The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-05-19
THE DOORSTEP,


Hannah Gneldt leaned upon her
broom and looked out from the low
kitchen door across the wintry fields and
ice-glazen streamlet which lay between
her home and the village of GreenOck,
with its one tapering spire and slOpinR
roofs and blank white walls, bare now
of the summer verdure. She had done
her household work, polished every ar
ticle capable of polish and sOaped and
sanded all the rest. At the last she had
swept clean her dOOr-StOne and now felt
free to do what she chose, to rest or
gossip or sit down to needlewOrk-a
thing impossible to her while a. spot be-
meath her roof was out OF order. Just
now she felt like neither gOssiping or
sewing; her heart was very full, and she
found it necessary to stand still and
think awhile. Only that she was not
used to it, she would have CRIED she was
very sad. 1t seemed to her that the hap.
piest people were those who lay in their
green graves in the church-yard, with
crossed hands upon their bOsoms, and felt
quiet from all earthly going to and fro
for eVermOre. r-.s.- Ee 4
Not that Hannah Gneldt was tired In
body or weary with the toll of house,
hold duty; for she was strong In frame,
and her health was perfect as her hands
were willing. 1t was on her humble
heart the burden lay; her spirit was
worn with earthly travail.
- "Twenty-three years to-day I've been
his wife," she muttered, and I've loved
him well and worked hard and faith
full to keep things decent, and 1t has
come to this at last. Things would had
been better" said she, "if he'd married
Miss Lester" |sHr n-
Yes that was what Farmer Gneldt,
harassed by toll and debt, had said that
very morning; andit seemed to Han
nah like the confession Of long repent
ance, forced from her husbands lips at
last. ,.-. ..- --. ..-.
''Poor mani wish l could help him" {"
she sighed, leaning on her broom beside
the door. 81 doubt he's right about Miss
Lester" T.. ..- .. --.-- IL .-
With that her eyes fell and rested by
chance on the doorstep.
81 can mend that, anyhow" she said.
"and have time, for work Is dOne."
So she hung the broom up and peeped
into the oven and set the kettle on and
then, hooded and shawled, crossed the
fields to where the farm joined that of
Simeon Gray.
On one spot we're men at work break
ing up stones lying about.
Hannah Gneldt nodded to the old far
mer, and he came to meet her.
81 want stOne," she said, "may
have Onep
II wish you'd take em aII'' said the
farmer. "A lot of rubbish. You see I'm
clearing away what they call the old
graveyard at last. Wife talks to me o
saeriIege and dlsturbin' bones. Bless
you, there amt been none for years, and
these hard times men can't let land g
to waste. / tell wife she don't know
nOthin' about 1t. What do you want Il
dob Have bit around the wellp"
Il - ID =
THAT great white one Is just thu
thing" And she pointed to slab hare
IKE shall bring it over tonight" sale
"NO,p said Hannah, 81 can roll /
along"
81 wish could tell what that was,
she said. 'SOme ones age and name
Ahl there were sore hearts when tina
was new. l hope when l die Olive
will have written over me that was
good wife. I've tried to be-. ought t.
know that big letter-wait bit; be
lieve its z"
Then she turned the Inscription down
ward and washed the other side clea
and white and fitted 1t into place.
She received little credit for her wOrh
Oliver only muttered:
"YOu needn't have published the fac
IcOuldn't afford a porch to the place.
And no one noticed the step afterward
save Hannah, when she scrubbed 1t.
Matters were very bad with tn
Gneldts. Oliver brO0ded over the fire Il
speechless sorrow and grew grayer an
balder with each passing day, Hanna
kept ruin off q little by making HON
of the poor house and feast OF the hun
BILE fare by her housewives skill. Sh
might even have been cheerful but 70
the memory of that luckless speech.
Working in her garden one day whe
the first spring grass was CROWN
green, Hannah heard footsteps, an(
lifting her head, saw two gentleme
beside her and arose preclpitately. Th
nearest gentleman, an elderly man wit
bright, dark eyes, addressed her:
1,pa. .SSs1dt, presume"
..- SStas, sir" La 81 TEf nU TEN
She asked him to walk In, and he di
so, the other following. In the lit
parlOr they sat down.
'YOu are Mrs. Hannah Gneldt, 0liVI
Gneldt's wifep"
Eyes, sir; 1t is about about-excuI
me, you look like lawyer. and fear
is more trouble for Oliver" i.t-L =
"Re-assure yourself, madam, said Il
gentleman; "re-assnre y0nrself, madaI
Your husband Is not concerned, say
through you, and that, hope, pleasan
ly. Your name was Burns before yC
were married" "a
Eyes, sir; Hannah Burns"
do you remember dates wellp"
"NO, SIR"
''YOu have, perhaps, a record Of fsmi
events-yOur own birth, your parent
marriage. your grandfather's deathp"
Hannah Gneldt, wOnderingly replie
II have mothers Bible, and they telln
it's all there. - aH So e
How far back2"
ITO grandfathev's birth, 4 believe
Grandfather Burns. He had one chiI
and am the only one my parents ev
had. Oliver set down our wedding d.
and our two boys birthdays"