Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-02-01

Ras5a good salesman. EDe Meier Grath'l
wife found she had made $3.50 out Of he,
potato patch. They we're about to- build
i q new barn for the hotel down at the
village The soil was q rich loan. ane
in excavating for the cellar this must 81
removed. Ebenezar Grath s wife notice
this one day and she bought it for 3 fri
tie and had it transported to her five
acre lot. Then she bought up the ashes
IN the nelghborhood. People sale
she was sinking her brains in tha
slough hole" She was, but it was nc
fool harry undertaking Her crop o.
potatoes answered. her critics. But this
was only the beginning. She: began tt
study agricultural 81 emistry with new
interest, more fertilizers were
bought, the n4ighbors said she was
crazy, and the following spring straw
berries, cabbages, celery and squashes
We're growing where two years before
low brush covered a. muck hole. She
had spent the winter evenings in
study. She mastered the special care
required for each, crop. Eben and the
two boys with q, hired man, were able to
do the work; she could have led an army
If that had been her duty. The people
said it was amazing how much was &C.
compli-hed getting that land into
shape, land putting in the crops. She
developed genius. for this business
AS the second year drew to close she
knew that success was assured and
that ten years of battle was to have it:
vic DRY at last.
Now this NAV seem q. tame recital, but
it was busy life for. her. She arose
with the sun and she was the last to re.
tire. 1t was brains against sterile farm
and shittless husband. She developed
shrewdness and business capac tv. She
made a market for herself. aid soon &C.
CURED reputation for the quality OIL
her vegetables. She Was proving q
woman's right to do mans work. Ebe.
nezer Grath remarked: cit was thunder.
In curious how awful quick woman's
brain works.; he believed there was
more Of en-" Now, you may think
Jane Grath was muscular, masculine
creature, without that fine-bred bearing
which leisure and wealth bring with
them. but here you are mistaken. At the
opening Of our sorry, she had borne
four children, with ten years struggle
with proverty and an indolent husband
behind her. Better times had just be-
gun to dawn; but Ebenezer Grath's wife
was fine looking woman and she
had an air about her and carriage
that many q fashionable woman might
envy. A. large figure. excellently pro-
portioned, vita q head we'll set on broad
shoulders, her sharp gray eye had COM
maud of it; and her magnificent hair,
tawny as the lioness's skin, was fitting
coronal to so striking a figure. What a
pity you say. that this woman should be-
compelled to burn out her life in such
humble work! But soft; was there no
display Of heroism and poetic action in
this life lived near to natures heart? She
had mastered dilemmas and fought disas-
ter and conquered late, aud. nov, as q
steady income was assured, there would
be more leisure and the children could
have better advantages. Ehenezer Grath
bad really begun to- develop; he could
not help it, or he must die of shame. To
lave with such a woman was liberal ed
ucation. lie Did a mans work, and he
locked on Jane with an awed respect.
One Of the summer boarders at the no.
tel was terribly sick, Jane heard of it
when she was down to the village. The
proprietor was paying his bill for vege-
tables, Strawberries, etc. "We have q
verr sick man up stairs, Mrs. Grath and
we can't find out what is the matter.
You have experience in sickne s. won't
oou step up" She. was an excellent
nurse. She had the light touch, the
keen perception and calm bearing in
dispensablejn sick room. She went up
with the hotel keepers wife. He had
not overstated the fact, the man was ter
ribly SILK, delirious, the face red and
swollen: Jane Grath was very
thoughtful all the way
home. There was pathetic look on her
face, and once q tear rolled down her
cheek. Fifteen years now she had been
married to Eben; she was IS years old.
She thought she had done her duty by
him and the children. They were in
comfortable circumstances now, the
children were getting up out of the way.
She was strangely silent when she got
home; Eben and the children wondered
what had come over mother. Long into
the night she sat in the doorway, while
moon flung its shadows on the valley
below. A strange tenderness fell on her
face. At last she arose, closed the door
and retired. Eben was fast asleep. She
looked on his face as on the dead, mo-
ment, and saying "I must do it." fell
asleep.
The man at the hotel had small pox
and none Of them knew it; be would be
left to die when they discovered his
condition. She knew it at once. When
Jane Gray was Is she was engaged to g.
merchant she became acquainted with
at her aunt's in the city. They were to-
be married when she was 80. and were
going to the West Indies, but her moth
er was taken sick, it proved her last
sickness, and she had to choose between
duty and love. Mr.. Sinclair was obliged
to 20 at such time, he pleaded with
her to go with him, but the white face Of
her mother pleaded the stronger. She
must obey duty, and he went alone. AS
she closed the dying eyes Of her mother
she never regretted her decision, but it
was terrible trial. She loved John
Sinclair, and it was like taking her life
to let him 60. TEEN she married Eben-
ezer Grath. Her wanted her, her
mother was dead, a stepmother ruled the
home and she consented. The sublime
passion of love had been stirred once in
her soul; this was simply convenience.
But she had been q truthful wife to him;
you see what she accomplished. The
hunger of her soul only spurred her to
accomplishment. When she entered the
chamber at the hotel she saw the man
had small pox. She saw also that it was
John Sinclair. Love cannot be deceived:
seventeeny ears make their changes, the
flush of delirium could not hide the
truth, and she saw her long.lo love,
among strangers with a loathsome dis
ease upon him. She had again to
choose between love and duty, and
you know what such woman would
do.
She had long talk with Eben. and
for once he had nothing to say. There
was look on her face that he dare not
question, such as the martyrs might
have on the morning Of their death.
She set her house IN order. Her eldest
girl although young, but fourteen, was
capable, she was like her mother, they
must ali help. There Was. choke
in her voice when she hid