St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1885-01-10

nave Kept her III ease, out she knew she
married poor man, and was willing to
work up" He was little annoyed.
Il doubt not You have been kind and
good to her. and now that she has
helped work up 50 far, l know you
will be glad to give her vacation. You
do not realize what it is to care for three
little children and do all the work that
must be done in farmhouse. She
might have been slender when girl.
but not careworn. Tonight, if YOU
will look at one of her old pictures, you
will be convinced am right
Suppose | am; what then?'
.'How much would it cost to send her
back to Ohio for the winter? l can
keep house.
..simply out of the question. She
wouldn't 60 anyhow, Martha.
Il thought you didn't know ii; but
she is as homesick as child TO see her
father and mother. She hasn't said so.
she never complains, but IN unutterable
longing fills her eyes. and quick tears
when she speaks of them. Sure of your
consent and my willingness to keep
house for her, she would go gladly
.And you think it would do her
gooda''
s.Undoubtedlv. and it would be the
cheapest medicine You could give her.
and the surest. Think it over day or
SO, Nathan
That evening Martha was not sur
priscd to see startled, anxious look on
her brothers face, as he closely re-
garded his wife. whenever he thought
himself unobserved. Husbands are
often the bliadest of all persons i'm re-
gard to their wives, but Nathan was
convinced.
That night when they were alone, he
suddenly exclaimed:
CLARA. how would you like to visit
vour mother this falls''
She looked at him a moment in
silence, while wave of crimson swept
over her pale face Then, turning away,
she said, brokenly:
Don't talk about it. Nat: / know we
can't afford it, and I'd rather not speak
of it.
but we can afford it. and Martha !,
willing to keep house for me. No : do
you want to 90, dear?'
There was an unconscious t.
proach in his voice, and !, 81. ~ ,,;,,
in his face which she cou' ! - aat =, - r%n
stand.
-, Naafan' a. a.; shan sn obed, with herfac
hidden on MS snou' der. don't imagine
.,ii' ip.I p,.i soa u ~ the less, or am tired
- o'u ill'.e .. nv me; but do want to 90.
o"s. ~" w re is nothing in the world
mother
n. ell, then. you shall go, little wife.
~ at cry so: / didn't know you cared
80 much; but that settles it, you:
| 60"
After Mrs. Tracy and the baby were
gone, Martha looked around the un-
ornamented rooms and resolved that
there should be something new. some-
thing bright and pretty, to welcome back
| the home-keeper. The front room
had never been furnished. but after con-
sidering her resources. Martha thought
she could manage it, if she could per-
suade Nathan into buying carpet.
! a carpet2 why Martial" he ex-
claimed at her proposal, too astonished
TO say more.
What was Clara's old home like2
You don't want her to notice too sharp
a contrast on her return" said the
sister. quietly.
Il may get carpet" thoughtfully:
'.but 50 many other things would have
| TO follow
Nat, when father and mother died,
we were going to divide things. but You
had no home then, and while John and
| STAYED. everything remained the same.
When | came here, sold or packed
everything. and there is big box for
you. which is on the way out here. Be
sides bedding and clothing. there are
pictures. vases, curtains. a table-spread
aud some of mothers nice rugs. They
will help furnish the room. guess
you can afford to buy a cane-seat rocker
and two chairs, and we'll make the
rest"
I'D like to know how
| There are two bottomless chairs in
the nranary: will cbonize the frames.
cushion seat and back. and with strips
of embroidery and heavy fringe they
will be handsome. That old rocker
which is forever coming to pieces can
be mended and treated likewise. minus
| the rockers, and you'll have an easy
chair. A pine table which You can
make. stained and vanished, and COW
cred with the spread, will do nicely"
| ..Well, it sounds practicable, I'll help
ali can
..There will be ottomans to make.
mantle to put up. and cornice for the
curtains. 1t will take our spare time
for all winter, but how pleased Clara
| win be.
Il intend to have everything nice for
her some day."
.Yes. Nat: but a woman must have
something to live on in the meantime.
There's a love of the beautiful in every
| woman's heart, and it must be satisfied.
If surrounded by grand scenery the
| mind can feed on that: but here, in this
level. monotonous country. believe the
home should be very bright and at
tractive.n
..There NAV be some truth in that.
but I never thought of that before, "
replied Nathan.
| 1T is not common for q man to think
about the home as q woman does, Tor
he mingles with the world. while most
| of her hours are spent inside the four
| walls Clara had no time to fix up any,