Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-04-07
GREGoRY's REFORM.

"Hetty, Hetty! Mehitable Gregory,
where are you? Why don't you answer
me? 'What do I want@ 1 want you to
hurry down stairs and 20 to the spring
for a pail of water for the teakettlel
Here it is-nigh OF to supper time-fve
hungry men coming in from the harvest
field; my fire almost gone out, no wood
and no water in the house, and this
blessed, cross little baby screaming hard
enough to drive me crazy, while my head
is aching as if it would burst! Here,
Tommy, take the basket and run to the
lot, like a good boy, and get some chips
to make mother a fire; be quick, now!"
Hetty, a pretty, rosy looking girl of
fourteen, came hurriedly down the stairs
at this imperative summons, caught up
the pail and threw on her s%un-bonnet,
saying as she passed through the room;
"Im real sorry, mother l forgot all about
the water. I was reading a story in the
magazine that Mary Green lent me, and
it was just splendid. Oh, mother, 1 do
wish father would let us take something
to read. We don't have anything like
other folks" and she went out, giving
the door a spiteful little bang after her:
Tommy, a brown-faced, barefooted
little urchin of seven summers, took the
basket, mounted a stick, and trotted off
to the lot, while tired Mrs. Gregory drew
the cradle to the side of the table and
rocked it with one foot while she pared
the potatoes and made the biscuit for the
men who would soon be in from the
wheat field, tired and hungry.
Hetty soon returned from the spring,
flushed and breathless from the exertion
of carrying the heavy pail so far; Tom
my, with the aid of his wooden horse,
brought the basket of chips safely to the
door, and supper was steaming on the
table by the time the men washed the
Pcrspiration and dust from faces and
hands, and made themselves ready for
the meal.
"Well, we'll, I declare, mother said
Mr.. Gregory with a wry face as he broke
open one of the biscuit, "what in the
world is the matter with your oven?
There's something wrong, somewhere,
this buiscuit isn't DONE"
"The wood gave out entirely, and I had
to send to the lot for chips, and they
never heat the oven well. I do wish,
Giles, that we could have plenty of wood
near the house; it's hard on the children
to have to carry SO much wood and
water"
"Nonsense; it won't hurt 'em a mite!
It's about all they can do towards earn
ing their grub! Sister Sarah and me had
it to do when father lived on the old
place; we carried water year in and year
out, from that spring. | calculate to get
up a good pile Of wood when the fall
work is through with, but don't for mer-
cy's sake, take harvest time to grumble
over your little Inconvenience"
Mrs. Gregory thought a great many
things, but said nothing, knowing we'll,
by past experience, that words availed
nothing in any difference of opinion be-
tween herself and her very excellent, but
rather obstinate spouse; silently she took
the baby in her arms and seated herself to
pour the tea for the weary workmen.
Little Hetty, however, was not SO pru-
dent, and with bright visions of the
pretty book, and its Interesting stories in
her mind, she tried her father on another
point.
"Oh, father, won't you please let us
take the magazine that Mrs. Greene takes
for Mary? 1t is so nice and has such
splendid stories in it, and the loveliest
pictures. too! I'll work Just as hard as
any thing if aal you will. Mary Greene said
mo, no, I won't; you needn't trouble
yourself to tell me what the agent said
to Mary Greene's mother. I'm poor
enough now, goodness knows, without
throwing away any money ia patternine
after Mr., Greene's e%xtravagant foole,
ries. They are just running them chill
dren."
"Well," piped up Tommy, "it's real
nice over to their house, anyway; ever SO
much better than it is here. They've got
a splendid swing in the barn for George
and Katie, and they've. got a well and
c%istern, and a woodshed with lots of
wood in it; and you just ought to see
the pile. and piles of funny books and
Yes" snarled Mr.. Gregory, "and
piles and piles of reapers and mowers
~cuftivators and corn shellers-patent
churns and washing machines, and a,dish
~ her, too. for all l know-and my gen.