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

bread by the sweat of his brow; I'm will
ing to do the same, if l do have to work
like a dog for It'll"
eyes," muttered John, as he rose from
the table and walked hastily out to the
porch; Eyes, and you are willing to keep
poor mother and all the rest of vi at it,
too. Kill her, and let us children grow
up ounces! I'd light out pretty quick if
it wasn't for mother and dear little Het-
ty! It's too bad to keep her out of school
to make a drudge of her, she learns SO
fast and is so bright and pretty" And
catching up the milk pail, he hurried to
the barnyard with a surly, dissatisfied
look on his boyish face.
"Giles," said Mrs. Gregory, in a hest
tating way, after the men we're gone, the
table cleared away and the baby asleep
in its cradle; 1 don't see how in the world
1 can get along with all my fall work
without some helpwith my sewing. Both
you and John must have shirts and win
ter clothes made, and the children grow
so fast that it takes half my time to let
out and piece down for them. lido wish,
Giles that we could afford a sewing ma
chine. There was an agent here to-day
who offers a good one for fifty dollars, in
easy payments. He told me-"
"There, there; you needn't waste your
breath and time in repeating the sense
less palaver of some city popinjay, who
is too proud and too lazy to work with
his white hands and earn an honest liv-
ing, and so sticks on a paper collar,
greases his curly hair and sets out to gull
simpletons into buying those gathering
treadmill things! My mother never
heard tell of such a thing in her day! She
wa satisfied to do her work with the
tools mater provided for her. She cut
and made, and spun and knit for us all
with her own hands, and she wasn't too
stuck up to do her w scrubbing and
soap making, either. If she'd lived she
could show you what it is to do good,
honest work."
"Perhaps, Giles, she would have lived
longer if she hadn't worked so hard. You
know she was still a young woman when
she died"
~ don't know, Mary, 1 don't know
about that. I reckon the good Lord
don't take none of us till our time comes.
She was a good woman, mother was, and
things didn't 60 we'll with us boys after
she died." and Mr.. Grrgury rose With a
sigh, knocked the ashes from his pipe, and
depositing it on the clock-shelf in the
corner, seated himself in silence.
For longtime nothing more was said.
The jogging Of the cradle kept time to
the monotonous "tick-tick" of the clock,
and back in the shadows sat Giles Greg
DRY, entertaining an unwelcome and I'M
wonted visitor. He was arraigned be-
fore the bar of Conscience, and Memory
was reading to him the bitter things re-
corded in the book of the past. She
whispered him to look back to the days
of his boyhood, to call to remembrance
the quiet, patient life that had, indeed,
gone out early in its day, only because
the hearts best food, love and sympathy,
were withheld altogether, or grud gingly
given, by those to whom she had, as wife
and mother, the best and hottest right to
look for it. All, how like a sad, accusing
angel, that mothers face came up before
him at the tribunal to which, his
awakened conscience had summoned
him.
Memory reminded him of the dreary
years that followed her loss-years filled
with carelessness and neglect on the
fathers part, and utter indifference, il
not positive dislike, on the part of the
motherless children. She said to him:
Whatsoever a man soweth, that also
shall he reap" and asked him if he was
not sowing the seed for a like harvest in
the hearts of his own children? Then
she whispered to him to look at the thin,
weary face before him; a face loving and
patient, but scanned with the sad lines of
care and premature age, and contrast it
with that of the pretty, rosy-cheeked.
bright-eyed girl whom he had promised
before God to cherish, love and comfort
SO long as life lasted, and she asked him
how he had redeemed his pledge. She
held before hiseyes a mirror, in which he
might see himself in allhis repulsive self
ishness-his willful, stubborn ignorance
and he shrank from the picture. Oh,
faithful Conscience-blessed Memory
we'll are you doing your work!
Slowly and gently the hand of the
angel OF repentance is feeling the way to
the blessed fountain whose waters have
SO long lain sealed. Softly the stout bar
riers are withdrawn, and its warm tides
wash over the world calloused heart like
a healing food, melting all the hardness
and bringingup from the stony, neglected
soil the late but sweet blossoms of tender
ness and love.
"Mary," said he, suddenly-and there
was a strange huskiness in his voice, "the
children are all quiet; 'spose we go over
to neighbor Greene's a little while"
"Why, Giles" said she, with a sur
prised, gratifed look, "Id like ever SO
much to go; but I don't see how 1 can.
l must get Tommy's pants done tonight
LET it go this time; a visit will do
you good. You look clean tuckered out
with your work"
Wondering greatly at her husbands
nnwonted mood, and with a confused
idea that there must be a mistake some
where, she quickly donned bonnet and
shawl, called Hetty from her nook IN
stairs, where she was reveling in the
stories that were to her SO many glimpses
into a veritable "fairy land," babe her
mind the little ones, and was soon cordi-
ally welcomed and comfortable seatad !,