The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1891-05-13

eat half more. Then there were the
clothes. No he would have to 60.
Her heart throbbed had it ever throb-
bed like that before
l want TO do that" said Charlie, eye
ing the churndasher enviously.
A brave thought perhaps he could
work She looked hastily down the hill.
There was her husbands hat coming in
around the stack.
Here, quick y she said, and as the
boy grasped the dasher she took her sun
bonnet and went out with the chicken
feed.
Her husband just then came up the
slope.
Hello, t:-ere. Jsyhavker,D the boy
called out, look at me shove this yer
shower
Charlie, with bis legs apart, his cheeks
red, his eyes shining, drove the churn-
handle furiously-
The pale face underline sunbonnet was
so eager that the man coming up the slope
would barely have recognized it. He
smiled in spite of himself at the little fig
ure at the ehurn. When had his wife
seen him smile before
She came forward with the empty pan,
the eagerness schooled out of face and
voice. She told what she knew about
the boy, and added, Perhaps he can
work"
A gleam came into her husbands eyes.
He was beginning to feel his constant Ia
Dor. His head had ached lately, and his
back ached, and ne felt stiff in the morn
ings.
He tried the muscle in the boys proud
ly extended arm, and felt his legs.
Wen keep him." he said, briefly
he can do sight of chores"
That night, when that nale-fsced little
woman could hear the sound of the little
fellows breathing over there in his quilt
in the corner, and could hear him turn
in bis sleep and mutter something now
and then, her heart beat fast, and all the
sounds of the night went to the music Of
" Love is the greatest thing in the
world"
So the boy stayed, and for a time there
was peace.
You're looking so spry, Malviny, and
put more heft into your housework-
Kansas agrees with you better'n with
me- said her husband, one day.
She did feel a difference. The time
she could take TO sew button on Char
lies little ragged clothes, the moments
when she could bind up one of the little,
dirty, stubby, cut fingers, the time she
could spend knitting little stockings for
cold weather, or making coarse little
shirts, or cutting down Isaae's vorn-out
overalls, the times when she could steal
out Of bed in the dark night, and kneel
down BY his quilt, and kiss the soft little
cheek, and pray with her whole soul
that God would bless him and help her
love him well, were a very elixir of life
to her.
At hrst Charlie thought the chores
some new sort Of play, but that did not
last long. BY the time he was ten years
old be was known by all the neighbors
as that good-for-nothing boy of Hollis
He was bad boy
Charlie, have YOU fed the calves -
Isaac would say in the morning.
Yep" came very gIibly. And at
night, " Charlie, now feed the calves"
with the same reply. But perhaps by the
time the milking was done Charlie
would gay, 1 amt fed the calves to-
day ~
You said you had -
4 was thinking had, but I hadn't
fed EN- or watered EN- :"
Then Isaac, with kick at the boy,
which was skillfully evaded would tramp
wearily out into the darkness to do the
neglected work
Charlie would take q horse at 1 o'clock
in the afternoon to go for the cattle of
on the prairie, and would drive the cows
galloping home long after dark, with his
horse foaming with long and heavy rid
ing. He would disappear for a whole
day, and when he came home Isaac,
worn out with rage, would try to whip
him but even if the boy were soundly
thrashed, in some way he still seemed to
have the best of It.
When Isaac would vow, as he often
did, that Charlie should never stay ua-
der his roof another night the boy would
suddenly work so ell,ldoing almost a
mans work, that Isaac's wrath was sure
70 cool For Charlie was really skillful
with the cattle, and so strong that Isaac
never could make up his mind to do
without him.
There was ore person, and only one,
who never said he was bad hoy. At
night he had more than once walked up
to catch a glimpse of a white face quite
near him in the moonlight, and to feel
hot tears drop on his face. Usually be
turned over and tried TO appear very
sound asleep; once he choked, and put
his arms around her neck, and gave her
great boyish hug and kiss that she
never forgot.
But the next day he was worse than
he had ever been before, and was whip
( ped three times by Isaac.
/ Meantime Isaac was falling. am
breaking, Malviny,u he said one after
noon, coming in earlier than usual. He
sat by the table, his head in his arms,
never needing milking time. never look
ing up to growl at Charlie when he en-
1 tered.
In the morning he started out to milk.
but came back and sat again with his
head in his arms and then. not know
1 ing that she could do so, but with a love
and pity N her heart that must fud ex-
preston, his wife coaxed him, in timid
words, to go to bed and when he was
there, the womanly instincts came upper
most, and she tidied the room, and dark
ov,aI e o-1 ,,,oral -r.i.tI.- - -