The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-09-24
MILES WAY.
The American Rural Home.

| II m just tired to death!
"Poor child! but when you're as old
rs l be, you'll know that one can be
tired to death thousand times and
yet live"
II don't want to know it; 1 think
it's downright wicked for anybody to
get so awful tired!"
"There's no other way that know
OF for housekeeper to do-special if
she's farmers wiie-than to get fag-
ged out every day; that is, if she keeps
things as they ought to be. But am
terrible sorry fory you, Millie!-rne with
q broken ankle, an all the springs
work comm on. l don't know how
in the world you'll stand tips
"Now, don't you worry, mamma
Lee. I'll stand all that needs to be
done, but amt going to do 50 much
unnecessary work. Half have done
to-day could have been saved if we
only had things handy. l wish I'd
kept count OF the pals OF water I've
lugged from that spring, and it might
just as we'll be in the kitchen, and a
waste pipe, too; and it shall be there!
It's time for reform, Isay!"
"Mercy me, child! how you do talk"
"Well, I'm going to talk till there's
q change. I'll never wash again, for
one thing, till there's a wire line in the
yard. Just see how much extra work
had to-day because that old rope
broke; it let more'n a dozen starched
pieces right down in the dirt. should
have cried if 1 hadn't been so mad.
So the very next time pa goes to the
village he's got to get a wire line"
II don't believe he will, A1illie. You
can ask"
"Then he won get no clothes wash
ed by me. It's allnonsensefor wom-
an to reach and strain and pull, to
get up line every time there's wash
to hangup. We've done it enough"
Chow much do you s'pose wire
costs?"
~ don't know; it don't make any
difference. They have got one to
Uncle Johns and lots OF other con-
trivances to make work easy. I've
been there long enough to learn some
new ways and how to fix things up,
and mean to do it. You'll see!'
"But, child, you must remember
your pa aint SO fore-handed as Uncle
John. Is'pose he's rich"
"Well, pa seems to be rich enough
to buy some patent machines for his
own work, and it's time he bought
some for ours. All ask is fair play"
"He says he's awful cramped for
money since he bought them hill pas
ture lots. They amt all paid"
well. he didn't have to buy 'em,
did he?"
"He thought he needed 'em. Don't
| becastin' reflections on your father,
Mille, or talking uppish to him; that's
no good way to dol"
A few days later Mr.. Lee was pre-
pairing to go to the village Millie
came out to put O jar of butter in the
wagon, and said:
"Pa, I'd like to have forty yards of
wire line"
Good land. child! What fora
wire fence?"
"No, for clothes; the wire can be put
across the end OF the yard and not be
in anybody's way. The old ones
wore out, and rope is no good, any
how"
81 want to know ropes hev been
used ever sense I've been big enough to
notice. Want q new one?"
eyes, q new wire one. Don't you
get hemp nowl'
"Well, pll-Pll see. II butter has
"Butter amt gotnothing to do with
| it, or eggs either. Don't you come
home without that wire'
"'Pears to me you're a gittin' a
leetle bossey, Miss"
We'll, I've got to be, to get things
done'
"My stars alive" said Mr.. Lee to
himself and his horse as they logged
along. "She's gittin to be a reg'lar
fusser sense she come from Johns.
Beats all though how the girl turns off
the work! | never see how she's
changed. She's turrible smart, but I'd
like for her to hav kindly easy ways
like her mother. l should hate to hev
a woman round the house was afear.
ed Of; rely should! but l guess meb-
be l better git that ere wire, cause
| Miles got such a way with her that
il shouldn't, don't rely know as I'd
keer to 90 back. Strange how that
child's comm up"
But Mr.. Lee bought only thirty five
| yards of wire, for he was appalled, at
| the price and then forty did seem out
OF all reason.
She won't know the difference" he
said to himself, "she'll be SO tickled
to get it at all"
Milly was delighted, and thanked
him again and again, and after sup.
per, Dan, the hired man, was called
upon to put it in place.
why, pa, IT'S too short; Itwon't go
across as many times as l planned.
They must have cheated you, whoever
measured it-five or six yards"
"Oh, guess not, Millie! Can't you
stretch it?'
Stretch it! Well, you just come
here and try. How much did you pay
for it, anyway"
of it..
"Did you ask for forty yards, as
told your
eyes, did; but when l came to see
what a lot it was, l took leetle less;
there's good thirty five"
"Well, It'll have to do; Pm glad to
! get that much"