spot were men a. work and
stones lying about.
Hannah Gneldt nodded To the old
farmer and he came u meet her.
81 want "A stone" she said. May
| have onel"
II wish you'd take em all" said
the farmer; "a lot of rubbish. You
see I'm clearing away what they call
the old graveyard ut last. Wife talks
IN me o sacrilego and disturbin bones.
Bless you, there ain't been none for
years and years; and these hard times
man can't let 90 TO waste. ! tell
wife she don't know nothin' about il.
What do you want TO dol Have Bit
around the wellT'
mo, want a STEP" said Hannah.
THAT great white one is just the
thing" Aud she pointed TO slab
hard by.
ike shall bring it over to-nig ght,
said the farmer.
"No,' said Hannah, 81 can roll il
along"
And her arms, strong a. most mems
went to work at once, aud the slAl
was rolled and pushed and lifted on its
way. IL was tell for laborer, bat il
did lIannahygeod. She tugged away
pushing and lifting, and adding weman''
ingenuity 10 mans strength, 80 that al
last IL was at her own door. There
she let it rest and dug the old stone
out, and afterwsrd brought water Il
wash the slab with; white as the driver
snow, for the most part, with some
little yellow weather stains about th,
edge, and on one side the black inscrip
tion--a name enlogy, and dates. Han
nah stared with the curiosity of one
who cannot read.
81 wish ] could tell what that was,
she said. "Some ones age and name
Ali there were sore hearts when tha
was new. hope when / die Olives
will have written over me that / wal
q good wif,. I've tried to be.
ought to know that big letter--wait |
biz; i believe it's T."
Then she turned the inscription
downward and washed the other sid
clear and white and fitted it into place
| She received little credit for heI
work. Oliver only mnttered:
"You needn't have published th
| fact. / couldn't afford a porch to th
place
And no one noticed the step after
ward save Hannah when she scrubbe'
| It.
/ Matters were very bad at the Gneldts
Oliver brooded over the fire in speech
less sorrow and grew grayer and bald
er with each passing day. Hannal
kept ruin of a. little by making hom
of the poor house and feast of tn
humble fare by her housewives skill
She might have BEEN cheerful but fu
the memory cf that luckless speech.
Working in her garden one day
when The first spring grass was grow
ing green, Hannah heard footsteps
and, lifting her head, saw two gentle
men beside her, and arose precipitately
with womanly anxiety about her ankle
no5 strictly covered, perhaps by b,
cotton gown. The nearest gentlemel
an elderly man, with bright da,IS eye
= addraeae1 her