The Mineral argus., 1884-03-06

have q lower IN her coffin, which vii
look strangely out of place, as none er
CT came into married life.
Twice she made feeble attempts T.
bring some cheerfulness into tbef
home. She worked her husband n MOI,
OF slippers for Christmas, and placed !
bunch of now drops on the table AZ
Easter. He grufiy told her to take ;an
away, and not inkeridge the scarIo.
woman by bringin' SIGH popish notion,
INTO the house" The country FENCES
barns, t%averns, rocks and landscane
were once ablaze with flaming posters
announcing the coming of a traveIino
circus and menagerie. She gazed onp
those pictured wonders, on the monkeT
parodies, pathetic camels, repuIs;y5
serpents, leaping tigers, flying figures
complscent fat ome busbv-bo;ro}
frauds, dissatisfied Albinos. bomnons
dwarfs, sunshiny giants, the sacred
COW of Burmah, and the Behemontb ~
scripture. Her very soul ached Viii
an intense longing to behold those a.;
entail ANIMALS from far away tropical
countries, from "Afric's burning eobda
had read in the Bible and in 'Iittia
Henry and his Bearer" Was it possi-
bic that those huge, ungainly elephants
could stand on their heads, planks and
barrels, play tunes on hand-orpans ond
do other u~n-dreamed-of things norfoot
~ unnatural and unpleasant to an ola.
plant? Wa it true that horses waItzoJ
and dogs hung each other? Tbot
woman could be shot from u cannon
and a tattooed man walk shiyeringlv
about clad only in his cashmere skin
and gauzy beings fly through hoops of
fire over the backs of horses that had IN
make mp their minds to stand it? II
was wonderful, a fniry tale, a myth per.
hapS. Everything was reversed. the
uses of the riders, the clown in the ring.
the ideas and trunks Of the elephants.
Seeing was believing, and shs wanted.
oh, how she wanted to go! It would be
the n great pleasure, the one grand
epoch of her dreary life. Only those
who have been forced to remain in the
unvarying routine of hard work, care
and amending m%Onotony, can ap-
preciate the happiness it would be for
this down-trodden little Yankee woman
to go to the circus. She read on tine
brilliant posters that people, press
and pulpit commended this great moral
show, unparalleled in grandeur and
magnificence, and that nothing was said.
seen or done that could offend the most
moral and faStidious person. To be
sure the lions Herald had not adyer-
tlsed it, and she had not yet heard it in
dorsed by their w minister from his
pulpit. But one minister difrereth from
another minister in opinions, and if even
one attended the circus, surely sha
could. She had no money. and was
afraid to ask for any, or to breach the
subject to her husband, fearing his OPP
position. She remained awake Mt night
wondering if she was q wicked, design
ing m for not mentioning her de
sire, and where she could find means to
accomplish it,. This was the first
she had ever plotted; the
time she ever dared to
strike out for herself. 1t showed how
keen was the vearning for a little
brightness to come into her cold and
cheerless life. She knew it was useless
to ask for any Of the egg, butter, cheese
OF milk money that she had earned.
She arose two hours earlier the next
morning, did much of the homework.
and while her husband was drinking
nolasses and water in the hay field. she
away on preteXt and winged
feet and under the burning August
sun, with hands trembling and heart
with hope and excitement, she
five quarts of berries that were
sold at the hotel in S. The next
lay with the coveted money held tight
Y IN her ungloved hand, she hurriedly
climbed into the wagon of a neighbor
Who had called by her request, to car
y her with his wife and children to the
all joyful at the unusual holiday.
her heart beat, how her limbs
Once off and out of view OF
he bayfield,, she would breathe freer.
)ne taste of pleasure.
md it was hers forever, no matter what
happened afterward. They turned the
.orner and a man appeared on the dus-
y road. 1t was her husband, sent
here by n of those malicious chances
hat sometimes ''thwart the wills of
men, and women. he stopped them.
followed. 1T is my
money. Ididn't take it from the house,
earned it yesterday" she faltered,
up her toil-worn, thorn
cratched hands. 1t was her only APP
zeal, and it fell mute upon her culver
ng lips, as he sternly ordered her to
get down." She ought not to have
.ot down, and we are sorry to say that
he did. But she is meek and good,
nd she ''Obeyed" with her e and
cart full of tears. He walked unre-
entingly by her side to the house. He
ook her hardly-wOn bits of silver. He
fhnv chnr,l1 90 - IL