Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-06-06
HIS MOTHERS PENSION,
BY ELLA X. WOOD.

Henry Parker was a bacheloro of forty.
He lived with his widowed mother in
. COW vi~ne-covered cottage, with great
beds of hollyhocks and pinks in the
front ward, while all summer long,
within the shaded porch YER the front
door, a canary sang and chirped to the
robins and catbirds as they darted in
and out of the naples that stood like
twin sentinels at the gate.
Henry was the youngest of a family
Of four children, who, II by one, had
left the home nest for another, until he
alone was left to care for mother.
Cheerfully he toiled for her. Ten.
derlv he ightened the burden of her
homework in the many helps a thought
full man can give; and no daughter
could have been more careful to antici-
pate her every wish.
Did he ever think of love and a wife
to share his tolls and cares, his joys and
~sorrows9 If so he made no sign.
Mother seemed to fill his heart com.
pletely.
Mrs. Parlser's husband had been a
soldier in the war of 1912, and had
there contracted a disease which, after
wears of suffering, had carried him
away. 1t was years afterward, and not
long before our story opens, that the
pension agent had informed her, in a
very formidable looking document, that
she was entitled to a pension, which,
together with the amount that had been
accumulating for years to her credit,
o,,o,pfoI f0 u,hof cnnronI ~ %11 @ra.
Of the residents of the quiet country
village in which she lived, to be quite a
fortune.
Now, indeed, when the money was
safe in the bank, and mother had a suf-
tcient income to support her in her
modest way, Henry began to think of
marriage.
He had had his dream, although no
oy suspected it. At twenty-six he
bad fallen in love with Nell Roberts,
then a miss of sixteen, who at the death
oi her parents had come to live with her
sister, Mrs. Miner, who lived with her
husband upon a farm on the outskirts
bi the village. To him Nell was ali
that was sweet and lovable, and happy,
indeed, would he have been to have
won her for his wife. But with a
mother dependent upon him for sup
port he gave up his cherished dream,
dear to his heart though it was. Mother
Should be first. His duty to her was
strongest. SO he gave no sign, but
through all the long years that followed
had kept his love a secret. But now
that he was free to WOO and win her if
he could, his heart misgave him. He
feared it was too late. He say the sill
yer threads thickening upon his temples
and although the fact that Nell had re-
NAMED unmarried through the years
argued favorably for him. He could
put realize that he was far less attract
I've personally that the younger men of
fhe village.
Yet he remembered an old saying,
Ealnt heart ne'er won fair lady," and
resolved to try at least to win her con-
Eent to be his wife. But first he would
Tell mother all about it.
The most favorable opportunity he
[hought would be at the supper table,
Rhd he waited several days before he
could pluck up courage to breach the
subject.
Mother" he began one evening as
tley were slipping their tea, don't you
fhlnk the homework is pretty hard for
Ecu? You L getting we'll along in
ears you know, and ought to he re-
'eved OF the most of the work"
Why, Henry" was the quick reply,
~ don't seem as if it would pay to hire
girl to do the work Just for us two.
~ course it does seem q little too much
onetlmes, but you are SO kind and
Pe.Piul ] get along pretty we'll"
les, know" said Henry, his face
ISnlug crimson, "but that isn't exactly
rAa, 4 mean. A daughter you know
Fou!d be different"
les, but the girls are all married
ou Know, and it would be almost i'm
Poss'ole for n of them to come back"
one would not understand his mean
s; SO ne gave it up for that time, de-
Jung 1t would be better to find out
,mefhing of the young lady's mind
Ion the subject before committing
'tasel1 even to his mother.
90 lie began to address Miss Roberts,
!" somewhat to his surprise, received
- advances with evident satisfaction,
Lo ere many months had flown, had
Ne pleasure of hearing an affirmative
o. sSef 70 his stammering request for
81 leart and hand.
VI course you understand that my
aS must live with us, Nell," he
esa, alter the first blissful moment had
eu' and they were standing under
Il naples in the front yard Of the
q ta homestead in the quiet hush of
lem. ""s eAoe4ne "o
one is old, and although she is in
session OF means sufficient for her
pport' l cannot leave her, and you, I
pr sufe' will be like a daughter to
Certainly, Henry, your mother shall
So II me a loving daughter"
E ~ na ~ was settled, and Henry broke
"e''' Henry" said she, II hope she