The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-06-06

~ mypoor, tirsd-ont shoss Wlould haunt
these stone pavements ed scrubbed
shelves, if I were 70 dol Insver heard
Of { ghost in dairy bsfoee, but ] should
think that y might easily bs,
But this little bed.rooE ~ fitted up,
for ell that, as fresh 81 = rose, and
Uncle Paul arrived, . dried.up, yellow
complexioned old man, With "a old
fashioned cravat tied IN many folds
around his neck, and ssuit Of navy blue.
with brass buttons. "
He had the polite way half 8 cen-
tury ago. and Lucy thought she should
like him very much, il only she had time
to get acquainted with him.
But she was churning ten pounds oi
butter day, and there was the baby,
and the company, and the young chick
ems, and the baking to do for the sew.
ing society, which was to meet at her
house that week.
She was almost too busy to sleep.
But Uncle Paul was Watching her quiet
" ell the time.
He came out, one day, to the barn,
where his nephew was putting Q new
handle on asickle- blade.
pretty busy times-eh, Uncle Paul ?'
asked the farmer, scarcely taking the
leisure to look up.
man. did I tell you, Nephew Seth,
about the reason left your Cousin
Eliab's?"
"Not that I remember" said Seth.
breathing on the blade and polishing ii
with his silk handkerchief.
Dorothy died-his wife!"
"Oh, yes" said Seth. "Malarial
fever, wasn't it?"
"No!" blunlty answered Uncle Paul.
1T was hard work. That woman,
Nephew Seth, did the house-work fol
eight persons. Eliab didn't even let
her have woman to help her with the
washing and ironing"
Must have been regular poina
brute, said Seth, tightening the handle
Q little.
"All the sewing, too," added Uncle
Paul-"the mending and making.
Never went anywhere except to church.
EliAb didn't believe in women paidinp
about"
Luz OAu savage bt&lU 0eGu.
"She was fond of reading, but she
never got any time for it," said Uncle
Paul. "She rose before sun-up, and
never lay down until IL O'Clock. It was
hard work that killed that woman, and
Eliab coolly declared that it was shee,
laziness when she couldn't drag herself
around any longer. And when she died
he rolled up his eyes and called it Wis.,
itation Of Providence"
"Why didn't the neighbors lynch
him9" cried Seth, fairly aroused to in
dignation at last.
Uncle Paul took off his glasses, wiped
them vigorously, and looked his nephew
hard in the face.
"Why don't the neighbors lynch you p
said he. Seth dropped the sickle and
stared.
"Nephew Seth;" said Uncle Paul, i'm.
pressively, "thou art the man! Are
you not doing the same thing?"
"I?" gasped Seth.
"Your wife is doing the work of q
household Of sixteen people," said Un-
Gle Paul. "She is drudging as you
could hire no foreigner to drudge. She
is rising early, and lying down late; she
is Offering up her life on the shrine OF
your farm and its requirements. Ihave
seen her grow thin and pale even dur.
ing the few days / have been here.
have carried water and split wood
for her, because there is no one to
do it. I have seen her carry nr
Mrs. Belfords breakfast daily to her
,.Ons,, 1,o<,o,,cn N,,o Qn1f~rr1
to lie in bed; and cooking dainty dishes
for Helen Patterson, because Helen
wouldn't eat what the rest like. Nc
galley slave ever worked rs she does
And you with your hired men-whose
board only adds to her cares-and your
labor-saving machinery, stand coolly
by and see her commit slow suicide.
Yes, Nephew Seth, I think it is case
for lynching!"
Seth had grown pale.
II never thought of this, said he.
"Why didn't some one tell me?"
"Where were your own eyes?" asked
Uncle Paul.
Seth Bellendon rolled down his shirt
sleeves, but on his coat, and went into
the house.
He told the Belfords and Pattersons
that it was inconvenient to Keep them
any longer. He gave Cousin Susan to
understand that her room was needed.
He made arrangements to board the
hired men at tho vacant farm house, and
engaged stout dairyman, and house
servnt to await on Lucy. And he teleg-
raphed to her father to come to Silvan
Bridge at once.
"She deserves treat" he said. He
shall spend the summer with u.s."
And then he went to tell Lucy.
T She had tainted among the butter
cups, picking Strawberries for tea.
Poor little Lucy! The machinery had
utterly refused to revolve any longer.
His heart grew cold within him.
"She will die, lie thought, and shall
have murdered her!"
But she did not die. She recovered
her strenhgt by degrees.
1T is better than any medicine" she
said, "to know that Seth is thinking oi
me and for me-"
And Uncle Paul-"the last straw, u
as she had called him-had proved hel
salvation.
II didn't want her to go as Eliab's
wife did," said Uncle Paul.-Home
Circle.