The Red Cloud chief., 1891-11-27
THE OLD FOLKS BENT OVER THE LETTER

THE OLD fol-hs BENZ oNfh ihf LfiArhs
culinary affairs. "Ef Maria hain't got
To Toe as shiftlcss rs the rest"
lie pushed on into the sitting-room,
charged with a connubial reprimand.
But AS he opened the door, he stumbled
against something soft and yielding,
vet which sent an unaccountable shiver
from his feet to the very crown of his
head. lie looked down. IL vas a wom-
ans recumbent form. With a great
fear at his heart he benz down, turned
the pale, white face To the light, Then
staggered back. trembling in every
limb, while cold drops stood out upon
his forehead.
"You-Maria?" he gasped, as with n
sudden wild hope he shook the still
form violently. Wake up. Maria
The idea of you agoin' to sleep and let
ting the turkey get cold in the oven
No response. The figure that had
worn itself out working for him lay rs
nerveless in his arms as a block of
stone. The closed eyes, the purple
lips, the drawn, white features. told
their terrible story. His wife was dead
-dcad-and he had parted from her
not two hours before, with selfish
g%rumblings upon his lips
Silas Ware rose to his full height, and
uttering a hoarsc. inarticulate cry. fell
back upon the lounge from which he
had recently risen. Thanksgiving day,
At breakfast he thought himself an i'll
used and an unfortunate man.
'-Oh. God, Oh, GodI' he moaned
What would | not give To have it all
back"
All what? What but Maria - his
wife, the faithful companion of the
tolls, the joys and the SORROWS of
thirty years, What did he care
now for all other troubles and
losses? They were invisible beneath
the overwhelming cloud of this one
great loss. Without her nothing would
be good With her. all other trials
Were trivial. He knew it now; he re
allied it in every agonizing culver, as
his heart recognized and felt its utter
and hopeless loneliness
And even this was not the worst II
he had parted from her with a smile
instead of n frown-in kindness rather
than with ~reproach. the agony of sepa-
ration might be blun,ed a little. But in
the coming years he must 60 down to
meet old age alone. the memory Of his
harshncss would ever he singing.
If ] had only known" ne cried.
dragging himself upon his knees to her
side once more: III | had only known
known-what? II he had only known
how great his blessings were, in the
possession of his true. tender. patient
faithful wife! But he selfishly declined
to know: and the curse of his eter-
nal deprivation must wither him for
ever.
Il cannot stand IL" he faltered
! brokenlv. .Merciful God, How can |
stand il? No. no, / will not, Take
anything else, Lord Take cattle. land
take money and home-take children,
Thou hast them all but one, and he
don't seem TO Sam hain't
a-carin' for US no more-but spare me
my wife-my wife-my wife"
why. Silas, What on earth-wake
IN. father, You've about frightened
me TO death with your moanin's and
takin's on"
Some ewas shaking him vigorous
~ as Silas opened his eyes A CLEAN
of young sunlight shot into them
through the window, and blinded him
for an instant Then he recognized
the well-worn dress the dear, bent
toilworn figure
Maria he fairly shouted Then
| you're not dead after ALP"
mo. father. Who said l was? The
doughnuts surely must have disagreed
with We. for l heard We when l was
basting the turkey"
Then the kitchen fire hain't gone
out?" interrupted Silas in dazed sort
of way. yet beginning TO trrmble
| anew.
why no. What made You think