Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-08

evening meal.
"He has come for a wife"
ga wife! l did not know he was &c
quainted around here.
'He isn't. He wants me to recon-
mend him to some girl who is strong,
able, and willing to work, knows how
to run a house and frustrating a little as
he saw the contemptuous curve of my
mothers nose and mouth land I've
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES"
esquire Black!' exclaimed mother,
emphasizing her words still further bya
dash of the pudding stick which sent
the mush flying over the stove.
Jane was a farmers daughter who
worked for us summers and went home
winters to help do up the spinning,
weaving and the like.
A mutually satisfactory agreement,
as James services were more needed at
home in the winter than in the summer,
and mother thereby saved the board and
wages of a girl during the winter when
the work was not so heavy. Moreover,
mother often said that Jane put the
work ahead so when she was there that
she could not keep her busy the year
round.
All, help was help in those days. But
to return to our kitchen. Father had
changed his position, getting q little out
Of the way of another charg &c from the
m~ush-pot, where the beating was going
on vigorously.
After a pause he began again:
"Well, ma, Jane is not bound to mar
ryJoe unless she wants to. But per-
haps she'll never get another chance as
good. You know yourself that any one
Of Aunt Annals boys is bound to make a
good man and a smart one
"None too smart if he thinks to get a
wife this way" snapped out mother.
':Let him try; ma, if he wants to; let
him try. 1t won't hurt him to have the
conceit taken out Of him."
No reply, but the mush was stirred as
never ~mushbefore. Another pause.
.'You know, ma, Jane has been keep
ing company with that trifing Dan
Marcy"
"Why doesn't he marry a girl who
knows him if he wants to get married."
sour]y inquired mother; but the pud-
ding stick relaxed its vigor slightly and
father ventured a little nearer the
speaker.
''He says the girls up there are all
squaws, and down by his mothers they
have too high notions"
''Well, it's a heathenish, Frenchified
way of counting a wife," replied mother,
land if he were to come about me that
way, if l were Jane, I'd empty a bucket
of water over him."
''May-be she will, maybe she WILL
chuckled father, who probably would
have enjoyed that termination of the
affair as well as any.
''But, ma, you know Jane is terribly
homely, and
What further he would have said was
cut short by the entrance of Joe bearing
a jar and a package.
':Mother sent these to you with her
compliments, Mrs. Black"
Mother, who knew the flavor of Aunt
Annals cheese and honey of old, was
somewhat Modified by these presents,
but she remained rather sulky all even.
ing; even when Joe filled her wood-box,
piling the sticks as evenly as lath il a
bundle, filled the water-pails, cut the
kindling, and did the milking, bringing
the pail in as clean, she c~ondescended to
tell him, as she would herself or-but
she checked herself and did not say "or
Jane"
She would be no party to that iniquity.
He nearly won her when he repeated
his text promptly and correctly and
knelt reverently at prayers, and she told
father che was a likely young man,
but''-her lips. shut close, and she
| shook her head when she thought of his
mission.
But before morning the sky cleared,
and things were hurried around for an
early start to James.
During the ride it was arranged that
father was to introduce Joe's errand to
the elders, and if they were willing Joe
might thereafter proceed as he. liked.
So upon II reaching the farm father
and Mr.. Holton left Joe and the boys to
put out the team, and they came to the
house and held a conference with Mrs.
Holton while Jane was busy building
the fire in the best room.
The chest room" of an old-fashioned
farmhouse was dreary enough. This
one had Il bright yarn carpet, several
| split-bottomcd and wooden chairs with
patchwork cushions, q low-backed rock
ing-chair. a wooden 'settee," a table
with the Bible, Baxter's Call to the
Unconverted," an almanac. and a file of
the Christian Era. A few siIhouettes and
prints from magazines were on the
walls; but, after all, its only ornaments
were the scrupulous cleanliness and its
big Fireplace.
Jane hustled in and out on household
and hospitable cares intent, being given
by general consent someo opportunity for
acquaintance and a chance tosee and be
seen before being told our errand.
You already know what she saw.
What did Joe see?
Jane was, as father had said, un-
deniably homely.
She was tall and angular. Her feet
and hands were large. Her hair was a
triile too red for auburn and not yellow
enough for gold. "Carroty" is the
proper description.
Her light complexion was freckled,
but her cheeks would have slammed the
roses. Her eyes We're gray; her nose had
grown very long, and then. as if wish
ing to make amends for that mishap,
had shaped itself into a decided pug.
Her mouth was large and always smil-
inu and smilinv showed w[,at VOC I.na>s