The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-09-03
A LABOR OF LOVE.

"A LhDUn VI LU IL
John Ramsay was working on his
farm, his careless, loose dress, dis
playing to advantage his tall, muscu-
lar figure, and a broad straw hat
shaded q handsome face, with large,
dark eyes set beneath q forehead
whose breadth and height indicated q
powerful brain. The hands that guild
cd the blow we're strong hands, but
whittier and more delicate than such
pursuits usually allow.
Daisy Hale sat watching him. Her
dress was print, but made with
flounces on the skirt and ruffies on
the waist. Her short, golden hair
was curled over her forehead and
gathered in longer curls into q comb
behind, above which was a jaunty hat
covered with puffs OF white muslin and
bows OF blue ribbon to match the
spots upon her dress.
The face under Daisy's hat was
gloomy, not to say cross. A very
pretty face, but not pleasant, having
petted, spoiled4child frown and q
brooding discomfort in the large blue
eyes.
Presently the farmer drew near her.
and, taking of his hat, famed him
sell with it, stopping his horses while
he leaned indolently against the plow.
"You look deliciously cool under
this great tree" hesaid. "And-hem!
very much dressed for nine o'clock
in the morning"
"In @ fiye-penny calico!" she said
contemptuously. "When are you
coming in?"
cat noon, TO dinner"
at is too absurd" she broke out,
angry tears in her eyes, "for you to be
blowing and hoeing, and milking cows
and doing the work OF q laboring man!
thought when you came home from
college you would do something be-
sides2work on farm"
"And let the farm 60 to ruin? That
would bea poor way to pay my debts"
astonished. "Do you owe deptsf"
Certainly! You and l are both
very heavily in debt, Daisy. I think
when Aunt Mary took US in, poor
little orpnans-I her nephew, you her
second COUSIN
Third cousin" she interrupted,
"since you are so particular. 1 know
what you mean, but am very sure
THAT Aunt Mary never intended US to
drudge on the horrid old farm"
''Do you know that the money she
saved in a life OF hard work was spent
upon our education? Do you know
that she has nothing now but the
farm, and that to take her away
from it would probably shorten her
life?"
"She always has taken care Of it
herself"
"Are you blind that you can not
see how the four years she has been
alone have aged her, how feeble she
is. While we were living at ease at
college and school, she has toiled for
us until she Is wearied out"
"But you could send her money IL
you were in the city in some gentle
manly occupation"
perhaps so, ten or twelve years
from now. Today propose to work
this farm and see how many bushels
of corn can raise on it,"
He took hold of the pillow handles as
he spoke, started the horses and left
her, her eyes full Of angry tears.
HE might as well have said what
he meant" she thought, springing
down and starting for the house. "He
thinks ought to cook, wash, make
butter and work like a servant, when
have studied so hard and tried to
make myself a lady, that he might
not be ashamed OF me-"
Yet, in her heart, she knew that he
was ashamed of her, and that she de.
served it. Ashamed that she could
sit in her room, selfshly engrossed in
making pretty articles of dress or
reading, while her cousin, or, as she
too called her, Aunt Mary, worked in
the kitchen, the dairy, the poultry
yard, from days dawn till night.
She was not all selfshness and
heartlessness, though there had grown
thick crust of both over her better
nature. Her ideas of ladies and
gentlemen depended largely upon
clothing and pursuit, and she had not
yet quite realized how much more
nearly Johns standard reached the
desired point than her own.
AS she drew near the house the sting
Of Johns words penetrated more and
more through the crust she had drawn
over her heart, until fresh stab met
her at the door. Looking in at the
open door she saw q white head
bowed in weeping, aslight figure shaken
by sobs.