Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-08-05
JOHN REYNOLDS LESSON,
Heart and Hand.

''Only tired, John.''
Lima Reynolds looked up as she spoke,
to smile bravely in the face bending anxi-
| ously over her.
f'Tired, Lina?" he said, lifting the little
figure az he spoke and taking his wife like a
child upon his knee. ''What have you been
doing to tire youf'
"Only the days work. Don't worry,
John," for shade passed over the Kindly
face.
81 don't worry; but l can't see what
makes you complain so often Of being tired.
l am sure the house work amt so much
Other women do it p
There was just little fretfulness in
Johns tone, though he did not mean to be
unkind.
81 know they do. Mrs. Harper has tour
children, and takes care of them in addition
to housework, besides doing piles of sewing
Perhaps. John, it is because have not had
experience in country work and don't man
age well. will learn better after while.
Now, tell me what you did in town.
'I did quite well. Sold the whole crop of
wheat at good price, and put another in
stallment in the bank for the Stanley farn." +"
'fYour heart is set on that farm, John" "
"Indeed it is Let me once own that clear
of debt and I shall be happy man. 1t is
the best land in the country, and the house
is twice as large as this p'
Lima thought of larger floors to scrub,
more rooms to clean and additional work of
all kinds, and swallowed little sigh that
nearly escaped her.
"John," she said, rather timidly, "don't
you think if you spent part of the money on
this house we might be very happy here?"
''Spend money on this house ?" cried the
astonished John. "Why, what on earth ails
the house?"
II mean in things for it. Now, the par
lor looks so stiff and is always shut np. l
was thinking if we had pretty carpet and
set of nice furniture and-and-a piano.
Oh, John! if could have pianor'
John Reynolds looked at his wife as if she
had proposed to him to buy up the crown
jewels of Russia.
ga piano! Do you know what piano
costs ?"
'sNo. Aunt Louise had one, you know,
ever since I can remember. But think if
we had pretty parlor to rest in the evening.
I could play for you and sing. You never
heard me play OF sing, John?''
'T have heard you sing, but not lately"
said John, rather gloomily.
"Oh! that was just humming around the
house. I mean real singing. Ihave lots of
music in my trunk"
sBut you are only farmers wife now,
Lima. 1 thought you understood when we
were married that you were not to have city
inery and pleasures"
$50 did, John. don't want fnery. I
don't want any pleasure but your love, John.
Don't scowl up your face so. I am silly to
think of these at all. There, kiss me and
forget it. I N nicely rested now, and I'll
get your tea in ten minutes"
John put her down with tender kiss and
straightway fell into reverie.
Lima Rivers had been a district school
teacher in Scotland just four months, when
John Reynolds offered her his hand and
heart. She was an orphan from infancy,
but her fathers sister had adopted her and
educated her in life of luxury, and died
without altering will made years before,
leaving her er tire fortune to charity asy-
lum. Lima, left alone, had thankfully ac-
cepted the position of country school teach
er procured for her by some friends, and
was thinking life a hard burden, when John
came to brighten it. She gave her whole
gentle little heart into his keeping at once,
appreciating at their full value his honest,
true heart, his frank nature, his sterling
good qualities, and looking with the most
profound admiration upon his tall, strong
frame and handsome face.
1t was perfect love match, for John
fairly worshipped the dainty, refined little
beauty he had married. And, having mar
ried her, he took her to his home, and, IN
all ignorance, proceeded to kill her.
There was no blame to be laid upon him.
IL. ILL xr,ho ho hoI
spent his entire life, the one ambition of his
heart was to own land, stock, barns and a
model farm. He had seen his mother cook,
churn, feed poultry and drudge all her life,
all the women he knew did the same, and
if Lima made odd mistakes she put a willing
heart into her work and soon conquered its
difficulties. Surely, he thought, it was an
easier.life to be mistress of his home, with
the Stanley farm in prospect, than to toll
over children in district school. He had
never seen velvet carpets, lace curtains,
grand pianos, dainty silks and other sur
roundings that were Lina's from babyhood.
He had never heard the wonderful music
the little white hands, all white and SCARED
now, could draw from the ivory keys of an
organ or piano, or the clear, pure voice in
song. It was an unknown world to John
where his wife's memory fingered as she
secured tins, strained milk, and cooked huge
dishes of food for the farm hands. He
would have thought it wicked waste, if not
positive insanity, to draw from the bank his
hard-earned savings to Invest them IN beau
tifying his plain, comfortable home,
And Lima lashed her conscience sharply,
telling herself that she was ungratetul, re-
pining and wicked. Was not her John ten
der, true and loving? Where among her
city friends was there heart like his p
Had she not known he was only farmer? ?
And so the loving little woman toiled and
shaved, undertook tasks far beyond her
strength, worked early and late until just
one wear after his wedding day, John Rey-
holds coming home to his tea, found lying
upon the kitchen floor little senseless fig
ure with a face like death, and hands that
sent a chill to his very heart