Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-01-19
THAT WIFE OF NINE.

y
Of q young girl asked this, and as |
heard the words, half in a dream, [
opened my heavy eyes, and looked up
to what seemed for moment a gliaapse
Of Paradise. There were the dark
green leaves of the low bushes, among
which | dimly remembered dragging
myself, tired and faint, it seemed
year ago, and there, thrown upon their
dark background, girls face, with soft
sunny hair and great earnest eyes.
"Was she handsome?' you ask. No,
suppose not. | don't think there was
a singular regular feature in her whole
face, still 1t always seemed lovely to
me, and that morning, as [ looked up
at it, her face was as an angels.
was rs nearly worn out as man
could we'll be, and everything looked
black and dreary enough, even in that
bright summer time.
! was only tramp then-not a rag
ged, dirty tramp, such as you drove
out Of your yard yesterday, perhaps,
but tramp nevertheless, and a kind
word and a plying face were now
strange things to me. | had been
what, thank God, l am to-day, a lawyer
with-for a young man-a good prac-
tice back in my eastern home, but a
love for drink-yet not altogether
drink, but with it 8 reckless expendi-
ture, Of running into debt-had brought
me down.
remember the day that the final
crash came, and how hard [ tried TO
avert it, not waking to realization of
my situation until it was all too late.
1t seemed to me impossible that |, al
ways so favored, should be, could be,
penniless, and if not absolutely a beg
gar, still certainly in beggar's friend
less position. Unable to remain where
l was known, for fear of my creditors,
| struck off into new regions, and
begged-yes, that's the word-begged
for work, any honest work, and begged
for it in vain. did get odd jobs, here
and there, but nothing lasting, only
just enough for me to live along from
hand to mouth-and sometimes it was
poorly enough, even at that.
The night before, with fever burn
ing in my veins, | had left Ridgefield-
left without supper or money-and all
the long night had trudged onward
down the great, white country road
Sick, with the hot fever coursing
through my veins and parching my
tongue; faint and hungry, footsore and
weary from long travel, disheartened,
and caring but little whether / lived or
died, just as the sun came up | sank
into the low. coollOoking bushes by the
roadside, and lost all consciousness.
care you sick, sir?'
The question was repeated with even
more earnestness than before.
Il fear | am, said, pressing my
hand to my throbbing temples to still
the pain.
"Where are your friends, poor
man ?"
There was a look of pity in those
great, earnest eyes, that, if [ should live
forever, | could not forget
Friends !" | echoed; the words
sounded almost like mockery to me.
did you ever know sucn men as | to
have friends ~
"What have you done-are you a
criminal?"
Tt was said with the action of a start
led fawn, and | FASTENED to answer:
"A criminal Yes, Of the worse kind,
so people seem to think. I am guilty
of being poor"
Oh, is that all" What q relief there
was IN her voice; sick as was, I no
ticed it. owe are poor, too, mother
and / but still we have friends, and
will never leave any one sick at our
door without help. Can you walk at
MI, sir y
Il will see," ] said, family; ard in
spired by new courage, with hold
on the thick bushes, managed to gain
my feet and staggered, rather than
walked, out into the road; but when at
last got once more into the sunshine,
the old dizzy falntness came over me,
and in 4 swoon l fell forward in the
dust.
For days following | was conscious
of nothing but pain-a throbbing and
aching of the head, feeling through
out the body of hunger and suffering.
| had closed my heavy eyes in the heat
and dust and even as l lay there, day
after day, | seemed to be breathing the
same dusty air, suffering with hunger,
burning with fever, and without water
to quench my thirst. When at last /
opened them | saws cool, white curtain
swaying to fro before an open win
dow, and now and then I could feel a
breath Of fresh air upon my cheek, and
out beyond could see, where the cur
tain was caught up, raindrops dropping
and glistening among the leaves. /
felt as if in fairyland as | handled the
clean, white coverlet laid over me, and
looked about at the few cheap pictures
and the neat simple sweetness of the
room.
where am u" unconsciously I
spoke, IN my surprise and wonder,
aloud
A curtain hanging at the head of the
bed was suddenly lifted, which gave
me slight glimpse of another room;
neat as my own. A young girl en-
tered and quickly came forward to the
side of my bed. 1t was the face Of my
strange friend by the roadside; her
sunny hair and earnest eyes had been
with me as something intangible,
misty as pleasant dream, all through
mr. sickness, and | remembered it now
the promised aid and swooning in the
dust.
$50 you are at last awake said
she, laying her cool, moist hands, on
my awake, and the fever all
gone. You must feel much better"
l could only look eyes " with my
eyes.