The Cecil Whig., 1886-01-30

J N>'''
seen him sence.
eve was livin' back in Ioway then
Times was most awful hard, an jarvi.
he got clean discouraged. 'Peard a:
if ev'rything went agin us. Our farm
want very good one never had
been, fer the matter of that. 1t was
in the river bottom and was allus being
overfowed or else all scorched up with
the heat; but me and Jarvis we mig
gered on it fer ten years, and if you'll
| believe me we didn't have $40 in cash
to our names and hardly decent duds
to our backs when the ten years was
up and we'd done the very best we
could, too. They want lazy bone in
Jarvis Dauson's body, and if didn't
keep up my end of the row no woman
ever did. Jarvis Dauson would say
that for me any day.
"Well, of course | couldn't say much
ag'ln it when Jarvis begunto talk about
going out West-to Kansas or Colo
rado or some of them places and tax
ing new start. | didn't mind going,
too, of course, being as Pd lived most
OF my life in Ioway and Jarvis and me
was married there, and my kin folks
being there the old State had associa-
tions more or less dear to me.
"But | was willing to 90 to the
worlds end with Jarvis Dauson, and |
never WAS willing fer him to 90 off
alone and leave me there in Ioway to
be sent fer after he'd picked out a
place.
But Jarvis was real set man, and
when found out that he thought it
best fer him to go on alone fust
knowed it want no sort Of use fer me
to set up and say | was going, too.
"But | amt shadder of doubt that
If Jarvis Dauson had knowed how it
would all end he'd TUX me along
fast enough.
owe hadn't no children. Meyer
had none. 1t was real cross to me
and Jarvis both that the Lord hadn't
seen fit to give us at least one child.
Jarvis was the fondest of children of
any man | ever knowed, and I've often
heerd it said that a man who was right
fond of children want never likely to
go to the bad that his loving children
was S0r sign of a streak of good in
I'm that would keep him from being
bad man.
but | never had much fear OF
Jarvis turning out bad. He want a
man to be carried away by excitement
INTO doing wrong things. He allus
wanted to be rich, and was mighty am
bilious IN that way, but if he is rich
this day Pm sure he's come honest
by it.
The last letter l got from him he
said he'd made up his mind never to
cross the Missoury river until he was
wuth fifty thousand dollars.
''He'd gone way out to Calaforny
and was kind of prospecting and drift
ing round from place to place, SO that
he didn't git half my letters | know.
He wrote real often after he first went
away, but when he got out to Gala
forny, where mails was SO irregular, !
guess he thought it want much use to
write, cause letters was lost so often.
"Then, after five years, | did some
thing | can't never forgive myself for.
| was living with my brother in Ioway,
and him and all the rest of my kin
folks TUX a notion to go TO Kansas and
take up farms, and they CoaXed me
into going too. | never would OF done
it-never-but | thought might take
up homestead and mebbe improve it
up, and one of these days | could send
Jarvis word that we had a good home
of our own.
"But hated to leave Ioway tor fea1
| Jarvis might write, and | wrote the
minnit we got to Kansas giving my new
postoftice. left pcrtickler word with
the postmaster in Ioway about forward
ing any letters that come fer me but
none ever come after left, and | can't
help having fear that mebbe some
did come and they want sent on all
right. Mebbe Jarvis himself come
back after me- I've laid awake many
a night worrying over that.
Anyhow, | amt ever heerd from
Jarvis Dauson since | left Ioway. But
that man amt dead she added
quickly. Il hnoa' he amt. | ain't
never had any sign of it. | believe il
signs, and if Jarvis was dead I'd kU0a
it. | don't care how many miles they
was between US I'd kN07p it. No
Jarvis Dauson amt dead, and I've
faith to believe that he II come back tc
me yet. Something is keeping us
apart that neither of US understood
now It'll all be made clear in the
Lords own time. Jarvis Dauson wa'n'r
the man to desert the woman he &
sworn to love and cherish while she
lived. hnoa' it =
Her faith and trust was greater thar
my own. | had had larger expert
ence with mankind than she, although
her age was fully so years and mine
but 25.
| hoped that she would never know
the bitter truth, but | felt sure thai
Jarvis Dauson had been untrue to this
good and faithful wife.
knew how years of life in mining
camps made men reckless and forget