Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-07-31
TAKEN IN TIME

Farmer Hill came into the cheese
room in which his wife was busy to tell
it. She turned to him In mild surprise,
why, without cutting that door,
''Well, l did mean as much as could
be to have that door cut, and the hole
between the pantry and the kitchen to
put the dishes through without walking
round. But you see the men have made
such good time that thought it would
be best to let EN- go, as it's Saturday
night, and not break into another week.
Yes, of course" said Mrs. Hill, with
the ready acquiescence she always gave
to her husbands decisions.
I'm going to have it done, though, -"
went on Mr.. Hill with energy. I've
promised it long enough and it ought to
have been done long ago. l shall have
the men back here before long, for I've
about made up my mind to have a wind
mill set this fall. Folks say it's a grand
thing for saving work. The boys and
men are tired of pumping water for the
horses. It's getting too late in the day
for such old fashioned methods. / be-
leve in keeping up with the times"
But she was so entirely In sympathy
with all his plans and arrangements that
no thought of complaint crossed her
mird as she carried load of milk pans
around to the spring house A beauti-
full little rivulet which dubbed through
one corner of the back yard had been
turned to valuable use for dairy pur-
| poses. But the singular Obtuseness to
all common sense convenience often
shown by old time country folk had led
the builders of the substantial farm house
to place the kitchen door on the other
side.
wait, 1 hadn't got through yet"
said her husband, following her to the
spring house. MY, you have got lot
of nice looking butter there. Nowonder
your butter always brings the best prices
anywhere round. But I'm going over to
the funeral and guess you'd better go
long"
''Oh, can't" said Mrs. Hill, shaking
her head very decisively. I'D like to
real well, but there's too much to do"
Nonsense. Call those big girls of
yours and let them take hold little"
They do. They do all the sweeping,
but can't leave the dairy work to any
one else. Poor Sarah Duffy! Seems as
| though l ought to go to her funeral"
Con get ready, mother I'll call
Harriet"
"Oh, never mind that. They like to
have a little time for study and they
ought to. can leave it for while"
Hannah, then"
No, she has enough to do in the
kitchen"
He stood and watched her while she
put the finishing touches to the pats of
butter and then walked with her around
the house. Her step Jagged behind his
brisk ones, and as she reached the back
porch she sat YEARLY down on the lowest
step.
Il don't know as I'll go, James. /
don't feel quite up to it."
THAT'S your mistake, mother. You
get yourself dressed and the ride'll do
you no end o good"
Thus urged, Mrs. Hill, after fifteen
minutes, appeared at the door ready to
take her place in the smart buggy which
her husband drove around. He talked
away in great animation as usual, but
before long seemed suddenly struck by
her unusual silence.
"Ain't you well, mother"
'Oh, yes, about as usual. Iseem to have
kind of tired feeling most of the time
lately, but 1 s'pose it's because I'm get
ting old. We can't always be young,
you know"
NO" said Mr.. Hill. But any COM
plant from his wife was such novelty
that he ceased his talk, and pretending
to look critically at the grain field of
neighbOr stole few glances at her face.
He was not an observant man; had
not, perhaps, in the daily round of har-
monious home life taken keen look at
the face of any one there for a year; and
feeling of dismayed surprise arose IN
his heart as he marked the worn feat
ures, the depressed expression and the
thick sprinkling of gray in the soft hair.
Aren't you well, mother The ques-
ton was repeated with more of meaning
in the tone.
why, of course am, James. Don't
you know what a worker Eve always
been?"
At the gathering of neighbors for the
country funeral Mr.. Hill, leaving his
wife at the door to make her way into
the gloomy parlor in which one more
pair Of weary hands lay folded in rest,
went to find place to tie his horse.
Men talked in subdued tones Of crops
and stock until the signal came for the
beginning of the service, when all
gathered as nearly as possible within
reach of the voice of the minister. Mr..
Hill found himself crowded against a
corner Of the house close to the end OF
long porch which was filled with chairs
occupied by women, while from an open
window near came sounds which soon
told him that the children of the woman
who lay resting were within.
They were of all ages, as he knew.
There was the babble Of a toddling
child, happily too young to know what |
dread meaning lay in these strange
doings. And Mr.. Hills heart turned
sick at sound of the wailing cry of girls |
like his own. What if such a thing |
could come to his homer How could |
any one have anticipated this of the |
woman who had been such a power in |
her family? Who could have believed |
that she was in need of this rest?
The short service ended, the neigh
bors were invited to take the last look at |
their friend. AS Mr. Hill stood waiting |
for the crowd about him to dispense an |
undertone conversation between two |
neighboring farmers wives distinctly |
-aaoba.d HE aar0 fl,ror0b &ha In1.y huvo