The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-26

wood lire were saved and sheltered ike precious
dust, instead of being thrown into big heap to
edify the wandering hens. That desolate garden
was plowed, fertiliZed and set in order at last,
and the great ragged orchard MANFRED, the ap-
ple-trees thinned and trimmed, and ashes sown
thick over the old messy sod. Now these things
were not done in day or a year, but as the boy
grew older and more able to cope with his faith
ers self-conceit, more was done annually, not
without much opposition and many hard words
but still done.
Then came heavy blow. Lurana, girl Of
fifteen fresh and pretty as a wild rose, and tired
of the pinching economy, the monotonous work.
and grinding life of the farm, ran away with a
tin peddler and broke her mothers heart; not IN
the physical sense that hearts are sometimes
broken but the weary wOman's soul was set on
this bright winsome child and her life lost all
its scant SAVIOR when the blooming face and clear
young voice left her forever
II don't blame her none, Amasey," she sobbed
out to her boy, now a stout fellow of twenty
two, raging at his sisters folly
Il can't feel to blame her. know It's more'n
girl can bear to live this way. I've he'd to, but
it's been dreadful hard-dreadful hard. I've
wished moren once could ha laid down along
with the little babies out there on the hill, SOS
to rest spell; but there was you and Lury
wanted me, and so my time hadn't come"
'Amasey, you're man grown now, and II you
should get married, and | s'pose you will, men
folks seem to think it's needful whether or no,
do kinder make it easy for her, poor cretur!
Don't grind her down to skin and BONE like me,
DEAR ta'nt just right, I'm sure ont, never to
make no more of u woman than Ell she was
horned critter; don't do it,
Mother | never will!' answered the son. as
energetically and solemnly as if he were taking
his oath.
But Wealthy was nearer to her rest than she
knew. The enemy that Turks in dirt, neglect,
poor food constant drudgery and the want of
every wholesome and pleasurable excitement to
mind or body, and when least expected swoops
down and does its fatal errand in the isolated
farmhouse no less than in the crowded city
slums-the scourge of New England typhoid
fever-broke out in the Tucker homestead.
Wealthy turned away from her weekly baking
one Saturday morning just as the last pie was
set on the broad pantry shelf, and tainted on the
kitchen floor, where Amasa the younger found
her, an hour after, muttering, dellnous, ana
cold
What he eoulddo then or the village doctor, or
old woman who called herself nurse, was
all useless; but the best skill of any kind would
have been equally futile. She was never con-
seious again for week; then her eyes seemed
to see what was about her once more She looked
up at her boy, laid her wan cheek on her hand,
Smiled-and died.
Hardly had her wasted shape been put away
under the mulleins and hard hack, when her hus-
band came in from the bayfield, smitten with
the same plague. He was harder to conquer
Three weeks of alternate burning sinking, raw
ing, and chills ended at last in the ayand grim
repose of death for him, and another Amasa
hill.
1t is not to be supposed that in all those years
Amasa the younger had been blind to the charms
of the other sex; he had not "been with every
girl who went to school with him, or whom he
met at singing schools or spelling matches, or
who smiled at him from her Sunday bonnet, as
he manfully ''held up his end in the village
choir
He had been faithful always to the shy, deli
cate dark-eyed little girl who was his school
4I,.,x 4 NJ. De- HI
tened, to ask her to share his life and home.
He had intended to take farm on shares the
next summer, and work his way slowly upward
to place Of his own; now he had this hundred
acre farm, and to his great surprise he found
$3 900 laid up in the bank at Poets Mills, the slow
savings of his fathers fifty years. He began at
once to set his house in order. He lOnged to
build new one, but Mary's advice restrained
him, 50 he did his best with this The cellar he
cleared and whitewashed with his own hands,
cleaned its one begrimed window and set two
more, so that it was sweet and light The house
was scrubbed from one end to the other; q bon
fire made of the old, dirty comfortables and
quilts, the kitchen reprinted a soft yellow and
new windows with clear large glass set in place
of the dingy old sashes. The wOod-house was
filled with dry wood and good store of pinecones
and chopped brush and kindling A milk
room was built little way from the back door,
over tiny brook that ran down the hill north
of the house, and under the Slated floor kept up
a cool draught of fresh air, covered passage
connected it with the kitchen, and door into
the old milk room made of that convenient
pantry while the removal of the old one from
the kitchen corner gave to that apartment more
room, air, and light. A new stove, with a set
boiler, filed up the hearth of the old fireplace,
but further improvements Amasa left for Mary.
A different home coming from his mothers she
had indeed, on Just such a spring day as Wealthy
came there The kitchen shone clean and bright;
a bowl of pink arbutus blossoms made its atmos-
phere freshly sweet, and the fire was laid ready
for her to light the shining teakettle filed, and
the pantry held such stores as Amasas maScu-
line knowledge of household wants could sug
gest; -four, butter, eggs, sugar, all in abundance,
and no feast of royalty ever gave more pleasure
to its most honored guest than the hot biscuit
Mary made and baked for their supper the
stewed dried apples, the rich old cheese and the
fragrant tea gave Amasa this happy evening.
Next day they took their wedding trip to Poets
Mills in the new and sensible farm wagon Amasa
had just bought, with strong spirited horse to
drawit
Il want you should look around Mary" he
had said the night before, and what is need
full here. | expect most everything is wanting,
and we can't lay out for fnery. But first of all,
get whatll make your work easy. Your we'd
din present will come along tomorrow; to-day
we'll buy necessities"
Mrs. Peet had not sent her only girl empty
handed to the new house. A good Mattress two
pairs of blankets, fresh, light comfortables, and
some cheap, neat, white spreads set of gay
Y, Il
carpeting had all come to the farm house soon
after the brides arrival; her ample supply of
sheets and pillow cases, strong towels, and few
tabe-cloths had been sent the day before so this
sort of thing not needed; but there was a
new churn bought and altogether new furnish
ings for the dairy several modern inventions to
make the work of a woman easier, set of
chairs, a table, and easy lounge for the parlor
some cretonne, covered with apple blossoms and
white thorn clusters. and pals, brooms, and tin
ware that would have made Wealthy n haDDV
woman, crowded the over-full wagon before they
turned homeward.
The old house began to smile and blossom
under this new dispensaGion and the new mis-
tress smiled. too.
Amasa MIXED the cows for her. and lifted the
heavy pals of milk to strain into the bright
new pans; he filed the woodbox by the stove
twice day put patent pump into the old
we'll and, as it stood above the house. ran a
pipe down into sink set in the woodshed, and
90 rl,ta an end 10 the draMino and carr1illr of