The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-01-31


brain works; he believed there wa
more of en-" Now, you may thinl
Jane Grath was a muscular, masculine
creature, without that fine-bred hearine
which leisure and wealth bring with
them; but here you are mistaken. 18th,
opening of our story, she had borne
four children, with ten years struggl,
with proverty and an INDECENT 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 a fashionable woman might
envy. A large figure, excellentlv pro
portioned, with head we'll set on broad
shoulders, her sharp gray eye had com
mand of it; and her magnificent hair
tawny as the lioness's skin, was fittins
coronal to so striking figure. What 6
pity YOU say. that this woman should be
compelled to burn out her life in such
humble work! But soft; was there nc
display of heroism and poetic action III
this life lived near to natures heart? She
had mastered diiemmas and fought disas
ter and conquered late, aud now, as 6
steady income was assured, there would
be more leisure and the children could
have better advantages. Ebenezer Gratf
bad really begun TO develop; he could
not bel p it, or he must die of shame. TC
live with such woman was a liberal ed
ucation. lie did q 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 il
when she was down to the village. The
proprietor was paying his bill for vege'
tables, Strawberries, etc. eve have 8
verr sick man up stairs, Mrs. Grath, and
we can't find out what is the matter
You have experience in sickness, won't
ooa step up?" She was an excellent
nurse. She had the light touch, the
keen perception and calm bearing in.
dispensable in sick room. She went up
with the hotel keepers wife. He had
not overstated the fact, the man was ter
ribly sick, deiirious, the face red and
swollen. Jane Grath was very
home. There was pathetic look on her
face, ana once tear rolled down her
cheek. Fifteen years now she had been
married to Ebeu; she was 35 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
the stars hung out their light. and the
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 Il 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 q
merchant she beca ne acquainted with
at her aunt's in the city. They were to
be married when she was 10, and were
going to the West Indies, but her moth
er was tai n sick, it proved her last
sickness, and she had to choose between
duty and love. Mr.. Sinclair was obliged
to go at such time, he pleaded with
her to 60 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
and it was like taking her life
to let him go. Tnen she married EDen-
ezer Grath. Her wanted her, her
mother was dead, 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 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
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 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 all help. There was choke
in her voice when she bid
them good bye, and Eben car
RED her down. "Jane. you think you
are doin' your duty; don't blame We,
put its mighty tough now on u.s." aud
be turned away with supicious mois-
ture in his eyes. When Jane Grath an
nounced her business and what the mat.
ter was with the man, there was a pause
ut once. Mr.. Paine said he must be
moved at once. "Moved?" answered
Jane Grath, as she came down from the
chamber of the office, and her jaw set
and her voice rang, ut would be Ger
tain death; will take charge of him; he
will not be moved" The boarders all
eft. An Irish woman was found who
mad had the disease to assist her. The
ana his wife stayed out of
shame, and because Jane Grath de-
it. The house was quarantined,
the yellow flag flew above it, and then
began the fight with death. We say
this is not heroic age. Perhaps not,
but this woman in the bloom
Of womanhood, Notwithstanding all
her hardships, approaching an easier
life, husband and children left behind,
was nursing an old lover she had not
seen for seventeen wears, when to nurse
him was to face death. She had let him
90 from her because duty demanded it,
although, it almost broke her heart; she
came to him now at fearful sacrifice
because duty demanded it.
Those awful days and nights of pain,
that loathsome disease too horrible to
describe, delirium that required all
their strength to control, fever that
burned and stung like scorpions, sink
ing spells that left but breath in the
body, hour after hour through the hot
August days death held high carnival
about that couch. Some times Eben or
the children would stand out on the
street and Jane would open the window
for a moment and talk with them. and
they would look at her as forever
from her, and she in
another world. But this fight
could not last always. John Sinclair
had the best of nursing, but his hour
had come. The web of his life was soon
10 be finished. The day the fever turned,
he became rational. He recognized
Jane. and called for lawyer. As for
tune had it. Esquire Lane had had the
disease and came. John Sinclair was q
very rich mana millionaire-but it
would not save him now. He left it all
10 Jane. She protested, but he insisted.