Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-08-08

mingled feeling of wonder, joy and
5ieaDpoiutment. Three thousand
miles had she travelled across the con-
,ineut to reach the home her husband
had prepared for her, and this was
what she found:
A lonely ranch among the foothills
in Southern California, with a plain
LOG cabin for a home. Not a vestige
of a plant or flower around it, not
suggestion Of comfort or beauty within
It. hills stretching brown and bare
under the July sun, and not shade
tree in sight.
"One might know there never had
been woman near this place sighed
Ruth. her eyes slowly filling with
tears. 1t seemed so cOmfortless and
barren after leaving her mothers old
fashioned farmhouse in Maine, full to
OVERLOOKING with inviting, comforta-
bic things, and surrounded with
fower-gardens and orchards, and
where every nook and corner suggested
the deft hands and delicate hands of
women. She felt her very heart sink
ing within her.
Then seeing the eyes of her husband
fixed upon her she forced back the
tears.
Had she not said, like the Ruth Of
old. WHITTIER thou goest, | will 90;
and whittier thou lodgest | will lodge?"
Would any place, no matter how full
of comfort it might be, ever be home
without him? Had she and her baby
Ruth not wept tears of joy when the
letter came telling them that papa was
coming from California to take them
home? And had not every foot of the
way been joy to think she was once
more with him and that they were to
have a homeP
She stroked the hand of her hus-
band, who held their little Ruthie in
his arms, smiling through her tears.
Il know, dear, it is a new country"
she said cheerfully, land you have
done the best you could"
Is was the truely wifely spirit, and
IN his heart he blessed the true woman
who said it,
''All the ranches look kind of desc
late, he said, "when there's no one
but men about; but now we've got
little woman here, things will soon be
looking different
Inside of the house she found every
thing neat, at least, and that was a
great comfort to her, and if the parlor
was barren looking with no carpet up
on it, the kitchen was full of contriv-
ances which women like, and she
knew that John had thought of them
for her.
After supper they sat down on the
n of 4u Ia in In
taik OF plans tor future work. 1t was
Just at sunset, and as Ruth sat placidly
looking at the view in front of her
which, after all, was fine one, taking
ln glimpse of the blue Pacific, and
background of purple mountains--she
began to lose the undertOne of home
sickness which had so marred her
homecoming. She thought how
beautiful a home might really be under
the shadow of the lifted pines and
she resolved with Johns help she
sou,d make hers one to be proud of.
As If i'm answer to her thought John
went into the house and returned in a
moment laden with two parcels which
be dropped in her lap.
There Ruth, ne said, you can't
guess what these are, can your"
DO. am afraid not Ruth said, eye
ing The mysterious looking packages
won4eriugly.
Well YOU know the house isn't
very beautiful yet" John said, his
good face fairly shining with the lit
le secret he had in store for her; "but
guess you'll find something in each OF
laoSe parcels that will helpyou beautify
w lat could he mean? Ruth took up
The lighter but larger one first. TO her
surprise it was full of garden seeds,
smaI. packages of every kind, almost,
She could think of.
'Nei., how lovelvr she said. Now
we AL raise all the vegetables We
"'el' and our garden will rival dear
mothers at home"
es,' john replied, "And goahead
~ iii Tor California beats the world for
~" Trs and your garden win be just
~ lovely In Winter as in Summer.
1here are twenty varieties of roses
along among that collection of seeds"
Ism tit wonderful to think of?N cried
H.h' as delighted as a child over her
treasures. And what can be in here?"
,.a continued as she opened the second
parcel Wonders will never cease7n
que exclaimed the next moment. as she
poured q whole bag of silver into her
.ap. and what is this for?"
10 buy your parlor furniture" he
replied, laughing at her amazement.
Honestly She looked at him, her
brown eyes sparkling
I'll Is for Mrs. DeIano to do with as
she pieases,' he sand. al saved the
money TO furnish the cabin with, aud
-Aoagat to have il fixed up before you
came, but concluded on second thought
lhal you could do better than /; SO
lleTe.s the money. Buy what you
please aud tx up the place to suit your