Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-01-01

/ >
bugs come, an the cabbage-worms, an
the gophers, an rabbits, an everything
that could come. So we see from the
| first we'd got to be savin's possible.
Well. that was terrible summer, an
homesick! Why, it did seems if I'd die,
an sometimes didn't care if should.
was sure we d got entirely beyond
/ the Lords care, an He'd forgotten all
| about us. / got cross an sick, an
helpless. But, my! didn't say much
about it to Reuben, for once in while
he'd say: Sarah, we ain t got beyond
the Lords providence yet. Remember
| that motto But likes not wouldn't
answer, | was so homesick and dis
couraged about havin' to live so. The
motto he spoke of was one he d bought
| just before we came away from home;
| it was a cardboard one, an | worked
| it in shaded red worsted, nice as could
| be. 1t said: Hitherto hath the Lord
helped us.
81 knew what Reuben meant when
| he told me TO remember that motto. but
| he was so patient an kind that
couldn't bear to tell him that it didn' t
mean much to me those days. He's a
| wonderful good man, Reuben is, but it
Just seemed to me the Lord had forgot
ten all about us, an wasn't helpin' us
at all. see you're shocked, Miss, an
no wonder, seein' I'd been a professor
nigh onto fifteen years, but mebbe you
amt suffered what L suffered that
summer. He'd bought a nice frame for
the motto, but 1 hadn't hung it up at
all, an it stood on the floor with its
face to the wall. though could see
Reuben didn't like to see it so.
"Welf, Reuben worked harder'n /
ever see man work before, an by
June he d dug that well you see yonder.
and people used to come miles to get
water, for good water was even scarcer
last summer than It's this; an l no.
ticed pale, timid woman comm for
water. drivin' the worst looking pair of
horses you ever see. She used
to draw it up by the pailful,
an set it in the wagon, an then she'd
get up in the wagon an empty the pail
into barrel. L couldn't bear to see
her work so, poor thing, she want
more'n twenty-three or four, an | was
glad when l see Reuben helpin' her one
day. though she want anybody you
could take fancy to, as you can some
folks. But after a spell l noticed she
didn't come any more, an shiftless,
unlikely-lookin' man used to come for
water. Reuben talked to him often.
an one day, after he went away, Reu-
ben says to me: Sarah, says he, the
young woman that used to come for
waters sick. Can't you go an see her
to-day?'
'.Now, [ didn't want to go bit, but
1 see 'twould displease Reuben if
didn't, so put on my sun-bonnet an
went over. Their claim was next to
ours, so walked it easy. An such
sight when / got there! There was that
poor young thing on miserable bed,
white an sick-lookin' as ever l see any
body. The little shanty was bare an
dirty, an the crops worse'n ours.
put my head in the door, an she
opened her eyes an glared at me.
I've come to see you, | said, not
knowing what to say, l was so taken
aback.
.Well,' she snapped out, look at
me if you want to, L amt no great |
;ght, am I?'
Ibid you ever, in all your life? I |
was tempted to snap back, but / re-
nembered Reuben, an couldn't, so l |
says: Il thought mebbe l could help |
Tou.'
".You can't she says, little more
civil, nobody cam an such hard, |
hopeless voice L hope I'll never hear |
again.
'.My heart ached for her, so / says: |
Yes. the Lord eau
"'Well,' she says, .mebbe he can, |
put he amt done it much stree l come
nut here
Thinks 1, you're regular heather,
f there ever was one. But then, con-
GUIDED it want mite worse for her
% say it right out than twas for me to
hink it hundred times, only l was
,fraid to say it on account of Reuben;
IN me a professor, too. | didn't say
my more then, but tell you l did lot
, th:nkin'. l went right in an made
In after that | used to 90 every day,
10 me. But Reuben heard from her
how glad she was to have me
.ome. They sent fifteen miles for a
loctor, an he said twas malaria she'd
brought in her system from Michigan,
,ut knew 'twa'n't anything o. the
Kind; twas homesickness, an one sight
} her mothers face would ha' done
more for her than pounds of quinine.
''Well, in contrast with those poor
people our lot didn't seem half so
lard. an began to see how selfish
ID been, shuttin' myself up an pityin'
myself, an thinkin' o home, when peo-
lie like this Mis- Peters was sufferin'
or a little friendly aid. l didn't feel
cry sorry for Mr.. Peters; he was lazy,
thought. an shiftless, but Reuben
alked to him good deal, an / see
hat his place gan to look little more
and better victuals come
nto the house, an sometimes some
him for her; but never dreamed Reu-
zen had anything to do with it,
nore'n to advise and encourage him.
)ne day when was gettin' ready to
% the Peterses Reuben pointed to our
MOTTO an says: Hadn't you better take
+ to the Peterses and let them keep it
pellp'"
81 knew he wanted it to be the COM
ort to them that it hstdn't been to me;
o took it, but that Mis- Peters would
It have it where She could see it. an
o there it stood with its face to her 1
Tall, instead o. mine. 1t put me out, |
90, because Reuben wanted me to take [
. to her.
Towards fall Mis- Peters began to
lex up consid 'rably; she'd had good
ictuals an somebody to do a friendly !
urn for her, an the malaria wore off,
ut still she was hard an cold an sui /
IN to everybody, an / didn't know
hat to make of it. I
..Well, come last of August, an I'd !
cen thinkin' good deal about provin' 1
% on our claim, an 9ettin' the title to