Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-11-20

confined to his bed perhaps for three
months, possibly a cripple for life; he
could earn nothing for the present; we
nad saved n hundred and twenty dol
iars; u rent was ten dollars q month;
had tumbled down and broken not
his crown. but his leg, would Jill come
tumblingg after? I thought so for those
ilrst few hours, and Ahen it came to me,
what it he lay there in the last long
sleep and I could not wait on him any
more? and l fell on nv knees with sobs
thankfulness. ashamed of repining.
How quickly we adjust ourselves to
SOBER fact! For two weeks Jack had a
nlgh fever. and much of the time he
talked of that baS, and how
sorry he was he could not get II. Every
Gay he seemed to be sinking lower and
lower, and the old doctor eyed me visit
1ully as he went out; l knew what he
was thinking of-how young she is to
be left alone. One night. after two
weeks of almost ceaseless WATCHING. T
!ell asleep by his side, my head buried
IN my arms: 1 was utterly wearied
IN tnat dead stupor that comes from
long wakefulness. After midnight
something reused me. The moon was
looking IN upon us, and the light made
Jacks face look deathly enough. His
aud about my hair had reused me.
!! ieit MS pulse, it was going down rap
IDLY. God was good to me; had L slept
on 1t would have been too late to have
helped him. l remembered what the
doctor SAID: when the fever turns give
him more stimulant, or he will sink
away. AAnight I fed him the stimu-
liant every half hour, pravinc h q +
might be kept awake. With the morn
ing Jul he looked up. 'Jill," he said
Inc hrst rational word he had uttered
since ne LETT me to rush into the car for
that miserable bag-and then, goose
that l was, | tainted dead away. When
lcame to myself, Jack was in a natural
sleep; he had reused but a moment. and
then IN utter weakness dropped off to
sleep.
But the worst was passed; he began
to mend rapidly. ''The Lord has re-
emily. I The next day a friend took
the burden from me a little, and / hard
y knew what was passing for several
days: But it was a long way out of the
woods yet. How slow It was, after all,
although Dr.. Low said he gained won
derfully. Two months passed, and he
could sit up but a short time in a day;
but Jack had been working beyond his
strength for months, and his recovery
required time.
Half of our money was gone and the
future looked dark, but Jack was hope
full and cheerful, and 1 sat and read to
him hour after hour. and we discussed
the old familiar subjects again, all the
time l was racking my brains to devise
some means to exc out our fast dimin-
ishing purse. When four months had
gone Jack could limp about a little, but
how thin and pale he was. We had
just twenty dollars left, and that only
by the strictest economy, and because
the doctor would take nothing as a fee.
had my hair down in the old way
n evening; our landlord had Just been
in for the rent; there was but ten dol
lars left. I had ventured to breach our
condition to Jack; l had tried not to
trouble him with our financial matters.
''Your hair is worth more to me than
gold,' he said, as he let it fall through
his white hands. And then it flashed
over me-the old joke-that I would
sell my hair, if worst come to worst.
The next day a neighbor stayed with
Jack for awhile, and I went out on bust.
ness. l went into several hair stores,
and when l came out of the last one ]
had forty dollars, but nv golden hair,
yard in length, was gone. cried 8
little all the way home, but '.for jack
l said. How he stared when / took of
my bonnet! '.Jill, Jill - he cried, and
his voice broke. II had to do it, Jack
we must live, and l got forty dollars fol
it." But he turned to the wall and die
not speak; only the sobs shook his
frame, and he a man; but he loved the
golden hair.
'.Jack." I whispered a half hour at
ter, ''don't you love nae q little withou,
the hair?"
"Oh, JILL" he cried, .to think you
were obliged to do it,
On the way home I had passed an
art store, and some paintings in oil had
attracted my attention. 1 had taken
lessons-my father had been an artist
why could not 1 revive my skill and
earn something now? I grudged the
money for the material, but nothing
venture nothing have, and SO l began.
I had some talent, I knew, and ther
jacks pale face was an inspiration. II
was at the time when rich people were
crazy to have their china decorated by
hand. My father patient lessons were
not forgotten, necessity gave me skill,
and l surpassed myself. DR.. Low. or
hearing Of my desire and seeing some
of my work, got an order from n Of
his rich patients. I succeeded so wei
with that, that other orders followed; We
would not suffer after all. The good
God was pitiful-he cared a little fol
Jack and /.
L did not tumble after Jack, as the
nursery jingle has it; my crown was
safe, although bereft of its wealth Of
hair. Jack was we'll at last, with only
a little hitch in his gait. He got a pc.
sition in the iron-works. and we bridged
the chasm of pain. and we started uE
the hill again. He limped a little, and
l looked like a boy with my shorn head,
but love had lasted, we had each other
and were thankful.
''My brave JILL" he said, when we
sat down the first night after he was al
work again, and he eyed me fond!J
across the little stand; and then coming
round to my chair, "Sweet Jill" as hi
laid his love mon NV Inns.