The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-05-23
ROCK ME no sLRRP, ,1 aMoTHER. N lI.

-JWtd z. X DorT, IN Chretsdn linton.
ROCK ME TO SLEEP, MOTHER.
1t was in farmhouse on our West
ern'prairie that the story came to me, in
the golden, glorious month of October.
Mine host, Mr.. c., was q hard
age. His father had owned and cult
waited the land before him, and had fol-
lowed his wife TO "'the long home" some
ten years before. A younger unmarried
brother lived With them, and the two
brothers owned and worked the farm
together. Over many an acre of wheat
their reapers. went; many . cornfeld
laughed with every breeze that rippled
in the creek, or browsed peacefully on
the hill slopes. o. a''l ''.
IA welf-to-do farmer. {" How much
that suggests of plenty, comfort and
independence And all that can
surround farm life with beauty
and content seemed included in the
picture of those Indian Summer days.
The large, white farm house was full of
quiet life; the cool dining room, the
sunny kitchen, the greas pantry and
dairy beyond the sitting -reom, and fonR
hall opening into the broad, ?vine-shaded
porch, the parlor, with its closed blinds
and door, and the bedroom back of the
parlor, with its fashioned mahogany
bedstead and bureau, s'clothes pressS and
open fire. Here it was my story came
to me. Mrs. c. was q pale, quiet
little woman looking ALWAYS very tired.
Not so much tired from work or care as
from sorrow.1 She must have been very
pretty in her girlhood Athe gentle beauty
of clear complexion and soft eyes and
hair-but she looked prematurely old.
Nor was it that either, but an indeserih-
able, heart-hungry. baffied look, look
never found on mems faces and often
misunderstood in q woman's face. The
more see of Western country life the
more often find it settled on the faces
of farmers wives. She had good, relia-
BILE help and her husband was vert
thoughtful of her in his great, strong,
clumsy way; but the house was vert
quiet, save at meal-time, for no children
gladdened it with noisy merriment.
When, three weeks before, q sunny
room upstairs, with plenty of quiet fol
rest, and the ..cream and honeyn tha;
can be found only in the country, had
been granted the stranger from NJ, sh,
was still presiding at the table, and
ordering the WAYS of her household; bu
she looked to me as though she needet
! a long rest, To sleep and sleep, like
child. All. how MANY of MS need Il
sleep the sleep of childhood aoainil
wished that j. MIGHT. o,et near tn her. AMI
her woman' s heart for.~there ! was a
about her ouiefuess which made INV hear
ache for her. -Butt;she seemed always
busy, going froms dairy 70 fruit-roon
q d back again; only Ibnoticedi as tn
| DAYS went bG she went oftener 10. he
own room To- rest. Her husband sal,
one morning. as we gathered about tn
| .breakfast table. and she asked incident
alIy II he would send her one of the me-
to nick grapes: : =, enc, -
aDo let the. grapes 90 today. Minnie
| You had better lose them a dozen time
over than make Yourself sick.,s-I wis
YOU wouldn't work, SO, hardr,,r - q
And she looked M in that weary. sup
pressed way: "What is there to do bu
workP / cannot sit with folded hands
| / cannot play like a child.n And eacl
dav found her a little paler and. NOR
quiet; the sorrowful curves 10 her lin
more dropping. - 5.,,,',, - :
1 came across Mr.. C-one late after
noon near the brook. He bad beel
mending a place in the bridge ,tha
| spanned it, and we spoke of the fal
rains and the oyerfowing harvest, nearl,
! gathered. Then I mentioned his wife
.sShe hardly seems as well. to-day
Has she not consumption or some loea
troubleP Have You no fearP"
81 really do not know" he answere,
slowly, a great shadow creeping over hi
face; s'she does not cough, and there /
no consumntion in her family Th,
doctor cannot seem to helm her any. sb
saws she feels no pain; but. thourh sh
will see to things round the house ius
the same, can see she grows weaker
The fact is, she has not been the sam
since we buried the baby. Our three Ii
together on the hillside yonder,'' and h
nodded his head in that direction. The
his eyes wandered to the roofs and gable
that sheltered her, as they stood out owe
the brow of the hill, and he added: a.
am afraid i am going TO lose her. and
u can't seem to heip it eitherr, Hi
voice choked a little. the team cam
along; he turned to his men. and I {
finish my walk. A week later she wa