Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1890-11-22

worked hard, and one had been lame,
and then Jack had to go almost every
week for supplies and the mail which
was the one connecting link with the
Eastern world.
But now when Jack saw how for
lorn his little wife was feeling, his
conscience upbraided him for not
taking her over to church.
But never mind, my dear J" he
said : well 60 next Sunday. I'll
try and favor the horses on Satur-
day, SO they can endure the trip"
"And, oh do you think wen get
letter next week 7 or even a paper?
If folks only knew how hungry we
grow for such thingsl"
"Why, yes, I think wen get some
thing. Aunt Abby III be sure to
write before long!"
"Dear auntie she 3 the very BUSH
est one of them all, and yetshe writes
oftenest and the longest letters, all
full of just what / want most to
know the girls can't seem to remem-
Der how I long to know every little
detail about the dear old place"
The native place of John and Mil
lie was a thriving, populous New
England village, but he had the wes-
tern fever before they became
engaged, and after that it re-
viyed again, although he knew
Miles parents would not give her
up to such exile he could not ask
it, either, for she was their only one.
But few months alter the marriage,
both prrents had died, aud he Of an
accident, and she of chronic disease;
and then there was no barrier to the
westward move if Mile was willing,
and she, dear girl, said Anywhere
with Jackl" so they had been settled
in their prairie home for q year.
They had not expected to be isolated,
but the man who owned the section
next to them had been bereayed of
his wife, and so had lost heart and
interest in his new purchase and had
never come to reside on it. And
poor Mile sometimes in her moods
of homesickness said, bitterly:
It's just as well that Mis-. Ray
died before she came she would
certainly have died soon offear and
horror in this forlorn PLACED"
But Jacks wife 8 was not always
SO Respondent. by any means. She
often sang blithely abont her house
work, and then took her sewing and
followed him out to the barn or the
field, wherever his work might be,
and caatted and laughed like the gay
little girl he had married. But when
she had moods similar to this Sun
day morning, he looked at her pit
tingly, and reproached himself for
transplanting her to so desolate a
spot simply that he might count his
acres by the hundreds, and possible
sell city building lots-in the far
future-at fabulous prices.
Sometimes they had hired man,
but no more than could be helped,
for the young proprietor was thrifty
and saving, and he and his nearest
neighbor three miles away often
worked together. Mile had some
times gone over with Jack and spent
the day with Mrs. Dalton, but they
did not go on well together. Mrs.
Dalton was true pioneer and looked
askance at the newcomers dainty
collar and cuffs, or bit of ruching or
bow of ribbon; and she not only
looked, but spoke her disapproval of
such vanities, and said so muchabout
a woman's duty-how she ought to
be help and not hindrance when
her husband was trying so hard to
get along, that finally Mile, who
did not think she deserved such Sc
we're reproof, lost all pleasure in her
company and kept away from her.
She had been brooding over all
these things that morning and wish
ing seemingly in vain that something
would happen to give zest to their
prosaic life; and now she sat slowly
swaying in the little rope-swing in
the shade of the cotton-woods, her
eyes fixed longingly on the far line,
where the sky and the prairie SEEM
ed to touch each other, while Jack,
reclining at ease, read a verse now
and then from book of poems, un-
til he was startled by these words:
Jackl there's something moving
off thereln
He rose Instantly and searched
the horizon with his eyes.
eyes; it looks like prairie school,
ner, Millie."
"Then that mean people, Jack;
how nice!n
"Yes, if they are nice; as they
may be if they do travel on Sum-
day; perhaps they have lost reckon
ing of the day of the week; they are
moving very slow, at any rate"
do you suppose the1l want 10
stop at our house?" asked Mile,
excitedly.
II wouldn't wonder. Do you want
company to dinner? IF you don't,
I'm sure we're not at home |"
0 jack / wouldn't miss seeing
them for anythingl Won't give
them a welcomed that is, if they're