Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-08-15

the work was 70 tumble round bags
and boxes and SIGH things 1t want
exactly what I'd looked for from Jim's
account. and didn't relish il.
As the weeks went by came to rel
ish 1t even less. The men worked
with was freer and Independence in
their words than any thing else. Be-
tween dust and oaths ] was pretty
nigh choked to death And the noise
at night was worse'n a Methodist re-
vival in full swing. / couldn't deaden
it down under the bedclothes, cause
there want enough o them, and
couldn't groan out against it, cause
the man in the next room threw things
at the wall if ! did. Boardin' house
biscuits want even second cousins to
homemade biscuit. and boardin' house
girls-well, got over my notion that
all girls was Keziahs in pretty short
time.
/ begun to think there want so
much room in cities as had imagined.
come to hev dreams o rock pastures
and naples and hemloclss, and along
o. them come Keziahs face. sweet and
still as it had looked that afternoon.
OWN to dust and not relishin' my
vittals. a scratchy kind O cough fast
ened onto me and some fever with 1t o.
nights. | was lonesome tell We, and
finally i couldn't stand it no longer. |
says to myself, may be this is the
way Presidents begin, and may be If
kept on and this cough didn't kill me,
I'd come to be one some day, but I'll
be hanged if I'll take the chances-Tm
goin' homew
II want much of a "see the con-
querin' hero come" feelin' tibet | he'd
when got out o. the cars. Ididn't feel
nigh so big as he'd planned 10, when
went away, but | kalkerlate the
President goin' to his Inauguration
want no gladder'n | was to see them
old hills again. | was so glad
couldn't wait for no wagon TO carry
me, but struck out across the fields on
foot. II was jest the pleasantest after
noon in September | ever see, The
trees had begun to turn gold and
crimson, and the bees was CROWN
lazy, and the late flowers was smilin
contented, and the clouds nestled of
on the age o the fields as if there
want no better place in the whole
world.
didn't mind the scraggly bushes;
didn't care mite for the holes they
tore in my trousers. just took clean
satisfaction in stumblin' over them
and the hummucks. The hills, too,
was so easy | almost wished there was
more OF EN-. 1t seemed as If the
smell O. them hemlOcks down in our
pasture was different from all other
kinds, and when | got to 'em | slowed
to drink it In.
! hedn't thought o. Keziah--some-
how wouldn't let myself | had had
strange sort o setness against 1t.
But now was comm near where she
lived and couldn't hold back no more.
/ begun to tremble and a dull sort o.
ache crept into my heart | went to
the naples we'd stood under that day.
and looked at the bars where | had
seen her last wonderin' if Id ever
stand there again with her-me fell
low that had started out so loud and
ended up so limp.
1t was most shutdown, and wondered
II she'd got the COWS yet. Then as if
in answer to my question | heard a
soft tinklin' and saw her comm over
the edge o. the hill. lookin' like a
picture I'd once seen in the Sity. Her
dress caught against the bushes and
her sun-bonnet lay way back on her
head, and her hair strayed round her
face like fine, soft silk
Like a fash 1t came over me. the
reason / wouldn't think of her was be-
cause loved her; because | was wide
awake and knew that / wanted her
and her only of all the women of the
world.
l waited like one waits for the bene-
diction in church, and as watched
the little figure maxim its way down
the hill, it come to me that she
was the one OF us who was maxim
the most of herself" She was the
brave one stayin' here on the farm
with the old folks; was the coward
goin' of to the city. took off my
hat and bowed my head. l couldn't
look up any more. and was glad the
clump Of naples hid me from her.
couldn't speak TO her with all them
selfish plans and ambitions left so
little way behind. would wait.
Slowly she came driving Brindle and
Pet and Rose just as she'd done that
other time when | hadn't no eye TO
see. She let down the bars and spoke
gently to each COW as IL went through,
but after the last one had stumbled on
into the footpath. she rested her arms
on the post and looked OFF to where
night was coming up slowly in the
east.
Her eyes we're sad and her face was
thinner than IL had been. My heart
ached and yet beat for gladness at the
same time. May be-may be-and
then sort o. lost the grip o the reins.
/ forgot I'd been selfish. forgot I'd
been blind. forgot I'd failed, forgot
every thing except that loved Keziah.
"Ziah. dear" says, husky, i've
come back for YOU"
She started with little cry. for !
frightened her steppin' out so sudden,
but in u minute drew herself up and in
a way as only woman can.
81 don't understand amt city
girl-you went away TO be a great
man. I-I-don't understand
There ! stood up before her in my
torn. dusty close and grimy face.
81 amt great man, says, glad
o. the chance to be ashamed. 81 amt
a great man or even a brave one. and
never will be. But love you true
and honest"
She looked up at me for long min
ute and then under the shadder o
them naples. and without question.
she took me as was. for better or
worse.
The birds on the tree tops and the
butterflies on the flowers and the bees
In their hives WANT nigh so happy as
we were there by the pasture bars.
knowing little and caring less whether
the cows was in the barn or not
And that's how / missed bein' Presi-
dent Not very near, you think. but