Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-11-13
WE'LL
Proved by the Testimony of q
Doorstep.

las Proved by the Testimony of
Doorstep.
Hannah Gneldt leaned upon her
broom and looked out from the low
kitchen door across the wintry fields
and ice-glazed streamlet which Law be-
tween her home and the village of
Greenock, with its n tapering spire
and sloping roof and blank white
walls, bare now of the summer verdi
urc. She had done her household
work, polished every article capable
of polish, and soaped and sanded ali
the rest. At the last she had swept
clean her d%oorstone, and now felt free
to do what she chose. to rest or gossip
or sit down to needlework, q thing i'm
possible TO her while a spot beneath
her roof was out of order. just now
she felt neither like gossiping nor
sewing; her heart was very full, and
she found it necessary to stand still and
think awhile. Only that she was
not used to it she would have cried,
,he was SO very sad. 1t seemed to her
hat the hapYest people were those
who lay In their green graves in the
:hurchyard, with crossed hands upon
heir bosoms, and were quiet from all
arthly going to and fro for evermore.
Not that Hannah Gneldt was tired in
body N weary with the toll of house.
'sold 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, her spirit
that was worm with earthly travail and
.arc.
-'Twenty-three years to-day I've been
his wife," she muttered, land 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"
Ees, that was what Farmer Gneldt,
arrassed by toll and debt, had said
4that very morning; and it seemed to
Eainah like the confession of a long
repentance, forced from her husbands
lips at last.
''2oor man! I wish I could help
him. she sighed, leaning on her broom
beside the door. u doubt he's right
aoont Miss Lester"
With that her eyes fell and rested by
chance on the doorstep.
81 can mend that, anyhow she
said; land have time, for my work is
done"
So she hung the broom up and pceped
into her oven aud set the kettle on, and
then, hooded and shawled, crossed over
The fields to where the farm Joined that
OF Simeon Gray.
Nv an. c,>Nt N.n,n , n T. 1,,o,,1r 1,o01~.
ing up the stones lying about. Hannah
Gneldt nodded to the old farmer and
he came to meet her.
II want Il smooth stone," she said.
''.NlayI have one"
II wish you'd take 'em ALL" said the
farmer, ,':s lot of rubbish. You see Tn
clearing away what they Call the old
graveyard at last. Wife talks to me O.
s.crilege and disturbin' bones. Bless
sou, there amt been none for years
hn<, years; and these hard times y man
can't let land go to waste. l tell wife
J. don't know nothin' about it. What
do YOU want to do? Have a bit around
the well:?"
No, ! want q step,' said Hannah
S''Ihat great white one is just the thing.
And she pointed to q slab hard by.
alike shall bring it,over tonight said
the farmer.
NO." said Hannah, 81 can roll it
along. l wish l could tell what that
was" she said. "Some ones age and
name. All! there were sore hearts
when that was new. [ hope when l die
Oliver will have written over me that ]
was 8 good wife. I've tried hard to be.
I ought to know that big lettcr-wait q
bit: I believeit's T."
Then she turned the inscription down
ward and washed the other side cleal
and white, and fitted it into place.
She received little credit for her work
Oliver only muttered:
You needn't have published the fact
I couldn't afford a porcn to the place.
Ard no one noticed the step afterwarc
tsayt Hannah when she scrubbed anC
swept it.
Matters were very bad at the Gneldts
Oliver brooded over the lire in speech
less SORROW and grewigrayer and baldel
witt eac passing Gay. Hannah KEEP
ruiu of Il title by making a home of the
humble lare bv her housewives skill
She might even have been cheerful blu,
.5ior the memory of that lucklcss speech
Working in her garden one day
when the first Spring grass was growing
green, Hannah heard footsteps. and, lift
ing her head. saw two gentlemen beside
her. The nearest gentleman, an clderl,
man, with bright, dark eyes addressed
her.
Mrs. Gneldt, l presume"
Eyes, sir"
She asked him to walk in and he di.
80, the other following. In the it'll
7parlor they sat down.