Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-03-16
'ZEKEL AN ME.
BY ELLA GUERNSEY.

Take the big rockin' cheer, nom,
m set by the east winder. where you
..au see the water in the brook spark-
iu' and the red-birds fashin' in an
nut of the big cedars an white lay
,cks I'm proper glad that you like
, our place though tits 30 old-fsshioned.
'Zekel warn't overly anxious for me
to take boarders this summer, ss last
year l did have tryin' time be-
tween the whims an notions of q fin.
icky widder an tiresome maiden
lady. They were always warrin'
an spattin' with each other in q way
that warn't good to see Nothin'
pleased 'em; the house was too small.
my cookin' old-fashioned an they
scorned my posies, continually askin'
me why l don't hev begoniss, gera.
NUNS an carnations enstead of Glove
pinks, marigools, laylocks an Aowery
almon's. You see, nom. I fretted
an worked until my system was all
run down, an in October was taken
with a slow, lingerin' fever, costin'
me more'n thribble the money I'd
made-payin' out for medicine an
doctor bills.
"But it's an i'll wind that blows
nobody good, an jest when nv skies
were darkest the Lord sent 'Zekel
to me, an all bitterness an hardness
between us was healed. Now. nom
| know jest what you'er thipken', but
'Zekel an me aren't the husband an
wife of long standin', though in our
early youth we were promised to each
other We're scurcely over our hon
eymoon, or | should say the 'lotted
time for it to last. 'Zekel an' me,
after long years livin' apart, hev de-
termined that no vinegar moons shall
rise, full au' wane in our future.
"I'm all o. fifty. an 'Zakel's fifty
seven an at twenty | tasted the full
bitterness O. bein' Tilted an, as l
thought. without just cause on my
part Trouble don't come singly an
it seemed to me for the next ten
years that they trooped. aroun' me
until | felt that life waru't worth liv-
in an God had forgotten me, but I've
lived to know twas me that had for
gotten him.
cat thirty l found myself alone in
the world, father, mother brother, an
sister all lay in the churchyard you
can see just across the way. But |
had this farm, an my own ambition
was to make it the envy of my neig-
bors an'to show 'em that'Zekel hadn't
quite crushed me when he deserted
me for Annie Bonn. Father was the
last one to go. For over a year he
act helpless jest where | placed the
cheer, allus lookin' happy, though l
could See that he Ionged to be free
from his bondage. One consolation
was left him; he could talk. an his
facilities seemed to be cleared an
sharper than when be was strong an
active man.
He never mentioned 'Zekel's name
to me but once after the weddin', an
that was the week before he went to
the better country. A neiRbbor came
over to order buskel of my choice
seed potatoes for plantin' .sn'told us of
the trouble Zekel's folks were hevin'
with sickness an poverty. When
we were alone father looked plesdin'-
ly at me an said softly:
"If-we-fo forgive - not how
shall all--we-hope-to-
II knew that I was cherishin wick
ed feelin's in my heart. but it seemed
to me 'Zekel an Annie didn't deserve
sympathy or pardon from me. You
see. nom, Annie Boon was my
dearest friend. I'd allus shared my
secrets with her, girl fashion, never
dreamin' she was then planin' treach.
cry, an was to be the means of my
losin' faith in every human bein' even
feelin' bitter toward my Creator. l
can't tell in words how dearly 1 low
ed Annie an trusted her. She was
the daughter of pauper furriner who
lived in delapidated cabin upon the
edge of our farm. Father pitied old
Boon an tried to help him. Annie
was handy at bonnet trimmin' an at
dress maxim, an every body liked to
hev her around
ezekiel Harker, my lover, was the
pride of mis- family. an he bein' the
only son, was humored by bis dotin'
folks more'n was good for him Old
Mr.. aa' Mrs. Harker an the girls
wouldn't let him 40 farm work; an
az he warn't overly fond of plowin'
/ Gn' digin', it came about that the
girls took the heft of the outdoor
work an scrimped an slaved to git
monav To send 'Zekel TO the 'cademy
in Pilbury. The Hsrker girls wore
coarse homespun the yer round savin'
enough money to dress'Z, kel In store
elotbes which did becoWe him. BE