Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1885-09-30
THE DOORSTEP.

Hannah Gneldt leaned upon hel
broom and looked out from the low
kitchen door across the wintry fields
and ice-glazed streamlet which lay be
tween her home and the village OF
Greenock, with its one tapering spire
and sloping roof and blank white
dure. She had done her household
work, polished every article capable
OF polish, and soaped and sanded all
the rest. At last she had swept clean
her doorstone, and now felt free to do
what she chose, to rest Or gossip or
sit down to needle-work, a thing i'm
possible to her while spot beneath
her roof was out of order. Just now
she felt neither like gossiping nor sew
ing; her heart was very full, and she
found 1t necessary to stand still and
think awhile. Only that she was not
used to it she would have cried, she
was so very sad. It seemed to her
that the happiest people were
those who lay in their green graves in
the churchyard, with crossed hands
upon their bosoms, and were quiet
from all earthly going to and fro for
ever more.
Not that Hannah Gneldt was tired
in body or weary with the toll Of
household duty, for she was strong in
frame and her health was perfect, as
her hands were willing. 1t was on her
humble heart the burden lay, ner spir-
1t that was worn with earthly travail
and care.
''Twenty-three years to-day I've
been his WIFE" she muttered, "and I've
loved him well, and worked hard and
faithful to keep things decent, and it
has come to this at last. Things had
been better, says he, If he'd married
Miss Lester"
Yes, that was what Farmer Gneldt,
harassed by toll and debt, had said
that very morning; and it seemed to
Hannah like the confession of a. long
repentance, forced from her husbands
lips at last.
Poor man I wish I could help
him, = she sighed, leaning on her broom
beside the door. ''I doubt he's right
about Miss Lester
With that her eyes fell and rested by
chance on the door step.
Il can mend that, anyhow" she
said; land l have time, for my work
is done"
So she hung the broom up and
peeped into the oven and set the kettle
on, and then, hooded and shawled,
crossed over the fields to where the
farm Joined that of Simeon Gray.
On one spot were men at work
breaking up the stones lying about.
Hannah Gneldt noddedto the old farm
er and he came to meet her,
Il want smooth stone,o she said.
f'May ! have one'?''%' -.
4 wish you'd take sem ALL" said
the farmer, "a lot of'rubbish. Yousee
I'm clearing away what they call the
old graveyard at last. Wife talks to
me O sacrilege and disturbin' bones.
Bless you, there amt been none for
years and years; and these hard times
a man can't let land 60 to waste.
tell wife she don't know nothin' about
it. What do you want to do? Have
a bit around the well?"
''No, | want a STEP" said Hannah.
''That great white one is just the
thing" And she pointed to slab
hard by.
Ike shall bring it over tonight"
said the farmer.
NO" said Hannah, "I can roll it
along. | wish [ could tell what that
was" she said. FFSome ones age and
name. All! there were sore hearts when
that was new. Ihopewhe die Oliver
will have written over me that / was
a good wife I've tried hard to be.
ought to know that big letter-Wait a
bit; l believe it's H."
Then she turned the inscription
downward and washed the other side
clear and white, and fitted it into
place.
She received little credit for her
work. Oliver only muttered:
"You needn't have published the
fact | couldn't afford a porch to the
place" And no one noticed the step
afterward save Hannah when she
scrubbed and swept it.
Matters were very bad at the
Gneldts'. Oliver broodediover the fire
in speechless sorrow and grew grayer
and balder with each passing day
Hannah Kept ruin off little by MAX
ing home of the humble fare by her
housewives skill. She might even have
been cheerful but for the memory of
that luckless speech.
Working IN her garden one day,
when the first spring grass was grow
ing green, Hannah heard footsteps,
and, lifting her head, saw two gentle
men beside her, and arose precipitate-
Iy, with womanly anxiety about her
ankles, not strictly covered, perhaps,