The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-04-26
FbCk NE TO SLEEP, MOTHER.

1t was IN q farmhouse on. our Vest
erIf prairie that the story came to me, in
thelgoldeR, glorious month of, October
Nine host, Mr.. c., was a hard
working, successful farmer of middle
age. His father had owned and culti-
rated the land before him, and had fol-
lowed his svife to ssthe long fornes some
ten years before. A Younger unmarried
brother lived with them, and the two
brothers owned and worked the farm
togeel1er : over alanysan aereiefs wheat
their reapers went; many q cornfield
laughed with every breeze that rippled
over it, and fine cattle stood knee-deep
int in tR9srgek bi 9el5s. 9r pttqYwsfa pYqeeflE on
"AYell7 7tQTdq farmer.''s How paueh
that suggests OF plenty, comfort ana
independence! And all that can
surround farm life with beauty
aud content seemed included in the
picture, of those IRdian Summer. days.,
The large, white farmhouse was full of
quiet, hfe2 THE LcooA dining-rooan, fhe
sunny kitchen, the great pantry and
dairy beyond the sitting room, and fone
hall opening into the broad, vine e-shaded
porch, the parIor, with its closed blinds
anddoof, and The ed4roeIn back of the
parlor, with its old fashioned mahogany
bedstead and bureau,s clothes press and
open fire, Here it was my story came
to me. Mrs. c. was a pale, quiet
little woman leokingisalwa very tired.
Not so much tired ffonisw0fk or care as
from sorrow. She must have been very
pretty in her girlhood od-the gentle beauty
otesear comp pleEion and soft eyes and
llaIr-but she looked prematurely old.
Nor was it that either. but an indescrib-
.able' heart rthungry, abaffied LOOK; 4 look
never found on mems faces and often
misunderstood IN woman's face. The
more see of Western country life the!
more often find it settled on the faces
oI farmers wives She'had good, reIa-
PIE help. and her husband was very
theughtfth Of herr in his great, stss5Tig,
clumsy way; but the house was very
quiet, save at mealstime, forno children
giaddened it with noisy merriment
When, three weeks before, a sunny
room upstairs, with plentysofs quiet for,
reSt anH the 4 'cTeAm and honey that
can be found only in the country, had
been granted the stranger from nj. she
was still presiding at the table, and
ordering the ways of her household; but
she looked to me as though she needed
aag'lgrests To sleeF ssfu 7sledpy li,zes "a
child. All, how many of us need to
sleep the sleep ofFcl5itfh oodr apaini I
wished that | might get near to her and
her woman's heart, for there was that
about her quietaess which made INV heart
ache acne for r. her. But she. seemed always
oosy, going. from dairy to frHit-foorni
adback again; only noticed as the
Jays wentby she went oftener tn her
own room to rest. i Her husband said
ohe morning, as we gathered about the
oIeakfast table, and3She asked if1eAIent.
any II he would send her one of the men
70 prk grapes: sas'SpE L.tafEAs
10 let the grapes go to-day, Minniei
ga ma ben ters lose tl1en1 aai6zen hines
over than make yourself sick. | wish
you wouldn twork So haran'T
an. ana she lookednp in that weary, sup
plss9 way : $, What iss there to do but
cannot sit with folded hands:
acannot play like . child. I And each
way FOUND her a little paler-and more
quieti the Jsorrewful curves tov hen lips
more dFoeping4 ii y. 11 1T n
came across Mr.. c. late after
reoa, near the brook. 44e 4fsd been
menuing place in the bridge that
spanned il, and we spoke of the fall
r'1.a rs'a,saaii,l the esenaewiag harvest nearly
ea''leh When finaenEiDned his wife.
n. sse hardly seems as well to-day.
.a, .."s She not consumption or some local
Seaoless Have tptnn no.fear pas...iig...g ss
s,o,'sre really DO not knowsp be answered,
ffso@ly, g 9 great shadow creeping over his
,seei a She does not cough. and there is
40 no consumption IN her family. The
aoceor cannot seem to help her any. she
WIN ~;n she feels hopains dat, though She
tba ,n s}p thiRgs Reuad the lioaseEfust
TO- ne, q, can see she grows weaker.
IS iss she has not. been the same same
efhariedthe babr.sgOurst three lie
suler on the hillside voader ~ a,,rl lbssi
hSasd hhSSosaed bis head IN that diresfsn 'fbsS
a sp es wandered to the roofs and aaIllas
N.Y. I sheltefsdher. as theYstood @ a nnf sster ever
am mn pseW ls Of the hill. and he added, 7.I
- s'tsla am going to lose her. and I