Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1883-05-24
all the money she needed to spend o,


,, save, as her own sense would dictate,
and I'd never call myself the responsible
head, proyider and supporter Of the
family, nor accuse her of having nothing
to uo--no, never. But it's too late now.
She's gone, and I'm left to carry the
load that 1 would never acknowledge
was a load when she had to carry it. %
The baby had cried harder and louder
than ever, and Harry Harcourt felt him
self sinking lower and lower in health
and strength, till finally he fell sprawl
ing upon the floor, from which he arose
at last, rubbing the crazy-bone of
his right elbow, and staring around the
room in state of semi. mi.ccnsciousness.
What in the worlds the matter,
Harry Harcourt ?" asked his pale-faced
wife in alarm.
"Are you really there, Fanny ?" he
asked, eagerly. 81 thought you were
dead, darlingl"
No, Harry, I'm not dead yet, but 1
shall be before long at this rate" was
the reply. "I've been mending the chill
dren's clothes for three hours while
you've been snoring."
"And you haven't been away Mt all ?''
"I been away? Why, Harry, you
must be crazy! How could 1 get away,
I'd like to know? With all these backs
to csothe and all these mouths to feed,
to say nothing of washing, ironing,
churning, scrubbing and taking care of
the baby. I've too many responsible
ties here to think of going away, unless
death calls me. And, to tell you the
truth, Harry, don't think it will be
very long before l am called, for my
strength is failing rapidly and 1 have
frequent sinking spells. I have felt a
half-dozen times tonight as if would
sink through the floor. But then it isn't
any matter. Maybe when I'm gone you
can get a wife who can manage better
and spare you the humiliatio on of seeing
your children out at the knees and ell
bows"
Wife, your husband has been a con-
founded selfish, short-sighted idiot, and
you've been silent, suffering angel!"
exclaimed Harry Harcourt, clasping her
in his strong arms, and seating himself
in her rocking-chair with her head rest
ing on his bosom! 'I've had dream,
dear, and I've lived through whol6
week Of your daily life in the last three
hours, and swear to you, by all that's
holy, that if l live till Monday morning
theie will be strong help provided for
you in the kitchen, and you shall have
all the mouey you want to buy clothes
for you aud the children. And I'll nev-
er say again that you have nothing to
do. Why, there isn't man i'll America
who could live as long as on have and
do the work that you have done for the
last ten years, or ever since we've been
married"
8" The work is the very smallest part
of my trials, Harry. I've been mother
to all these children in that time, you
kuow."
Harry Hnrcourt hadn't thought of that
before; bat he considered 1t now. And
he became at once strong and earnest
advocate of equal rights for men and
women, with the added right of women
to protection from hard labor while bear
ing children.
Ii you want to hear an ,,unanswerable
argument upon the woman question at
any time. you've only to say in my hero s
| hearing that women are supported by
men, while uen make the living. In
short, he has snapped his old hobby
horse of masculine supremacy for the
newand perfect one of feminine equality.
His common pale-faced wife has regained
her old time girlish grace and ruddiness,
aud there is no better managed house.
hold in all the land than hers. Harry
Ha1court did not buy the thousand dol
lar horse he had set his heart upon, but
he restored in its stead the happy, loving
heart that had well nigh estranged from
him throughh his former acts Of greed an6
selfshness.