The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1885-09-11

Remember now, you are my wife,
and must do exactly as I say-that' s
the law; and ! must be good to you and
do all the hardest work; but you must
cook and mend for me. and L think
you'd better begin to call me Husband
right away"
YES" sobbed Jane. 80, isn't it
dark?"
"No," said Tom; ''besides, if it is,
all the better. We'd get into the woods
before they catch us, We shall be out
of the town by daylight"
Then they walked on-poor Jane
stumbling often, but Tom held her hand
and did not let her fall. At length the
last little white house was passed; then
came the church with its tall spire, and
then long paling fences, about bits of
meadow-land. They were in the coun-
try, but not yet in the woods, and both
children were growing very sleepy and
very tired-so very tired that finally
there was nothing for it but to sit down
on the grass under haystack, with
Toms head on James knee, and 90 fast
asleep.
Sunrise awakened them. They ate
their bread and butter, started ON
again, and in few hours the woods
were all around them.
Were safe at last" cried Tom.
'Nobody can ever find us here. I'll
build house and plant my corn right
away. Do you know how long it takes
corn to grow? And beans?"
'No, " ventured Jane, doubtingly-
mot long, Iguess."
81 guess not" echoed Tom, ''but /
wish we had some more bread and
butter"
BY and by the two explorers came
to nice little spot in the woods close
to pretty brook. 1t was very damp,
but there was clearing which it was
easy to plant. Tom dug it over with
his fire-shovel, and put in his beans and
corn in straight rows. Then, with an
old knife that was his greatest treasure,
he cut underbrush and low branches
enough to make queer kind of leafy
hut big enough for both to creep into.
''We can eat outdoors. We shall
only want a home at night and when it
rains" said Tom.
But Jane felt doubtful Her little
flesh was>>black and blue already, and
yet the grass was long in the bayfield,;
here it was sparse and dry. Besides,
she wanted her warm milk and water and
her slice of bread and butter. Tom
found some huckleberries hard by, but
they did not help the empty stomachs
much, and even at sunset the corn had
not begun to grow, neither did the
beans show their heads above the earth!
Suddenly an awful thought struck
Jane.
"When it grows, Tom" she said,
I'VE haven't any sauce pan to cook it
in" .r
"More we haven't" said Tom. Then
hope dawned upon him. ''We could
roast the corn" said he, ''and bet
there's an apple-tree somewhere.
They wandered about looking for the
tree or more berries of some sort The
tree did not appear, but at last they
found some berries-iust one or two at
a time-and the poor children had
nothing else to eat. Hungry Tom could
have deyoured his own shoes. Meek
Jane, before she lay down on the hard
yet damp ground, asked just one ques-
ton:
''Do yots think the beans will grow
tonight, Tom?"
Il told you to say Husband" said
Tom; then added, gracioasly: eyes,
Ma, suppose they will"
Then Jane put the "Child" close to
her cheek, and slept the sleep of the
weary.
Good Farmer Morton and his plump
wife, coming homeward from visit to
their married daughter about dark next
day, let the old mare walk as slowly as
she pleased through the wood-path
They had had tea and were in no hurry.
Suddenly, amidst the sobbing of the
little brook the old lady heard louder
sobbing still.
Peter" she said, ~'there's a child
crying"
"'Iisn't nothing but the wafer" said
the old man, whose hearing was less
sharp than his wife's.
'It'S child" persisted the old lady.
81 VOW, think see one sitting on the
fence. Stop the mare, Peter! Who is
therep"
''Me, ma am-Jane," said a little
voice. II heard a carriage and
thought it might be a doctor. 0, please,
he's so sickr'
"Who is sick. dearP" asked Mrs.
Morton.
MY husband"
Husband Peter, isn't that a
ohildp"
'Yes, ma am" said Jane; ''but he's
sick. | don't know what ais him. He
shivered, and then he was hot and he
seems so strange. And our farm didn' t
come up-I mean the corn and the
beans-and it rained yesterday, and
came through the house and wetted us
all over. .. please come and see what
is the matter with my husband"
Lord, preserve usr' cried the good
old lady; lis that child crazy? Come,
Peter, let's see what she means"
And the two good people followed
Jane to the damp spot where Tom,
suddenly smitten with ague, lay delir-
ious, half in and half out of his leafy
hut He could say nothing, and Jane,
mindful of the warning he had given
her over and over again, would tell
nothing of the poor-house, and only
said they had no parents" and that
she was his ''wife.
Wherever they come from we must
take 'em home tonight said Mrs.
Morton. Poor babies You carry the
boy, Peter; III fetch the little gal
Jane looked up thankfully into the
old lady's face. and said: ''Wait,
please, till get the Child !"
1.-The child?" cried Mrs. Morton.
LAND sakesn'
Then Jane Owed into the hut aud
brought forth her doll, with its scratched
features and yellow robe; at sight OF
which the old lady laughed so heartily
that she had much ado to get into the
gig again.
The children were comfortably
housed that day, and the whole truth
was coaxed from them at last: but no