Daily Republican., 1884-08-29

DOCKS Dub tDe current lltfrAture OF thu
day found there no abiding place. fol
wicked trash was such reading ,ienomi
mated by Farmer Ruskin and his wor
| thy wife.
BEFORE Mrs Ruskin left the parlor sh.
had learned that the boarder's name wa,
Melvin, and as Mr.. Melvin he was In.
trodncod TO Martha Weston at supper.
time.
He had not mentioned the fact that he
| was a physician, and the Ruskins did
not dream that they had the honor OF
sbeltering Il college bred NJ. ID. beneath
their roof
A tempting scpper, that Martha's
tired hands had carefully prepared, re-.
ceived due attention from Mrs Ruskin's
boarder, and early in the summer even
log he retired to tie pleasant east cham
Der of that old Connecticut farmhouse O..
TO sleep ard dream of a pair Of dark,
wislfnl, hazel eyes; of sweet hut sad
facr--ana that face was Martha IVES.
tons; for, with his keen, practiced eye
he saw the evidence of overworked
nerves, the tense physical strain that
only needed straw more to break be-
meath the burden and DR.. Me!vin's
nature was strongly sympAthe lc.
-" You have excellent help, Mrs. Rus
KIM" DR.. Melvin causally remarked,
after he had been domiciled u few days
in the old farm honse. He had noticed
she amount of labor that the slight and
delicate girl performed in the house
hold, and hs saw plainly that her posi-.
tioa was no sinecure.
Well, yes, Marthy does pretty we'll,
consiierin' that she wasn't brought up
to work Her father WAS a l arti !, and
her mother was music teacher, and
botwixt The two she didn't get much
common sense education; that's what
call larnin' to take care of house, and
such things.
Now, | don't need Marthy but we
were kind of sorry for her when her
mother died and left her alone 80 we
told her She IN light come and stay with
us, and she ust works for her board.
We can't afford to pay her wages"
And DIR. Melvin fell to wondering
how nany hours out of twenty four a
woman should work, to pay for what
she ATE and drank.
He gave the subject more serious con.
s,deration the fourth week of his vaca-
ton.
july had come. with its tervid heat.
Vegetation was suffering from tac
drought, ard the people sat i'll the out
door shade, anu languidly famed them
selves, and WISHED for rain ; that is, the
people did who had time. Thsre were
some who had not the leisure for such
iuiu gence the workers, who rose early
and retired late, that the more favored
ones might recline In the shade aud re-.
cuperate wast,si elergies-and OF this
class was Martha Weston.
Up at four o'clock in the morning, at
tending to the dairy, preparing dain.
ty beerstoak for the family, flying
hither and thither, like a bird on the
wing, but not sinaing--she was too
tired for the extra .tfJrt.
But DIR. Melvin had nearj her once
during his stay at Wild wood. Mrs.
Ruskin had gone out for the afternoon,
and the tired girl imag ined that her
boar'ier was away, and she sang old
songs with pathos that thrilled the
listener with emotion and hearing the
clear, birdliks voice, the young doctor
vaguely wondered whether she was not
tho woman to make his home attrac-
tive and CHEEKY.
A hot, dry morning after a sultfy,
almost breathless night, and Martha
Weston had risen long before the sun.
There was milk to skim, and pans to
wash, and there were biscuit to be made
Tor DR.. Melvin had praised them, 30
Mrs. Rusk in had ordered biscuit for
that morning. There WAS much more
than III" irual amount of labor to be
done, Il Martha had risen, "A tier rest.
less uisht, with strange dizziness, a
cp'Ilr>'d feeling that she could not nc
utinl for.
'ut ~ last everything was in rtadi.
* 81 Biscuit of a golden brown, coffee
fragrant and steaming, crisp oinelets,
rich donghn uts-a breakfast got up i'll |
true country style, hut nevertheless |
fit tor king. And when the family |
were gathered at the table, ready to
enjoy the fruits OF Martha Weston's |
morning labors, the tired girl did an
exceedingly unr0mantic thing she |
fell to the floor, unconscious
and DIR. Melvin, spripging from the
table, gathered her up, AS if she had |
been an infant, and laid her gently |
upon the Lounge. Then, when Mrs. |
Ruskin would have sent for aid, she |
learned with surprise that her boArier
was physician, and he proceeded to
treat the case with his usual GOODNESS.
You will be- obliged to fill her
place." he said to Mrs. Ruskin, and
though DR. Melvin lahored faithfully to |
avert the threatening danger, Martha |
had done JUS what he had been doing
when he came to Wildwood she had
been working beyond her strength, dis
ing physical laws and as the pen
atty came long fever, that seemed
likely to consume the last remnant of |
the poor girls vitality.
But never had patient better care
or kinder physician, and he wrote |
DIR. Nicholson that he felt tie need of |
another months vacation and thank |
full that at last his friend seemed |
anxious to take care of his health, DIR. /
Nicholson prepared 20 do the extra la
Dor of another month.
There came day when Martha Yves.
ton opened her eyes, and wondered
vaguely what had happened but, too
tired to ask, slept and dreamed that she
was past the toll OF earth then awoke,
tn find Mrr. Ruskin's boarder holding
his finger upon her wrist.
Too weak for surprise, she lay and
gazed at him till he smiled assuringly,
then she questioned him.
You have saved my life," she said,
when she learned what he had done
for her. How can repay you?"
will tell You some day." he an
3 wered, and he did but it was when
she had grown able to sit in the leafy
shadows of the vine-wreathed piazza
that DR.. Cyril Melvin claimed the re-
ward for his professional services, and
not from gratitude, no said, but il she
could love him, he wanted her for his
wife.
Surprised she was ; but there was All
chord in her own heart that
to the call, and for loves
sweet sake, she answered, yes.
There was no need of delay, she need