The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-02-08

vas a good salesman. EienrzerG rath,s
wife found she had made $3.50 out of her
potato patch. They we're about to build
a new barn for the hotel down Al the
village. The soil was a ricn loan, and
in excavating for the cellar this must be
removed. Ebenez r Grath's wife noted
this n day and she pought it for a tri.
fie and had it transported to her five
acre lot. Then she bought up the ashes
in the nelghborhood. People said
she was sinking her brains in that
slough hole" She was, but it was no
foothariy undertaking. Her crop OF
potatoes Il, swered her critics. But this
was only the beginning. She began to
study agricultural CT emistry with new
interest, more fertilizers were
bought, the II ighbors said she wa,
crazy, and the following spring straw
berries, cabbages, celery and sqnasl,es
were 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. Ebei and the
two boys with q hired man, were able to
it that had been her duty. The people
said it wNs amazing how much was ac-
compti he'd getting that land into
shape,and putting in the crops. She
devesoped Il genius for II is business.
As the second year drew to a close she
Knew that success was assured and
that ten years OF battle was to have its
vic DRY at last
Now this may seem a tame recital, but
it was q busy life for her. Sine arose
With the sun and she was the last to re-
tire. II WAS brains against a sterile farm
and n slliitless husband. She developed
shrewdness and business capac tv. She
made a market for herself. ard soon ac-
CURED n reputation for tho quality OF
her veg, tab es. She Was proving a
woman's right to do mans work. Ebe.
nezer Grath remarked: sit was thunder.
in curious how awful quick a woman's
brain works; he believed there was
more OF en-" Now, you may think
Jane Grath was a tlu -cuiar, muscutine
creature, without that ine-bred bearing
which leisure and wealth bring with
them; but here you are mistaken. Atthe
opening of our s Dry, she had borne
four children, with ten years struggle
with proverty and IN indolent husband
behind her. Better times had Just be-
gun to dawn; but Ebenezer Grath's wife
was a fine looking woman and she
had an air ABOUT her and a carriage
that many a fashionable m might
NASN' HuteO hSuICp CACCitOlItf pGO-
p%ortloned, with a head we'll set on broad
shoulders, her sharp gray eye had com.
manG OF it; and her magnificent hair,
tawhy as the lioness's skin, was a fitting
coronal to SO striking a figure. What a
pity o say. that this otn should be
compelled to burn out her life in such
humble work! But soft; was there no
display of heroisin and poetic action in
this life lived near to NATURES heart? She
had mastered dilemmas and fought disss-
ter and conquered late, and now, as a
steady income was assured, there would
be more leisure and the children could
have better advantages. Epenezer Grath
bad really begun to devolop; he could
not help it, or he must die Of shame. To
I 1--we with such a woman was a lib .ral ed
ncation. lie did a mans work, and he
locked on j ane with an awed respect.
One of the summer boarders at the no.
tel was terribly sick, Jane heard of it
when she was down 10 the village. The
proprietor was paying his bill for vege-
tables, Strawberries, etc. "We have a
verr sick mar up stairs, Mrs. GratlI, and
we cant find out WHAT'S the matter.
You have experience in sickne s, won't
ooH step up" She was an excellent
nurse. She had the light touch, the
keen perception and calm bearing in
dispensablei a sick room. She wentup
with the hotel keepers wife. He had
not ,iq1 oversta'sd the facl, the man way ter,
swollen. Jane Grath was very
thoughtful all the way
home. There was a pathetic look on her
face, and once a tear rolled down her
cheek. Fifteen years now she had been
married to Ebeu; she was So 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 owe mother. Long into
the night she sat in the doorway, while
the stars hung out their light, and the
moon flung its shadows on the valley
bel A strange tenderness fell OIL her
and retired. Eben was fast asleep. She
looked OIL his face as on the dead, a mo-
ment, and saying ~ must do it," fell
asleep.
The man at the hotel had small pox
and none of them knew it; he would be
left to die when they discovered his
condition. She knew it at once. When
Jane Gray was Is she was engaged to a
merchant she beca ne acquainted with
at her aunt's in the city. They wero to
be married when she was 10. 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 90 at such thine, 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 a terrible trial. She loved John
Sinclair, and it was like taking her life
to let him go. I zen she married tiDen.
eyer Grath. Her wanted her, her
mother was deal, 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 a truthful wife to him;
you see what she accomplished. The
hunger of her soul only spurred her te
accomplishment; When she entered the
chamber at the hotel she saw the man
had small poS. She saw als,o Oh Il it was
John Sinclair. Love cannot be deceived
seventeen years make their changes, the
flush of delirium could not hide the
truth, and she saw her long.lost love.
among strangers with a loathsome dis
ease upon him. She had, agatn tc
choose between love and duty, and
yol know what such a woman would
do.
She had a long talk with Eben. anG
for once he had nothing to say. There
was a look OF her face that he dare no
question, such as the, martyrs nigh
have OH the morning of their death
She set her house IN order. Her eldes
girl although yeung, but fourteen, wa.
capable. she was like her mother, the,
must all help. There was a chok,
in her voice when she biz
them good bye, and Eben car
ried herdown. Jane. you think 70,
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