The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1885-02-05

lhVU AM INN MAN.. g
"It's the last straw that breaks til,
camel's back" said Lucy, bursting into
Mrs. Bellenden was young-scarce
Iy three and twenty. She had beer
the daughter of retired army of
icer, ,delicately reared and quite ig
norant of all the mas,hinery Of donnes
tic life until she inartied Beth, Bslien
den. -
Example is all powerful, and Lucy
began to- believe that the whole end ant
aim of life was domestic thrift, money
saving, and the treadmill of work. !
"My DEAR" said Seth, "if you thought
you could get along without Hepsey
the maid. I might bs able to affor(
that new reaper before the oat crol
comes in.
"I'll try" said Lucy. No.
After that she arose before daybreal
and worked later into the night thar
/ ever. y.-..,. ...-...., ..o......,........
"what is the matter with your hands
Lucy?" Seth asked one day. "They
are not. SO white and beautiful as they
| used to be-" .,t
Lucy colored as she glanced down o.
the members in question. - b.. 7
II suppose it is from making fires,
said she.
All the affectionate relations of Mr..
Bellenden soon discovered That the
farm house was cool and, shady that
Lucy's cooking was excellent, and that
the bedrooms were neatness itself.
Some of them were even good enough
to invite their relations as we'll; and sc
the house was full from April to Deem
Der.
And one day when poor Lucy under
the blighting influences 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 sleep?. The Belfords
have the front room, and your cousin
Susan occupies the back, and the four
Miss Pattersons sleep in the two hall
chambers, and the hired men have the
garnet room"
ooh, you can find some place for him
said her husband lightly. There is
that little room at the end of the hall
where the spinning wheel is"
"But 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 put
muslin curtain to the window and lift
IN cot bed. There are plenty of good
sweet hrlsks in the courthouse, and you
can just tack mattress together, and
whitewash the cealing."
But this little bedroom was fitted up
up, as fresh as rose, and Uncle Paul
arrived, a dried-up, yellow-complex-
| toned old man, with an old fashioned
cravat tied IN many folds around his
neck, and suit of navy blue with brass
| buttons.
He 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 ehnrning 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 te
sleep.
But Uncle Paul was Watching hei
quietly all the time. He came out one
day where his nephew was putting a
new handle on sickle blade:
did l tell you, Nephew Seth, about
the reason I left your Cousin Eliab's?"
Not that l remember" said Seth,
breathing on the blade and polishing it
with his silk handkerchief.
"Dorthy died-his wife"
"Oh, yes," said Seth. "NIalerial
fever, wasn't it?"
"No!" bluntly answered Uncle Paul.
1T was hard work. That woman,
Nephew Seth, did the homework for
eight persons. Eliab didn't even let
her have woman to help her with the
washing and ironing"
Must have been a regular going
brute, said Seth, Tightening the handle
little
''All the sewing, too" added Uncle
Paul-"them needing and 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 WON
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
o 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!"y gasped Seth. -
"Your wife is doing the work of a
household of sixteen people," said I'm
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 on the. shrine
of your farm andits improvements. ]
have seen her grow thin and pale even
during the few days 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 think it is a case
Of lynching."
Seth had grown pale.
CT 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. 81 s.
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-
graphed to her father to come to Sylvan
bridge at once.
she deserves treat, "he said. "He
shall spend the summer with us"
And then he went to tell Lucy.
She. had tainted among the butter.
cups, picking Strawberries for tea.
Poor little Lucy! The machinery had