Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-10-15
AUNT PArIENcE's MESSAGE

use tttlNlH SItdS-l(S borne upon Iuf
that I've got message TO deliver and
you've got 10 hear it,"
But Patience mebbe you don't un
| derStandn
Understand! only wish I didn't
| understand quite SO wen how matters
has been again fur twenty-five year
The Lords told me what to say, an I'm
| goin' to say it.
1t was a picture. Silas, sitting in his
shirtsleeyeS, on the wooden bench near
the old fireplace, where a CHEEKY blaze
was burning, shank visibly, and quite
forgot his pipe, letting it 20 out un
needed in his hand.
You alters was a m0Sterful woman
Patience he said, uneasily. But You
| don't know everything"
Know" said his sister with a fine
scon that quite extnguished him She
settled herself in the old-fashioned
chair, her knitting needles still in her
fingers, but forgotten, while the BAN OF
yarn rolled upon the floor rnbeeded
Now, Silas Hutshins, itu be worth
somethin' to you to see the picter OF
your life as it looks TO other folks; an
I'm goin' to tell the story. Not in
malice or anger" she continued, witl
earnest solemnity, while her penetrate
| ing eyes made him feel as small us a
mean man can feel. Her kindly fac,
wore n strange sternneSs, which re
minder the shrinking man before her OF
tho dgv of il6o1npnt
DO you remember the old home
Silas, with the laylocks I'm front. and the
big maple 10y the Well? DO you remem
her father Hard ON us sometimes
mnbbe, but alters just And mother
dear, white-haired mother; so lovin' an
tender, even when we tried her the
wust?"
The man sat with bowed head. his
pipe still held in his hand. but he made
no response, and Aunt Patience went
on:
How sweet and pretty Hubby was
Not handsomer gal in all the settle
ment An you was a likely lookiu
young man, Silas, only even then
mighty fond Of savin A dollar was
hard got out of your hans in them
airly days. Mother saw it, an It wor
rieI her most to de'th. Don't you re-
| member how she used to talk to you
! about it, an beg you to break the habit
afore it bound you with chains Of ironi
But Hubby loved We, Silas, an when
they tol her We was close and stingy
she would't believe a word ont
The head before her bent still lower
AN your weddin day, Silas. June
! roses, sunshine, an singin' birds. all
on that day. An Hubby, in her whit,
dress, was the purtiest rose Of ALL You
was a handsome young man, Silas, an
everybody said, What a likely couple,
An YOU looked at Hubby SO proud an
lovin' an kissed her afore 'em all, an
she blushed, an looked purifier than
ever"
Silas stirred uneasily, and looked
besecchingly at his sister,
You remember It don't you? I can
/ see the little log house in the holer
on the land father Civ you when you
went to keepin' house, Hubby was q
master hand to make the most Of every
! thin, an the white curtains at tho
/ winders, she made afore she was mar
ried, a purpose fur the little house
| Wasn't she a neat handy hOusckeeper'
/ How happy We both was for a while
an then the sarpent entered yom
/ Eden.
"By'mby she began to need things
an then she found out that a frowI
! allers came when she asked for money
! She wasn't rs strong, neither, but yW
let her milk, rain or shine, snow OF
sleet an carry in the heavy buckets
too. Didn't We, Silas?
How proud you We're when littlt
Susie came! She was the livin' pictel
Of her mother an you We're the hap
piest man alive. Hubby sot such store
! by the baby, an the sorToWful shad
ders that he'd begun to creep into hcI
! blue eyes went away for little while
! But you didn't make her work any
/ lighter when she had the work an the
care Of the baby too. An every yeal
We grew graspin an hard, addin' acre
/ to acre. an wood lot to wood lot, an
takin' it out Of the flesh an blood Of
your wife an family"
II didn't mean it, Patience, I didn't
mean it," gromed the conscience
/ stricken man.
Perhaps We didn't, Silas At th'
/ Judgment day yen hev to face thi.
picter, an mebbe it'n do We gooo e
see it aforehand." Aunt Patience look
ed almost like an avenging angel
Then the poor, sickly babies died
one arter another, an poor Hubby.
heart well-nigh broke to lay 'em away
out Of her arms into the grave Blu
/ she took comfort thinkin' that they
wouldn't never ney to work an drudge
the very hearts out Of EN-. She poo
thing. was just a shadder Of that purity
/ gal that stood up among the JUNE
roses. when you promised to love an
purtect her. an endow her with al
/ your worldly goods. She want n
strong as she used ter be, neither, ant
you grumbled and fretted because yOJ
had a siclily wife No help was eve
! hired in the house when she was ablD
TO be out Of her bed. She worked hard