Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-07-09

girls na0 ne met tnem Unexpectedly.
They had grown wonderfully, he
thought; so much more than he had
imagined.
True, he had counted the wears tina,
had flown, and had said: Jennie is al
most eleven now, and Lucy past nine u
but what did the passage of years sig.
nifty when memory had all the time
pictured them babies, just as he had
seen them before the wears had come
and gone.
Erastus, he thought, had not changed
so much. He was quite a lad when he
saw him last. and he was not fully a
man now. He had grown, of course,
and had manly air and look, but he
was not yet sixteen, and then we always
expect boys to grow. He had seen
boys on the streets of Sacramento and
elsewhere of all ages and sizes, and
their forms and faces had somehow
mingled with the form and face OF
Erastus and had helped to obliterate the
picture of the lad as he saw him last
and form q new and much truer one
OF the real Erastus whose hand he now
took and held with a grasp that warmed
the boys heart toward him anew.
leave the horses stand bit and
come into the house with mother and
the girls" he said; 1--WE will care for
them by and by"
But the boy replied that he would
rather care for them at once and could
easily do it without help, as he was &C
customed to do. They were tired, he
said. with the long drive, as they had
all been determined to get through that
night, and had broken camp early and
driven hard.
Eyes, john" interrupted Mrs Par
sons, lit has been long drive and a
hard one; not to-day only, but so many
days; and I'm so glad to think that we
are not going to have to hitch up again
in the morning; but that our journey is
ended at last, and that we are all to-
gether again"
Il didn't expect so nice home" she
added, coming close to him and look
ing up in his face while her eyes filed
with tears. '.And oh! I am so glad we
have home of our own once more. /
am sure we shall be very, very happy
here And she felt hurt when her fus-
band roughly turned away and began
helping Erastus with the animals.
She supposed, however, that he was
ashamed to let her see how deeply he
was affected at the thought of their all
being together, and of the happiness
which was sure to be theirs, now that it
was so; and she felt very certain that
this was the case when minute later he
came back, and putting his arms around
her shoulders, said:
'Come Martha, come babies, let's go
in and see the new home from the in
side," and led her up the steps to the
porch, and then into the main room of
the cottage.
How'll she do?" he said, motioning
with his hand about the room.
His wife noticed that his voice was
broken as he said it. but she did not
wonder at it, for her own voice was not
to be found at all just then, and sinking
into chair she put both hands to her
face and gave way to tears that would
come in spite of her
When she could control her voice she
said:
'.Please don't think me foolish, John;
I'm so happy just can't help crying.
Indeed, didn't expect anything half so
comfortable and nice, and now that we
are all together again in home of our
own, can think of nothing else worth
asking for"
Going behind her chair her husband
took her hands in his own, and, stoop-
ing down, kissed her twice. and was
silent for time. Then he said, huskily:
I'm glad we are together again,
Martha, and don't mean we shall ever
be parted any more. Now you rest
while 1 go and help, Rastus with the
horses,' and turning he left the house.
When he came back in company with
the boy he found his wife busy prepar-
ing their supper, the material for which
Jennie and Lucy were bringing from
the wagon.
John brought out his own stores to
add to those of the travellers, and soon
the family were seated about the table,
at the first meal eaten together for SO
many years; indeed, the first meal that
the girls could remember to have ever
eaten in company with their father.
regarding the friends in the States, and
the journey which was just ended so
happily, and at late hour the family
be improvised from the stock in the
wagon added to that which the husband
and father had been able to provide in
view of their coming; and soon all were
sleeping the blessed sleep that comes
from WEAKNESS and feeling of having
passed safely through much of danger
all but John Parsons, who, despite
his last night of waking, slept but little,
and arose in the morning with look
that showed his wife at once that there
was something upon his mind, knowl-
edge of which he was striving to keep
from the family, and instantly she re-
called what had been told her by some
friendly squatters near whose cabin
they had camped the second night out
from Sacramento: of a rumor that some
settlers, somewhere further down the
valley, were likely to lose their claims
through some cause, which those who
repeated the tale did not properly
understand.
1t had not occurred to her at the time
that it was possible it could be Johns
claim that was in danger.
1t seemed strange now that it did
not But so full was her mind of
thoughts of John himself, of their COM
ing reunion, and of the future when
they should all be together in the new
home, that there was no room for any,
thing else; and so she had scarcely
heard the tale at all, or hearing it had
dismissed it at once with single ex-
preston of pity for the poor families
who were to lose their ail-even as she
and John had done back in the States
through the greed of those who are
not content with what is justly theirs.
But now she understood it.
1t was Johns claim that was involved,
and they had come two thousand miles
to find home and resting place. only
to be hidden to move on again ere they