The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-10-22

| uppiSh as could DE. findIly we had q
real downright quarrel bout Steve.
'sposc we were both exasperated. ]
told him If he wanted girl that would
always stay to home. nd never go no.
where. he could look farther. nd he
told me If couldn't be satisfied with
one mans heart. stead of breakin'
every one round he.would look farther
md he did. didn't think he treated
me quite fair. but | wasn't goin' to be
bossed round fore was married. so
| he took to goin' with one of the other
girls. md Steve Pratt's buggy stood at
our door pretty often. | kept thinkin'
Jonas nd l would ma Ike it mp. but we
didn't, nd we never have. nd ] spose
never will. We've lived Majors for a
good many years. nd though ! see him
nd his'n l always hate him like.
cant see COW or horse. or even a
| pig or a chicken Of hissen without
a-wishin' somethin' would happen to it..
! married Steve Pratt, nd nobody
could lived with that man without
lovin' him. I'm sure. | loved him to
the last day of his life. He was al
ways good nd bright. nd even on dark
days he made the house seem like
there was sunshine in it. We raised
some children. but one by one they
died. nd then Steve died. | wished |
could die, too. but / s'pose l hain't
| a lonely woman nd bout all the com
fort | take is in helpin' the Majors
when they are sick nd in trouble. nd
in hatin' Jonas Periwinkle.
Steve nd allays seemed to prosper
| in our undertakings, but Jonas didn't:
he worked hard, his wife was good ma
tured, but sort Of shiftless-like. nd he
never made much Roadway. She died
a couple Of years ago, nd their little
'leven-year-old girl has bean tryin' to
do the best she can. She's a puny lit
tie thing md won't hold out much
longer, I'm a-thinkin'.
Somebody's comm runnin' up the
walk. Why, it's susy repiwinkle.
"There, you've run till you've tuck
cred yourself all ont Sit down nd
| rest yourself nd tell me what's the
matter. il it the bread that won't rise
or the butter that won't Gomez
Susy, all out of breath with runnin'
| said: Come over quick: the horses
have run away, md pal don't know
but he's dead. know you always go
when folks are sick. md SO ! come here
| first
| didn't think nothing about my
grudge when saw that poor little
pale thing standin' there. | sent after
the doctor, nd then went along with
Susy, takin' my medicines along. nd
it was lucky did. Jonas was in bad
shape, bad enough to satisfy anyone
with a bigger grudge than mine. His
head was hurt nd some of his ribs
were broken, nd don't know what
ALL The doctor he come nd set the
broken bones nd plastered up the
bruises. lie took me of to one side.
nd said: Hes pretty BADLY hurt
man, Mrs. Pratt. That hurt on his
head is bad one. You have helped
me through with other bad cases.
want you to help me through with This. :"
81 really don't see how can. Doc
tor. said. Il hain't never been used
to comm here. nd"
''Oh! nonsense.' he replied, you'll
let . fellow creature die for some little.
disagreement! | thought better Of you
Mrs. Pratt. Good afternoon: I'll call
again in the morning" nd away he
went. felt stunned like. but made
up my mind I'd lay aside my grudge
till Jonas got well agin', for if he died
there would be nobody left for me to
hate, nd I'd spent lots of time hatin'
him. 'Twould be kinder hard to have
that innocent amusement cut off. So
made up my mind Id nurse him back
to life, If could. What would them
poor, little pale children do without
him! 1t made my heart ache to see
that little Susy; she was SO womanly,
nd was SO worried about her pa. The
children all seemed to set great store
by him. Jonas was out of his head
long time.
The doctor came often nd could
see he felt pretty serious. l did the
very best could, but there seemed to
couldn't seem to get over it. lie lin
gered along md suffered terrible, nd
he was about the patientest man l
ever see. How he did love them chill
dren! They were remarkably nice.
| well-behavei children. He grew
weaker nd weaker. / could see it. nd
/ think he see it, too. There was tur-
moil in my mind, for / could see that
them children were going to be left
fatherless. / hadn't anyone left to
live for nd / wanted some one, nd
l thought, if could jest have them lit
tie ones. it would be a benefit to me
md perhaps as well for them, unless
there was some near kin that would
want 'em. pondered over the matter
a good deal. md some way life seemed
a good deal better without that mis-
r'ble hatin' feelin'. wanted Susy any
way, md the littlest one I'd take 'em
all, but if anybody, any near kin
mean, was real set on havin' the other
girl nd boy why OF course couldn't
expect to have 'em all.
set thinkin' one evenin', Jest at
twilight. The littlest child had fallen
asleep on my lap. lie looked SO sweet
nd innocent-lfke couldn't bear to
think of leavin' him nd goin' back to
my own lonely house. Jonas was
propped up in bed, for had my man
of all work come up to stay nd he was
needed to lift the sick man nd help
around. The Majors were powerful
good, nd Jonas seemed to have great
many friends. But as l was sayin' l
was wonderin' how / could ever
breach the subject of my takin' the
children. The doctor didn't want his
patient worried about his condition. md
if suggested anythin' about the chill
dren he'd know the worst nd mebba
| Sinlr faster for lna.rir,. l. a;a..4