Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-01-13
THAT WIFE OF MINE


if Paradise. There were the dark
green leaves of fho l9N bushes, among
which | dilnly RENE nbered dragging
myself, tired and faint, il seemed q
year ago, and there, thrown upon then
dark background, girls face, with soft
sunny hair and great earnest eyes.
"NaF she hands0mc?' yott ask. No, ]
suppose not. don't think there was
singular regular feature in her whole
face, still il always seemed lovely TO
me and that morning. As | looked up
aL i'll her face VAS as m angels.
| was as nearly worn out rs man
could well he, and everything looked
black and dreary enough, even III that
bright summer time.
was only 4 tramp then not u rag
ged, dirty tramp, such as you drove
out of your yard yesterday, perhaps,
hut tramp nevertheless, and kind
word and plying face were now
strange things To me. had been
what, thank God, am to-day, lawyer
with for 4 young man 4 good prac-
tice hack in NY eastern home, but a
love for drink yct not altogether
drink, but Win il i reckless expendi-
tnre, of running into debt had brought
mo down.
| remember The day chat the final
crash came, and how hard | tried IL
avert ii, not waking to realization 81
NY situation until il was all too late.
Il seemed e. me impossible that /, al
ways % favored should be, could he,
pennilc4s, aud II net absolutely Il beg
gar, sill certainly III i beggars friend
less position. Unable Is remain where
| WIS known, fer fcar If my creditors,
| struck OIL into new regions. and
begged kcS, that6 the word begged
fnr work. aus honest work, and begged
for N Ill vain. dill get odd Jobs, here
and there, hut thing lasting, only
Inst enough ~ me t. I've along from
hand 90 mouth and sometimes il was
poorly enough, even III that
The night before, with Il fever burn
lng III ms veins. | had left Ridgefield
left without supper III money ana I'll
the long night had trudgcd onward,
down the great, whIt, country road.
SICK Wlth the hot fever coursing
through my VEINS and parching nv
tongue. FAINT aIa hungry, fpotsore and
weary from Long, travel, di-heartened
ant caring Elt irile whether ! lived or
died ait ~ tie sun came up sank
into tie hea. eaal-loakng bushes 10y the
tod7ids, anl ia,i lII consciousness
Are yon siek, sir u
The question was repeated with even
more effn. ,tn.s7 than before.
II fer anl. aid, pressing my
hand "a my tnobbIng temples to still
the paia
Whore as yon friends, poor
man q
There Was i laok II pity in those
great, earnest eyes. that. if should live
forever, could MT forget.
Friends !" ! echoed: the words
sounded almost like a mockcry to me.
Dld yon ever know such men as | to
have friends @
What haze you done are YOU Il
criminal Ri
II VA said with tic action If start
led fawn. ana FASTENED Is answer:
criminal los, of the worse kind.
81 people seem II think | am guilty
II being POOR
oh. IS that NE What II relief there
WIS IL her voice, sick is was, | no
ticoi Il. we arc POOR, too, mother
and hut still Ne have friends, and
will never leave any one sick nj our
door without help Can you walk 1T
III. sir .
Il vii see. SAID. family and in
splrcd IL new courage, with Il hold
III tile thick bushes, managed u gam
my feet and staggered. rather than
walked, ont into the road hut when 1t
last gat once more into the sunshine,
lie old Dizzy falntness came over ME,
aud m I swoen | fell forward in the
dust.
For lays following | was conscious
II nothing Int pain IA throbhing and
aching # the head, feeling through
ont the hndy III hunger and suffering.
! had closed my heavy ewes III the heat
and dust aud even rs | lav there, dav
after day. seemed 20 10 breathing the
same dusty air, suffering with hunger.
burning with fever, and without water
g qHeneh my thirst When AT last |
opened them ! sawa cool, white curtain
sNaNug In 4 tro before Ali omen win
dow, and now and then ! could feel 4
hreath III fresh All upon my check, and
ant beyond J could See, where the cur
tim vas caught ap, randrops dropping
anu glistenug among the leaves.
ielt as If N fairyland As | handled the
clean. white soverlet laid over me. and
| looked about Al the few cheap pictures
and the neat simple sweetness Of the
room
Where am Y" unconSciouslv /
spoke, N my surprise and wonder,
aloud
curtain hanging At the head Cf the
bed WIS suddenly lifted. which gave
ne slight glimpse Of another room
neat Is MY own 4 Young girl en-
tered and quickly came forward Ia the
side If my bed Il WIS the face of nv
strange ftiena hy tile roadside. her
sunny hair and earnest ewes had been
with me a. something intangible.
misty IL pleasant dream. all through
my sickness aal remembered il nov
the pfemSedaid and swoouing iii the
dust.
81 Sau arc Ut last awake, said
She laying her cool. moist hands, on
my temples awake, and the fever all
gone. You must feel much better"
could only look !. lcs with nv
eyes
Now, ] don't want you to talk.
iou are my patient, and You must
mind ne
But whore am o.
In spite II MI orders | must ask that
question, for fear the vision might fade.
You're safe enough In cur house
mothers and nine. | told YOU We
We're poor. but You would faint right
before CTR door
I'm very sorry, | said, penitentlv.
Hum Thst don't help. Do Won
know how sick you've heengn
protested my entire ignorance.
We'll, you've hsd fever. and been
wild sometimes she informed me.
But now liz still until get you some
thing 10 eat.
As she said this she got up from the
little rocking chair III which she had
been sitting.
No, don't 60 = | caught her by the
sleeve. Il don't Want anything to est,
and do want you u
She sat down again with little
laugh.
I'm afraid you don't know just what
You do want. she said, pleasantly.
Eyes, do; want you. You won't