The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-12-09
HIS WIFE.


country in the world. Soft hills bathed in
the suns parting glow dotted the landscape
on every side, and over all smiled a tender,
brooding sky. What keen enjoyment the
anticipation of a hummer all alone with my
best friend had afforded me-and now l was
almost there There was the house; old,
brown and many-roomed, and most Of the
rooms on the ground floor. Grandmother
herself had been the architect OF the estab-
lishment.
81 told your grandfather said she oil one
occasion, that no man was going to plan a
house for me to live in. What does a man
know, / should like to be told, of a woman's
needsi II he'd built 1t according to his notion
there would have been three or four flights Of
stairs, and then, with q baby on each arm
and two or three hanging to my pctticoats, /
might have spent most Of my time on EN-
but l knew better
As events proved, grandmother was cor
rect in her predictions. An enthusiastic
lover of nature was this old lady Of 10 years.
Yes, there she was. 1 caught a glimpse OF
her white sleeves on the window sill. How
exquisite the taste of this presiding genius.
Heliotrope, mignonette and white roses.
Grandmother's rose bushes were the envy Of
the whole neighborhood, Shy little violets
bordered the gravel walks leading in tho low
door-stone, and over beyond grandmother's
pet field millions of yellow-hearted daisies
nodded and beckoned TO the soft evening
breeze. Avoiding treacherous pebbles, | cut
quickly across to the front door. stealing with
~cat-liEe tread through the long narrow hall
way, and entered the sitting-room on my tip
toes. Wonderful victory. Twice before had
| tried this wonderful dodge. and each time
had the old turkey-gobbler betrayed me.
Where was he on this occasion, and why.
when | really needed his services, did he not
prove my friendi Softly. Only a step or
two more. The sensation OF the next
minute wasn't anything to speak of-mean
by that 1t was indescribable. The lack OF
grandmother's big arm chair quite hid the
occupant, and, nothing doubling, | made with
great dexterity for grandmother's eyes. L
found the eyes, but they didn't belong to
grandmother. | knew that before their saucy
owner had imprisoned my hands.
"Who Is itf' said he like one first awaken
ing from n sleep. "Let me guess. The fingers
are too little for Madge and too long 10 belong
to Sarah"
l found my tongue then. | would not
wrench my hands away; that would be rude
ness; for he evidently supposed them TO be
the property of some intimate friend.
please release me" l said; and then, as he
rose quickly, apparently surprised by the
voice of a stranger, l added rather ludi-
CIOuSly, L huDDONet " buo Tail loiioW III but
shirt sleeves laughed right heartily, al thought
you were grandmother
Newer was taken for IN old lady before,
he added, with provoking nonchalance, and
then added, as he hastily drew on a dressing
gown, "What do you think about it nowfr
81 hin | should like to know where grand
mother Is, and-"
"And what am / doing herefr he inter
rupted, with another laugh. "Your grand
mother has gone to spend the evening with a
sick neighbor. l belong to the next house.
or rather am visiting my sister. She was un-
expectedly telegramed away, and AZ | have
been III and am not quite we'll enough 10 take
care OF myself In the absence OF a house.
keeper, your blessed grandmother offered to
look out for mo until my sisters return. Ny
name is David Alcott, and yours, l take It,
Is Miss Susan Ellis And then we shook
hands.
The evening marked n new era in my life
/ was comfortable, as was always the case al
grandmother's, and / was happy, too-hap.
pier than ! had ever been before. What Il
meant was of no sort Of consequences to me
then. l did not stop to analyze my sensa-
lions, but enjoyed 10 the utmost the strange
entertainment fate had placed before me.
Mr.. Alcott showed where grandmother had
left the strawberries after tea, and then /
skinned a pan OF mornings milk and pre-
pared my supper.
''You have been to tea, OF courseT' | in
quired Of the gentleman, who had again taker
up his book.
Eyes, but | should like a few strawberriei
II you can spare me some" So 1t chance
that he dr0w n chair up to the little round
table, proving a most interesting companion.
In an hour more, after our little meal wa,
over, ! sat upon the door-stone alone, watch
| N.- fA- r..nalU.Nk.u MI. a
door and said:
"You needn't expect her before o O'Clock. j
wish I could sit here with you"
And why notf' l asked.
because i am still in quarantine. Perhaps
| might make 1t pleasant for you indoors. II
you are fond Of being read to l will do my
best"
And there Is nothing l am fonder off, !
answered, and followed him into the house.
Mako your selection" he said, pointing to
a table quite covered with books.
Something OF herS," l replied, picking III
an edition Of Mrs. Browning.
IAN right Now, TO please me, open at
random and | will stay here
llaughingly consented. and placed my fore
finger plump on Lord Walters wife.
But why do you gor' said the lady, as botl
sat under the yew,
And her eyes were olive Ia their depth, as til,
kruken beneath the sea blue.
because | fear you" he answered; "you ar,
tooifntr,
And able to ~stransle my soul in a mesh oil
your golden hair"
PLEASE don't go on | interrupted. "t
like the poem, but somehow II isn't pleasant
now.n
Hardly appropriate, be answered, closing
the volume dreamily, and then added;
81 suppose you think Lord Walters friend
a foolr'
"He is the type of a large class; but, Mr.
Alcott, are we not treading on dAngerou
groundi Doyou know what lies just beyondf
YES; that most exasperating question oil
'woman's rights Aurora Leigh settled tnai
for me.n
4" 1t takes a soul to move a body he re
peated slowly. 1T takes a hi~gh-souled MAJ
TO move the masses, even to a cleaner style
1t takes the ideal to blow IA hairs breadth oil
the dust Of the actual All, your Fourier
failed-because not poets enough to under
stand that life develops from within
Never WAS truer word spoken than that
Miss Ellis-'from within 1t takes a sou
TO move the Masses and, according to IN,
observations, It makes very little differenc,
TO whom the soul belongs Men of intellec
never have subordinated women. See wha
excellent care Goethe takes OF them. Look
at Faust's Margaret, the instinctiyely purs
child growing into a self reliant woman, ant
see how, as Wilhelm Meister develops spirit
ually and intellectually, he comes natural,
upon women of a purer and more i~nnatel,