Middletown transcript., 1891-09-10

given her the help she had hoped for
| Her interests were more self.centred
than they had been the day before.
| The first stop above Elk Falls was
Turner's Bend. There was a little
dot ola station and the usual long
plank platform. At eight O'Clock
that evening Mrs. Hewett sat wait
ing on the hard wooden bench in
front of the station. She had been
waiting all the afternoon. When the
train had stopped there, and the doors
of her car were thrown open, she had
rushed from the train, and stood look
| ing after it as it moved away, de-
family.
"God don't expect is of me I
cant do it anyhow. l tried, and !
can't!w She sank down on the bench,
and cried aloud.
The station-mas came up and
spoke to her.
81 don't want nothing but ticket
back to Elk Falls" she said, calm
ing herself.
He told her there would not be a
train that would stop at Elk Falls
before eight o'clock in the evening.
"I'Il take it and wait, then," she
said.
1t was nearly ten o'clock when she
reached home.
She had come quickly away from
the station when she reached Elk
Falls, not meeting any one, but the
two miles walk across the prairie had
seemed very long.
1t was a bright moonlight night,
and the waving prairie-grass stretch
ed away on all sides, glistening with
a heavy dew.
When she came into the yard she
could see her husband through the
open door. He sat with his arms
| resting on his knees, and his head
bent forward. When she drew near
the door she could hear the cat
purring on the mat, and the clock tick
| ing on the mantel. He raised his head
slowly, and saw her standing there.
"Oh, John, I've come back. I
couldn't help it. had to-" She
sank down on the doorstep, covering
her face with her hands. I'm SO
tired I don't know what I'm about.
I walked all the way to Elk Falls and
back, and l waited in the station all
the afternoon besides"
"What station did you wait in p
he asked, without getting up.
81 went as far as Turner's Bend. 1
couldn't go 40 further-I couldn't ;
and its been so hot. never saw such
a hot day. 1t seemed as if I'd never
get here"
John Hewett got up, and went over
to the sink, and pumped some water
into the tin dipper, and took drink
81 think you've done enough fol-
one day. You'd better come in and
90 to bed now"
She got up, and came in wearily,
and sat down.
"On my soul, Lucy, you look just
beat out! thought I'd had the worst
Of it, but I'll give in" He came over
to her and took off her bonnet.
She caught hold of his hand and
held it. " 1 couldn't go, John. |
want to do what's right, but | couidn,t
60"
"I never thought you was far
wrong, Lucy. We've plodson. doing
our duty, being cheerful as we could
and we've been honest and kept our
debts paid up. I don't think we've
got any cause to cry over our short
comings before a whole housefnt ol
people. Don't let's try to fix uE
something on the outside, to live. BY
when it's all in US any way we look
at it."
He went over to the wood-box ano
began cutting kindlings from pint
stick.
q ought to set bread they ain
hardly bit in the house," she said
rolling her. bonnet strings smoothl!
around her fingers.
I think you've made enough sacrl
| flee for one day without setting bread
tired as you are. I'm going to tax
you to church Sunday mornings" h
said, after a moment.
ooh, John, are you 2
Yes. That's going to be my sac
rifce. When 1 see Brother johnson
rolling his eyes, and sighing, and tell
ing the Lord about all the depart
ments at Washington, I'll think o
you sitting all the afternoon at Turn
er's Bend, instead of wishing | wa
home and out under the trees. That
be my sacrifice, but l don't begrudg
II seeing Won we come back"