Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-03-24

right" Mary muttered, as she went to
the kitchen for the plate of hot biscuit
John was so fond of for his tea.
Her husbands appetite was good;
but from fatigue and overheating herself
Mary could not eat. His ride and the
society Of the genial squire had acted
like a tonic; but there is no tonic in the
air of a hot kitchen.
GA commonplace life," she said; and
she sighed as she cleared away the tea
dishes, while John tilted back in his
armchair on the cool, drafty porch ant
talked over things with neighbor Jones
"Why don't you buy Wilder Patch'
cranberry medder:?" asked Mr.. Jones
.it is going dirt cheap and you a af-
ford it." The sum was named, figures
that astonished Mary, and she was more
surprised when she heard her husband
say:
"I have half a mind to buy it. I've
had an old bill paid in, and to tell the
truth, affairs in the money market are
so squally, I don't know just where to
salt it down..
No tears came to Mary's tired eyes,
but her heart went out in n mighty
sob as she stood,s dish-pan in hand, be-
fore the disordered table, and thought
how cheaply she had sold herself, really
for her board and two dollars a week,
to a man who had promised to love and
cherish her until death. The beautiful
piano she had brought to the farm was
never opened, but looked like a gloomy
casket wherein was buried all the poetry
of her life. The ssclosed parlor'' had
long since assumed the grimness and
mustiness of country best parlors, of
which in her girlhood, days she had
made such fun. John was a rich man
and in spite of his marriage VOWS and
his glowing prayer-meeting talk, was
allowing burdens grievous to be borne
to press on her slender shoulders in
order to sssalt down. his dollars.
Had she not a duty to perform?
Ought she to allow him to preach and
never to practice? Had she not rights
to be respected? which were not by her
husband; for, she reasoned, if he al
lowed her to do what could be done by a
hired woman at two dollars a week,
then he rated her at that price.
"Widder Patch has had a tough time
ont" said neighbor Jones; "she is 90.
ing westward to Tom, if she sells The
medder, and Jane is going out to work.
She tried sewing, but it don't agree with
her. DIR. Stone recommends homework,
as it's a healthy business"
".sTis healthy business" chimed in
John. "Now my wife is a good deal
better than when I married her. Why,
she never did a washing in her life until
she came to the farm. 1 think washing
and general homework much better
than pian%o-playing and reading"
$50 [ say to the girls who poster me
to buy an organ; better play on the
washboard enough sight," was the ele.
CANT response.
"Are you going to buy that cranberry
meadow, John?" Mary asked, as she
saw her husband making preparations
to go from home.
"Yes-why?"
"Can you afford it?"
1--WE shall have to figure q little closer
in order to do it, but it's going Cheap
"You will have to give up Tom Birch
won't you, and do the chores yourselfp''
81 have thought of it; but Tom is
poor and to give him a home is a deed
of charity. Now, we will save in some
other way"
elbow much do you pay Tom"
"Three dollars and his board. And.
by the way, he says you didn't wash his
clothes. Washing and mending was in
the bargain"
81 think Tom will have to 90, for 1
have hired Jane Patch. She will be
here tonight. Two dollars a week [
am to give her. You want to practice
Bear ye one another's burdens,' as we'll
as preach from the text; so I will give
you a chance. 1 will sit on the cool
piazza after tea with a neighbor, while
you do the chores. I think the time has
come for my burdens to be lifted. By
exchanging Tom for Jane you will have
one dollar a week for the cranberry
meadow. You say strong, active Tom
is in need of a home; he can make one
for himself anywhere. 1t is a deed of
charity to give Jane q home, and an act
of mercy to give your wife a little rest"
Before John could recover from his
establishment, Mary walked out of his
sight, and. taking the children, went to
the shut-up parlor. Throwing open the
windows to let in the soft summer air,
with baby in her lap, she sat down to
the piano and began to play a "sone,
without WORDS" a piece John had loved
to hear when he used to visit her in her
home where she was a petted girl. The
song crept out through the open win
dows and round to John as he sat on the
porch, and memory compelled him to
give the song words. Not musical poet
ry, but rather somber prose, wherein
washing, ironing, hard days at the
churn, hours of cooking for hungry
men, stood out before his minds eve in
contrast to the fair promises he had
made the pretty girl he had won for his
bride.
Jane Patch came that evening. and
once took upon herself many Of Mrs.
.lark's cares, and no one greeted her
more cordially than did the master of the
house. Nothing was ever said about her
coming, and Tom Birch did notgo away:
Mary knew her husband could we'll
afford the expense.
She told me how she helped to make
one man thoughtful and unselfsh, as we
sat on her cool piazza one hot August
and / was glad that one woman
lad grit enough to demand her rights.
Il John Clark had been poor his wife
you'd have horno bor h,1rdnn :. -