Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-23

slcian said, lit was not ono N = hun
case" eoseie
The morning of the fourth day OF his
Illness as the mother sat holding in her
gen5ie arms the little sufferer, whose
swolien face was covered with the con-
nuenc eruption and whose beautiful blue
Eyes were closed by the disease, little
rue came and looked at her blind
oaoy brother very thoughtfully.
fhlllie dom to diePo she lisped.
~ no, darling! mamma hopes not"
Mamma wouldn't feel SO vewy bad.
WANNA could wo1A all re time on her
Jay twilt zen," rejoined Eide gravely.
Inc unconscious reproach went
stra ght to the mothers awakened con-
science. AS soon as her arms were
temporarily freed from their beloved
burden she gathered up allthe materials
OF her crazy quilt and put them in abu-
reau drawer in the scwing-room. In
the drawer lay the five yards of dark
green plush for the border; for the
squares were all ready to be put to-
gether. Five yards at two dollars a
yard, ten dollars! And now there was
al the expense of Philips sickness to
meet. She half regretted the spending
Of the ten-dolIar goId-piece Gustaye had
given her. He had told her to Inv a
comfortable house-dress with it. Not
cnag ne would ever ask what she did
Win it. But now she really neededthe
9reS'. And ten dollars just for the Dor
ger OF the quilt seemed q good deal.
Satin would have been cheaper, of
course. But then plush was the thing.
Still she sighed a little perplexed sigh
as she shut the drawer.
The next Monday morn Bridget left
her wash in the tubs, declaring She was
sick, and must go home to her aunt's.
A shure ye wudn't be kapin' back
q weeks pay for q week warnin' when
I'm that sick l can't stand on my two
fate?"
So she got her full pay and she went,
and when the strange w~asherwoman
hired to finish the wash was gone it was
found that al the towels, and handker-
chiefs, and stockings had vanished.
Then the intelligence Office began to
send its Bedouins through the Kitchen
of poor Mrs. Batterby.o 1t was the
same old tribe. In the course Of
three weeks they had them all
the girl who broke everything from
the largest platter down to the
handle of the furnace door, the girl
who served her hair up with vari-
GUS dressings at each meal, the girl
who put her potatoes on to cook when
she heard Mr.. Batterby's voice in the
hall, and baked all the griddle-cakes
before the breakfast-bell rang. And SO
forth and so on. But they lived through
it all, as people always do, and nothing
ever really came of it all except q Sc
cret change of MI. Batterby's views
on the subject of Purgatory, and his
growing conviction of a hell as a neces-
sary adjunct to celestial house
keeping.
But in the meantime the crazy quilt
was almost forgotten. One day, how
ever, when MI. Batterby was enjoying
a days vacation in the bosom OF his
family a lady visitor cam in. and
somehow the new style of patch
work became the topic of converse
ton.
tAh, but you just ought to see my
Mrs. Smith. see it."
'It's not quite finished. Baby's sick.
ness made me lay it away" demurred
Mrs. Batterby, who"felt a strange re-
1uctance to take out her old enslaver.
"Never mind. Show the squares"
90 do! 1 should so like to see Them -
'Prettiest things you ever saw!!' en-
Enthusiastically said the proud husband.
Mrs. Batterby rose and leftthe room.
As she went slowly through the hall
and up the stairs her mind wildly re-
called that ten dollars worth of plush.
1t seemed aspity not to let Mrs. Smith
see that. and get q clear idea of the
whole effect of the quilt. But it might
set Gustave thinking. Of course the
gold piece had been her own. Yet he
would be astonished at her extrava-
gance. At least he would think it ex-
travagance.
So thinking she opened the drawer.
It wus empty.
Mrs. Batterby stood confounded.
The other drawers were packed with old
half-worn garments to be remade. No
quilt in them. Gone-plush and
squares. Also the bingham for aprons,
and her unmade calico dress.
With a lightning flash she recalled
sending Bridget to the bureau one Sun
| day afternoon for flannel for Philip. The
next Monday she left.
Mrs. Batterby went back to the sitting
room. She was pale but d~ry-eyed. She
told her voc
..Never mind, my darling" said her
husband, putting his arm about hers
'.l'll buy you q handsome Marseilles
spread"
Her hours, and days, and weeks of
slavish work IS up before Mrs. Bat
terby's mind. The tears gushed from
her eyes.
ga MarSeilles spread! What does a
man know about o woman's ~feelings9"
she sobbed.-Amezia Sullivan, IN CHI
cogo Tribune.
English Servants.
Arriving home rather late a few nights