River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-12-02
EXPERIENCE OF FABMER
HARRIS.

EXPERIENCE OF FABMER
HARRIS.
81 m going to town. Mary" said
Alr. Harris. as he rose from the dinner
table and showed his chair noisily
across the room. ''lf you've anything
to send, get il ready, quick :"
There's butter and eggs, answered
his wife. But was thinking-'
"Well. get it ready, then. l would
not go. but Bob broke the rake. and it 5
got 70 be fixed and we have the rest of
that hay to put in before night; and it
looks like rain; too. I'll be around in
five minutes and | don't want to have
to wait. Put the eggs in bran, as I'm
going fast, and fix the butter up right
away" Aud he turned and walked
swiftly few steps then paused and
called: Make cut a list Of what you
really need, too"
Il wish could have gone!' sighed
Mrs. Harris, loud enough for her hus-
band to hear. lie frowned dismally.
"Oh; yes, that's the way! What
on earth do you want to 90
TO town forP tn take you till
suudowr TO get ready. and the
baby'd squall all the time. Can't get
every thing?'
ION, yes, | suppose. know | can
90; I've enough to do here, but
thought, perhaps She paused, and
her husband, as if waiting for the
pause, turned and walked
quickly away. Mrs. Harris thoughts
were busy enough as she FASTENED to
the cellar. "Oh dear? she sighed Il
/ do want Il calico dress out OF this butte.
money and it won't be twenty cents d
pound much longer I'm afraid viii
won't get it if ! ask him. but it seems
as If could wear this no longer; il S
so warm.
And she looked down 81 the faded
brown wOrsted that had been her
/ best once, but which had been worn all
winter and until now-July-nearly all
the time. 1t was very warm-lO0king
dress, aud on this afternoon her fam
\ ing cheeks and moist features did not
need much to assert how uncomfortable
/ she was, for the d., was very warm.
She was interrupted by an emphatic.
Whoa, now" from without before the
butter was quite ready. The baby
above, awakened by his fathers loud
voice, set up n loud scream. and the
!. 81
woman in impatient accents.
MARY Jane? 1t does seem as is wO-
men are getting awful slow. | could
have done three times what You have
in this time" he added, as she came
up from the cellar with a heavy three
gallon jar in her arms. He sat in the
spring wagon cOmpOsedly as she placed
the butter in, and watched her go back
for and fetch the large basket OF eggs.
Now what doyou need?" he asked.
/ gathering up the lines.
She told him quietly, and then
nervously glaneing into his face. she
added:
Il guess there'l be enough left for
some calico
He looked amazed.
calico! Did 1 ever! What 5 that
forP"
ME a dress
Did her face look fearful? 1t was
unnoticed.
"A dressl Why, You don't need a
| dress; you've got dozen. What ais
that one? That'll last year vet.
1T is so warm, viii, it nearly makes
me sick to wear it. Ill had a calico
| just a cheap one; ten yards will dol
could put this away for winter again. ="
20 nonsense. Where's all that
bingham you got?'
! She glanced at his own garments.
Part of it is on your own shoulders,
and the rest was used the same way
/ for you and the children"
| He made no reply, except to chirrip
to the horses and begin to turn the
wagon round. Then, catching a
glimpse of her face. something of his
| better nature (for he was not a bad
man at heart stirred within him, and
| he said
'Wen. I'll see; may be | can get it:
and if I'd known I'd be this late start
ing you might have gone, though
don't see why YOU wanted TO go, for
/ faint been three months since YOU
went to town and staid half the after
noon. Get up, Charlie And he was
soon out of sight in cloud of dust.
Mrs. Harris felt like sitting down on
the shady doorstep as she turned to
90 in bnt she knew she could not. The
uaby had tired itself out CRYING. and
vas lying sobbing in the cradle. The
dinner table was Just rs they LETT it. and
that must be done before supper. She
Q ave a glance towards the green trees
aud white tombston of the graveyard
close by, and suppressed quickly the
bitter SIGH that arose at the thoughts
of the three little graves over there
which held her sacred dust. She long
had seen it was better thus. She sat
down TO soothe the sObbiDg baby, and
under his mothers gentle touch he soon
gave signs OF more comfortable state
She was very tired; she had done a
hard days work already. and was not
ha done.
Mr. Harris had a quantity OF hay
down, aud kept himself and the boy
aid two hired men busy. OF them
selves, there was only the father.
mother and two children, the oldest
and the youngest of the five. Twelve
wears it was since she had married
good-natured. Woodworking ambitious
VIII Harris. whom everyone said
would make money" and they said,
also, that he had done unusually well
in securing Mollie Sanders for his wife
How golden the coming years looked
to them them Mollie was graceful,
lively, and the prettiest girl in the
country. and everybody knew she had
taken the premium for her butter, and
was far-fained for her bread making.
But it was Mobile" then, never
..'Mary,' and very " ever knew her
name was Mary Jane. /. was only in
the last few years, slice she had been
less sprightly and quick of foot. that
be had called her Mary. and she knew
how nearly impatient he was when he
called her Mary Jane. She did not
mean to worry him. but she could not
get around as she had used to. while
he improved in appearance and capa-
bility every year. She did not reason
why il was. but she felt the cause. A
continual dropping viii wear away a
stone.
She was aroused from her reverie by
Il. IS 10 fa.1 h.