Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-09-29

4dTmeTS wives DeCOnluS luSduc ne
had read enough to know that melan-
choly is one species of insanity. What
if that state should be slowly coming
upon his wife, for certainly she
grew more silent and sad year by year.
1t must be that she did work too hard,
for when he came to reckon it up and
tell over to Mrs. Bradley all the work
she did summer and winter, it was more
than he had supposed. How could she
get any time for reading or going out?
And now that he thought of it she never
went anywhere. except to church, and
not always there, because often she
was too tired. How different it used to
be! Once she frequently went to town
with him and they occasionally took
tea with a neighbor or drove in to the
sewing society. But of late years
work had been so pressing that there
had been no time for going or inviting
company. He had just gone ON buying
ing more men, SO adding to her labor,
while she had but the one helper she
used to have when the farm was small.
And as if this was not enough he had
encouraged her to go on taking summer
boarders occasionally, as she had her
self suggested long ago, one year when
the crops had failed. And he pretend
ing to think she did it all because she
loved work so much. That was all stuff
He had seen her stand in the door
and look after him, when he rode
off to town on a pleasant afternoon,
and he had heard something like sigh
just as he started. The dear, patient
woman had not complained or said
sharp words; he wished she had, then
may be her pig-headed husband might
have seen things as they were. The
truth was, the love of money had taken
possession of him, and he had sacrificed
everything. He had not even limited to
his wife that she must spare herself,
and he had forgotten to speak words
of praise. He hated himself. For, al
though he had been mean and selfish
and grasping. he still loved the wife IF
his youth. What would all the money
and land he had scraped together be to
him when he had laid her in the old
burying ground? The sturdy farmer,
as he sat there thinking these sharp
truths in the gathering shadows,
realized for a moment the dissolution of
going on without her. He bowed his
head and prayed with all his soul that
he might be forgiven, and that he and
his wife might go together hand in
hand down the hill to the gate that
leads out of life to life eternal
The darkness had settled down when
Deacon Bates got up and went into the
house. He had gone over everything,
had reconstructed affairs on a new
basis and made several plans. He
would have no difficulty in carrying
them out, for his word had ever been
law in his own house. If he suggested
anything it must surely be done, and
this not on account of tyranny, but be-
cause of the Old-fashioned reverence
for her husband as head of the family,
which Mrs Bates had always main
tanned and instilled into the minds Of
her children. 'Father knows best"
was her unvarying decision.
1t was not like Deacon Bates to say
much about his good resolutions, but
to proceed to put them in practice as
rapidly as possible. There was no
light in the sitting-room when he en-
tered but that of the moon which
streamed in at the long window. He
thought the room was empty till he
caught sight of his wife asleep in her
chair. Her mild, pale face upturned
in the white light sent a pang through
the heart of the self-convicted man.
He went over to her and laying his
hand on her head said:
"Come. mother, you better not wait
up for the boys. I'd go right to bed if
1 were you" He continued to smooth
her hair as he said it, and Mrs. Bates
presently sat up straight and wonder
ing. 1t was long since her husband
had lost the habit of bestowing little
endearments; he used often to do this
very thing in the old days.
"Was Daniel going to die?"
The next morning, soon after break.
fast, Mr.. Bates went away in his spring
wagon, returning in the space of two
hours with the strong capable girl who
assisted them on extra occasions, an
nouncing, to the surprise of his wife,
that Sophia Mills had come to stay till
the theft of the summers work" was
over, land mind you keep her busy"
he told the astonished woman. land
you get some time to rest
In the afternoon Mr.. Bates drove to
town, and. as Mrs. Bradley had the
day before said she wished to match
some worsteds, he took her along, TAX
ing occasion to say as they were we'll
on their way:
I'm much obliged to you, Mrs. Brad
ley, for giving me a hint about my wife
last night. I've been blind and dumb
as an old bat. 'Nough said. Things III
be different. Now 1 want to ask
another favor. l wish you'd pick out
a dress for my wife-a nice one, that'll
do for best. I'm going to take her out
west to see her sister when the crops
are all in. She don't know a word
about it yet"
Mrs. Bradley was delighted; she
would be glad to help. What would
he like?
''Oh, you must settle that. something
sort of ladylil>e; black, guess; and get
some of that soft white stuff, such as
you wear, to go round her neck, and
some ribbon and all the trimmin's,"
A more dazed woman than Mrs.
Bates could not be found, when her
husband that night. after every ono
else had gone to bed. presented her
with roll of handsome black cashmere.
And Cynthy," he said, you must
have it made up nice like Mrs. Brad
ley's with some ribbons a-foatin' in tho
wind"
whats the matter with you, Dan'l2'
his wife asked, anxiously. whatever
does all this mean?'
sit means, little woman. that I've