The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-11-19

ern Kansas. 1t was short. plain and
pointed. and evidently anyone ought to
have understood it at glance. Yet
John Green read it and studied it as
though it was some deep problem with
mysterious meaning. At last he put
down the local paper in which the adj
vertisement appeared and arising paced
to and fro across the yard with his head
bowed and look of deep trouble on his
face.
Il don't know" he unused. as he came
back and resumed his seat near the
cabin door. something must be done,
and done 1T once; for. as matters stand,
starvation stares us in the face. We
must have food, and we must have
money in order to get it: and there is
but one way, SO far as can see. to get
money-but one way. And yet dis
like to think of mortgaging the farm.
have had experiences with mortgages,
and dread them. They are the banc
of poor mans life. the cancer that
eats in deeper and deeper until he is
left destitute and homeless"
John Green shuddered as he drew
this picture. for it brought back to him
in all its CHASTITY vividness that time,
but few years before, when that vam-
pirc, the mortgage. had eaten up his
last dollar and turned himself and fam
ily from their loved little home in the
east.
silence, now with his face buried in his
hands, and now looking with sad, far
away gaze out across the endless
stretch of bare, brown prairie to where
the sun, like great round ball Of fire,
was slowly sinking behind the edge Of
the earth. For an hour almost he re-
manned thus, the shadow on his face
deepening with those of evening. his
eyes dimming. while ever and anon a
tear stole down his rough, weather
stained cheek.
YES. we must have food he re-
sumed at last, and we must have mon
ey, and we must mortgage the claim
to get it. 1t is hard thing to do, brS
to suffer from hunger Is worse. We
cannot starve. that $ certain"
just then woman appeared in the
doorway. She was wan. sad-faced
creature, plainly victim to overworli
and worry. Her once beautiful face
was furrowed with deep lines of care.
and her waving brown locks were pre-
maturely streaked with gray. The fire
of life was gone from her eyes. leaving
a pair of listless orbs that told all too
plainly their story of misery and suffer-
ing. There was no trace of smile
lurking about the thin. compressed lips
that had once been rosy with health and
happiness. She was perfect example
of mental and physical dcbility-a liv-
ing result of hard times and mans in
humanity to man." She was dying,
inch by inch, of worry. want and work.
John Green glanced up when his wife
appeared in the doorway, and motion
ing her to seat beside him attempted
to assume less melancholy air as he
said:
Mary, you are worrying yourself sick
again. and you ought not do it. You
must look on the brighter side of things,
wife, and never lose hope
John, it is useless for us to try to
disguise our feelings any longer" Mary
replied. I'VE know and understand
each other too well for that. and we
know that there is nothing on earth for
us to hope for. | have all along af.
fected cheerfulness did not feel, be-
cause ! thought it helped to tighten
your burdens little, but now we per-
fectly understand each other, and to
dissemble longer is folly. l know what
you suffer, John. for / have seen i,
from the first, and know that there is
no hope in your heart
MARY, don't talk So" John pleaded.
1.-The future does look dark and blank,