The Worthington advance., 1885-02-05
'"MeD ilr THE HAM,"

'''flet ilr THE HAM,"
ITS the last straw th.t breaks tb,
camel's back. " said Lucy. bursting int.
tears.
Mrs. Bellsnden was youne-scarce
y three and twenty. She had beer
the daughter Of retired nrrty Bf
6cer, delicately reared and quite ie
norant Of all the machinery Of domes
tic life until she married Seth Bellen
den.
Example il all powerful, and Luc,
began to believe. that the whole end ant
aim of life was domestic thrift, money
saving, and tho treadmill of work.
my dear, said Seth, IF you though,
you could get along without Hepsey
the maid. I might bs able to affort
that new reaper before tho oat crol
comes in.
"1'll try, said Lucy.
After that she arose before davbreal
and worked later into the night thar
ever.
what is tho matter with your hands
Lucy?" Seth asked one day; "The,
are not se%,whim and beautiful as they
used +, be-"
Lucy colored as she glanced down a,
the members in question.
Il suppose it is from making fires,
said she.
All the affectionate relations IT Mr..
Bellenden soon dsse6Vered that the
farm erae6 Was cool and s.,..sy, g.. tina,
hocy's cooking was excellent, and that
tue bedrooms were neatness itself.
Some OF them were even good enouTh
to invite their relations a. we'll; and I'd
the house was full from April to t}sreinii
ber.
And One day when poor Lucy unde,
tho blighting influence of horrible
sick headache, was endeavoring to strain
three or four gallons of milk into the
shining pans, the news arrived that
Uncle Paul was coming to the farm.
where is he to sloep2 Tho Belforde
have the front room, and your cousin
Susan occupies the back, and the four
Miss Pattersons sleep in the two hal,
chambers, and the hired men have tho
garret roomr
'"Oh, you can find some place for him
said her husband lightly. "rhere il
that little room at the end OF Tie nall
whore the spinning wheel is."
"tut It isn't furnished" pleaded Lu.
cy.
"You can easily sew carpet together
out OF those old pieces from the Bel.
lords room, and it is no trouble TO nut
! muslin eurta;,. to the window and lift
IN cot bed: There are plenty of good
sweet husks in the corn house, and YOU
can just tack mattress together, and
whitewash the cealing."
But this little bedroom was fitted nm
up, as fresh as rose, and Uncle Paul
arrived, dried-up, yellow complex.
ioned old man, with an fashioned
cravat tied IN many folds around his
neck, and d suit of navy blue with brass
buttons.
lie had the polite way of half GEN.
tury ago, and Lucy thought she would
like him very much, if she only had time
to get acquainted with him.
But she was churning ten pounds of
butter day, and there was the baby;
and the company; and the young chick
ems, and the baking to do for the sew
society, which was to meet at her house
that week. She was almost too busy tc
sleep.
But Uncle Paul was watching hel
quietly all the time. He came out one
day where his nephew was putting d
cfo
did I tell you, Nephew Seth, about
the reason l left your Cousin Eliah's?"
mot that l remember" said Seth,
breathing on the blade and polishing it
with his silk handkerchief.
"Dorthy died-his wife,"
"Oh, ves," said Seth. "NIalerial
fever, wasn't it?"
mo" bluntly answered Uncle Paul.
1T was hard work. That woman.
Nephew Seth, did the housework for
eight persons. Eliab didn't even lot
her have a woman to help her with the
washing and ironing"
Must have been q regular -goinc
brute, said Seth, Tightening tho handle
. little.
Ian the sewing, too," added Uncle
Paul-"the needing aud making. Never
went anywhere except to church. She
was fond of reading, but she never got
any time for it. She rose before sun
up and never lay down until II o'clock.
1t was hard work that killed that wom-
an, and Eliab declared it was sheer
laziness when she could not drag her
self around any longer. And when she
died he rolled up his eyes and called it
q visitation of Providence"
why didn't the neighbors lynch
him?" cried Seth, fairly aroused to in
dignation at last
"Why don't the neighbors lynch
you?" he said. "Thou art the man.
Are you not doing the same thing?"
I'll" gasped Seth.
"Your wife is doing the work Of q
of sixteen people," said Un.
Gle Paul. "She is drudging as you
could hire no foreigner to drudge.
She is rising early and lying down late;
she is offering up her life OH the shrine
Of your farm and its improvements. I
have seen her grow thin and pale even
during the few days I have been here.
No galley slave ever worked as she
does. And you, with your hired men
and your labor saving machinery, stand
coolly by and see her commit suicide.
Yes. Nephew Seth, I think 1t is case
of lynching."
Seth had grown pale.
I'll never thought of this" said he.
"Why didn't some one tell me?"
Where were your own eyes," asked
Uncle Paul.
Seth Bellenden rolled down his shirt
sleeves, put on his coat, and went into
the house.
He told the Belfords and Pattersons
that it was inconvenient to keep them any
longer. He gave Cousin Susan to under
stand that her room was needed. He
made arrangements to board the hired
men at the vacant farm house. and en-
gagged stout dairyman and house ser.
want to wait on Lucy. And he tele-
urQDhod f0 hor fafhor fo oopoo <o Cv1,,or