Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1883-05-21
Crock Me to Sleep,
Mother. -

It was in farm house on our
western prairie that the story came
to me, in the golden, glorious month
of October. Mine host, Mr.. c., was
a Woodworking, successful farmer of
middle age. His father had owned
and cultivated the land before him,
and had followed his wife to ssthe
long home" some ten years before.
A younger unmarried brother lived
with them, and the two brothers own
ed and worked the farm together.
Over many an acre of wheat their
reapers went; many cornfield
laughed with every breeze that rip
pied over it; and fine cattle stood
knee deep in the creek, or browsed
peacefully on the hill slopes.
"a well-to-do farmer" How much
that suggests of plenty, comfort and
independence And all that can sur
round farm life with beauty and con-
tent seemed included in the picture
of these Indian summer days. The
large, white farmhouse was full of
quiet life; the cool dining room. the
sunny kitchen, the great pantry and
dairy beyond, the sitting room and
long hall opening into the broad,
vine-shaded porch, the parlor, with
it's closed blinds and door, and the
bedroom back of the parlor, with its
oldfashioned mahogany bedstead
and bureau, "clothes press,' and
open fire. Here it was my story
came to me. Mrs. G. was a pale,
quiet little woman, looking always
very tired. Not so much tired from
work or care as from sorrow. She
must have been very pretty in her
girlhood-the gentle beauty of clear
complexion, and soft eyes and hair
but she looked prematurely old. Nor
was it that either, but an indescrib-
able, heart-hungry, baffied look; a
| look never found on mems faces, and
| often misunderstood in a woman S
face. The more / see of Western
country life the more often | find it
settled on the faces of farmers
wives. She had good, reliable help,
and her husband was very thought
full of her in his great, strong, clumsy
way; but the house was very quiet,
save at meal-time; for no children
gladdened it with noisy merriment.
When, three weeks before, sunny
room up stairs, with plenty of quiet
for rest and the "cream and honey"
that can be found only in the coun-
try, had been granted the stranger
from NJ, she was still presiding at
the table and ordering the ways of |
her household; but she looked at me
as though she needed long rest. To
sleep and sleep like child. All,
how many of us need to sleep the
sleep of childhood again l wished |
that might get nearer to her and
her woman's heart, for there was that
| about her quietness which made my
| heart ache for her. But she seemed
always busy, going from dairy to
fruit room and back again; only
noticed as the days went by she went
oftener to her own room to rest. Her
husband said one morning, as we
and she asked incidentally if he
would send one of the men to pick
grapes:
'Do let the grapes go to-day
Minnie. You had better lose them
a dozen times over than make your
self sick. wish you wouldn't work
so hard %
And she looked up in that weary,
suppressed way: ''What is there to
do but work? / cannot sit with fold
ed hands; l cannot play like
child" And each day found her
little paler and more quiet; the sor-
rowful curves to her lips more droop-
ing.
I came across Mr.. G. late one af-
ternoon near the brook. He had
been mending piece of the bridge
that spanned it, and we spoke of the
fall rains and the overfowing harvest,
nearly gathered. Then I mentioned
his wife.
"She hardly seemed as we'll to-day
Has she not consumption or some To-
cal troubles? Have you no fear ?'
II really do not know he ans
wered slowly,.a great shadow creep
ing over his face; ''she does not
cough, and there is no consumption
in her family. The doctor cannot
seem to help her any; she says she
feels no pain; but, though she will
see to things around the house just
the same, | can see that she grows
weaker. The fact is, she has not
been the same since we buried the
baby. Our three lie together on the
hillside yonder," and he nodded his
head in that direction. Then his eyes
wandered to the roofs and gables that
sheltered her, as they stood out over
the brow of the hill, and he added,
II am afraid l am going to lose her,
and II can't seem to help it eth
erp His voice choked little: the
team came along he turned to his
men, and to finish my walk. A
week later she was unable to leave
her room.
| ] went into the oldfashioned bed