Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1893-12-15

= IT than its whole duty.
~ A great bouquet of
autumn grasses audhufy golden rod
rested i'll pretty vase.
~ new chamber set and it will be
nice" and Mrs. Mayler half closed her
eyes and took in the supposed effect.
Then for the twentieth time, perhaps,
she went over the same road, calculat-
ing how much her chickens and
turkeys would bring.
"And if they are as far as think, l
will lay by enough for Christmas pres
ents all around and subscribe for that
journal too" and with a light heart
and smiling face she hurried down
stairs. Babe was busy with his blocks,
so she went into the kitchen to pre-
pare the little supper-iust herself
and Jed and little Boy Blue and a
quietly happy family it had ever been.
If it was hard sometimes to bear and
forbear, they tried for loves sweet
sake. And if Janet was the oftenest
to Weld neither seemed to notice 1t.
Only look at her bright, loving lace
and one might guess she was very well
accustomed to forgetting No. l alto
gether, and he--Ee was man, Just
an easy-going, Ealf-blind man that
was all.
After supper the poultry was all
shut up in their houses for to-mor-
rows sale, and after an almost sad
good-by Janet the next morning saw
part of her hard summers work roll
away over the hill to market. 1t was
Tuesday.
''And about Friday Babe and I will
90 to town and invest our money, "
and she laughed almost like a child as
she tossed the baby up.
''Papa's coming, baby mine, and
down to the gate she carried her boy
for his delightful ride up to the barn
with papa.
Chow did they sell, Jed? Fat, were
they?" she asked when the wagon
stopped at the barn.
Fat as butter and got highest
price
"Cash?" and she patted old Pride on
his yelvety nose.
eyes, and he led the horses into
their stalls
Supper piping hot, she called
back over her shoulder, as she went TO
the house.
Supper passed pleasantly, Jed relat-
ing all the news from town and she
listening and feeding baby, going on
frequent journeys into the little bot
tomless mouth after stray crusts or
other forbidden matter which hap
pened too near.
"AEd now let me have it, jed, all in
my hand, and see if it's worth the con
slant care and work I've endured, -
and she set the boy on his knee
"What, Jauet?' and he looked at
her absently.
"My money, and still her hand was
outstretched.
"Why, wife, paid for the binding
twine with it..
"You did!-snd you said last spring
DO your best and reap the proceeds,
and her eyes flashed Indignantly.
"Why, I didn't suppose you had
any use for it, and you are resping the
proceeds when the debts are paid, -
and he tried to look naturally.
"But that was mine, earned by put
ting in over hours and extra days,
and she could not hide a sob.
ooh, well, never mind. What's mine s
yours and yours mine, and he put
baby down without his evening romp
and went ont with the milk pail
And Janet hurried into the dim sit
ting-room and had good cry-good,
because it relieved her over-wrought
feelings. He must have noticed her
swollen eyes, for after an attempt to
talk over his paper, he went to bed.
Days passed on and months too,
until little Boy Blue was little man
of three. During that time Janet had
been patient wife to good hus-
band, but she was wiser, and that lit
tie lesson learned a year previously
she had never forgotten, and she de-
termined, for the sake OF her inde-
pendence, for the sake of their future
welded life, and for his sake too,
never to be so put upon again. She
had discarded her idea of raising
poultry, but she had nice fat steer
which was to be sold with the rest of
the car load soon.
When baby vas still little sleep
-. 1,.ndle led had hro11.rhA into the