Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1883-05-24
TIE DOORSTEP.

"A "NANS AS~HS0 uiOu ASA
broom and looked out from the low
kitchen door across the wintry fields
and ice-glazed streamlet which lay
between her and the village of Green
ock, with its one tapering spire and
sloping roofs and blank white walls,
bare now Of the summer vendure.
She had done her household work,
polished every article capable of pol
ish 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 needle.work-a thing
impossible to her while a spot be-
meath her roof was out of order. Just
new 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 so very sad. It seemed to
her that The happiest people are those
who lay in'their green graves in the
churchyard, with crossed hands upon
their bOsoms, and felt quiet from all
earthly going to and fro for ever
more.
Not that Hannah Gheldt was tired
in body or weary with the toll of
household duty; 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, land
I've loved him well and worked hard
and faithful to keep things decent,
and it has come to this at last. Things
had been better" said she, "if he d
married Miss Lester"
Yes, that was what Farmer Gneldt,
harasse,l by toll and debt, had said
that very morning; and it seemed to
Hannah like the confession of long
repentance, forced from her husband $
lips at last
Poor man! / wish | could help
him" she sighed, leaning on her
broom beside the door. Ell doubt he
right about Miss Lester"
With that her eyes fell and rested
by chance on the doorstep.
Il 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 ket-
tie on and then, hooded and shawled,
crossed the fields to where the farm
joined that of Simeon Gray.
On one spot were men at work
breaking up stones lying about.
Hannah Gneldt nodded to the old
farmer, and he came to meet her.
IL want a stone" she said, MAY |
have one ?"
II wish you'd take EN- alr' said
the farmer. "a lot ofrubbish. You
see I'm clearing away what they call
the old graveyard ut last. Wife talks
to me o sacrilege and disturbin' bones.
Bless you, there amt been none for
years; and these hard times men
cant let land go to waste. | tell wife
she don't know nothing about ii.
What do you want to do? Have bit
around the well?"
mo, | want a STEP" said Hannah.
THAT great white one is Just the
thing" And she pointed to a slab
hard by.
IKE shall bring it over tonight"
said the farmer.
"No:" said Hannah. 81 can roll it
along"
Il wish l could tell what that was
she said. Some ones age and name
Ali there were sore hearts when that
was new. ! hope when die Oliver
viii have written over me that was
a good wife. I've tried to be. I
ought to know that big fetter-wait a
bit; | believe it's z"
Then she turned the Inscription
downward and washed the other side
clear and white and fitted it into
place.
She received little credit for her
work. Oliver only muttered:
You needn't have published the
fact | cOul1nt afford porch to the
place" And no one noticed the step
afterwards save Hannah, when she
scrubbed it.