The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-06-13
THOU ART THE MAN"

Its the last straw that breaks the
samels back, said Lucy bursting into
tears.
The pleasant June sunbeams came
peeping into the cool, stonepaved dairy
where pans Of milk and cream were
rangedin orderly array; great stone pots
stood under the shelves, and q blue
painted churn was already placed on the
table for service.
Mr.. Bellenden was Justly proud Of
his dairy. Not a chance guest came to
the house but was invited down to see
it; not a housekeeper in tho neighbor-
hood but secretly envied its many con-
veniences and exquisite neatness.
"And it isn't the dairy alone" tri-
amphantly remarked Seth Bellenden.
"And you may go through the house
from garnet to cellar, and you'll never
find a speck of dust or a stain of rust.
There ley was such a housekeeper as
my wife"
Mrs. Bellenden was young, too
scarcely three-and- twenty. She had
been the daughter of q retired army
officer, delicately reared and quite ignor-
ant Of all the machinery of domestic life
until she married Seth BeIlenden.
cts very strange" Lucy had written
to her father. "aThe farm is beautiful.
You never saw such monstrous old put
tonball trees, o such superb roses, and
the meadows are full of red clover, and
the Strawberries shine like on the
sunny hillsides. But nobody sketches
or reads. / don't think there is a copy
OF Tennyson in the whole neighborhood,
and no one aver heard of Dore or Mil
lais. All they think Of is how many
dozens of eggs the hens lay, and how
many cheeses they cal make in q year.
And the oma who has q new recipe
for wafaes, or a new pattern for a hor-
rible thing they call crazy quilts is
the leader in society,""
But presently young Mrs. Bellenden
herself caught the fever, and became q
model housewife. Example is all pow
erful, and Lucy began to believe that
the whole end and aim of life was do
nestle thrift, money-saving and the
treadmiu Of work.
"My dear" said Seth, aifyou thought
you could get along without Hepsy,
the maid, / might be able to afford that
new reaper before the oat crop comes
lin"
It'll try" said Lucy.
And after that she rose before day
break, and worked later into the night
than ever.
"What is the matter with your hands,
LUCY" Seth asked one day. "They
are not SO white and beautiful as they
used to be-"
Lucy colored as she glanced down at
the members in question. 81 suppose it
is making the FIRES" said she.
And then she tookto wearing old kid
gloves at her sweeping and busting and
digging out of the ashes.
my coat is getting shabby" Seth
one day remarked.
"Why don't you buy another one?"
asked his wife.
Seth laughed q short laugh.
HWhat do you think Mrs. Higgiu-
botham has done?n said he. "She has
ripped up her husbands old suit and
cut a pattern by it, and made q new one
and entirely saved him ten dollars I"
II could do that!" said Lucy with
sparkling eyes. II will try it."
"You can do anything my dear" said
MI. Bellenden, admiringly.
And Lucy felt that she had her rich
reward.
Company began to come as soon as
the bright weather set in.
All the atfectionate relations of Mr..
Bellenden soon discovered thatth farm
house was cool and shady, that Lucy's
cooking was excellent, and that the bed
rooms were neatness itself.
Some of them were even good enough
to invite their relations as we'll and SO
the house was full from April to Deem
Der.
All the clergymen made it their home
ct Brother Bellenden's when they came
to Silyan Bridge for ecclesiastical CON
yentions all the agents for unheard-o of
articles discovered that they knew some
body who was acquainted with the
Bellendens, and brought their car
petbags and valises with hat faith in
human hospitality which is one of
LIES best gifts.
Mrs. B~ellenden's fame went abroad
among the Decreases of the neighbor-
hood in the matter of butter and cheese;
she took the prizes in the domestic de-
parts.eats of all the agricultural fairs,
and the adjoining housewives took no
trouble to make things that they could
borrow of Mrs. Bellenden, 4just as well
as not"
And n day, when poor Lucy, under
the blighting influence of a horrible
sick headache, was endeavoring to
strain three or four gallons of milk into
the shining pans, the news arrived that
Uncle Paul was coming to the farm.
another guestp said Lucy, despair
ingly.
And then she, uttered the proverb
that heads our sketch.
ooh, it's only Uncle PAUL" said Mr..
Bellenden. Don't fret Lutte! He's the
most peaceable old gentleman in the
world. He'll make no more trouble
than a cricket. Johns wife thought
she couldn't have him because she had
no hired girl just now"
Neither have II" said Lucy, rebel
liously.
"And Sarah Eliza don't like COM
pany.
and I am supposed to be fond of It'll"
observed Lucy, bitterly.
"And Reuben's girls don't want old
folks STAYING there. IT'S too much trou-