Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1894-02-08

her mothers surprise, she took the part
ing from Biddy very cooiiy, just -
Barney had prophsied. The child W.
not more unfeeliug than most young
human animals of her age. But the
new impression quickly effaced the old
in her malleable little brain. She made
acquaintance with all the live stock on
the farm, and grew fatter, browner
and roster day by day.
The same wholesome result did not
accrue to Mrs. Jack from her rural
residence. RebecCa Lilly drove out to
see her sisterin-law when the latter
had been three weeks at the farm.
The visit was made against the advice
Of the others. who opined that b more
| completely Bell was left to herself the
soone she would return to reason and
Codkngton. However, Rebecca carried
her point, and returned to Perciyal
House, bringing a very poor account Of
Bells looks and spirits.
'She never was stout" said Rebecca,
"but now she is miserably thin" En-
ma glanced at the reflection Of her own
~wcIl-rounded figure in the glass. And
she is losing her color, and there arc
dark circles round Ter eyes, which look
as If she cried a good deal. L really
do not think she is well at all: but the
child is f~lourishing."
Henrietta inherits altog ether the
constitution Of her fathers family"
observed Mrs. Lilly, with much dignity
and an air of taking great credit to her.
self for the circumstance.
The fact was that Mrs. Jack was fad
ing and languishing day by day in a
way which would have panied and
made anxious any loving friends who
should have been at hand to watch acr;
but there was none such at Beck'S
Heath. She passed hours alone in the
little wood, whittier she carried her
shlwl and her book and her needle
work nearly evry morning. The leaves
had turned brown and yellow, ana a
solitary copper beech showed its burn
ished leaves among he scar foliage Of
the rest. Mrs. Jack would remain
there, as / say, for hours, and when she
returned to the house she would not
have read a page CT sewed n stitch.
There she would sit at the foot of n
tree, with her hands clasped before
her and her eyes looking out vaguely
through the overwhelming gaps in the
foliage over the misty autumn land
scape. She did not accompany PopSy
In her daily wanderings about the
farm. The child had made friends
with all the people in the place. and
was safe enough. Her mother began
to feel the mere daily washing and
dressing of Popsy a severe fatigue.
II am growing strangely weak"
thought Mrs. Jack to herself. II Won
der why? l used to be as strong rs a
horse"
But here she was much mistaken.
Hers. had never beeu n robust frame,
and such strength as she had was en-
tirely nervous. Now that she had been
undermined by fretting: for, in truth,
Mrs. Jack was very unhappy. h
shed many tears in the silent hours Of
the night, when the child was sleeping
soundly beside her, n she saw many
sad visions in the waking hours of the
day. when she sat solitary in the little
wood. BY the time she had been three
weeks at Beck's Heath, 1t seemed to
her as IL she had been there half her
lifetime. And yet she would not go
back TO Codlington. More and more
she shrank from seeing the place and
the people in it.
ANubotS nv " iht, NbNs All WI
get me; No one comes near me-" said
she, fretfully. Which was a little un-
just, for not only had Rebecca visited
her, as we know. but Mr.. Mills had
taken a rare holiday one day. and had
walked out the twelve miles from Cod
lington to Beck's Heath, to see-his
cousins, the farmer and his wife,
he said; and the worthy couple We're
much obliged, and yet more surprised,
at the unwonted attention. AS TO Bar
ney. she could not walk twelve miles,
neither could she afford to pay for a fly;
but she had been promised n drive out
to Beck's Heath by a friendly trades
man, who owned a gig and n stout
nony, and she had written to Mrs. lack
to tell her that she would come and see
her at the very earliest opportunity.
So who else was there of whose neglect
to complain? Mrs. Jack had never ex-
pectcd that the visiting acquaintance,
who had nearly dropped her before she
left Codlington, would take the trouble
to go out to Beck's Heath in order TO
call upon her.
Mr.. Mills walk was rewarded by
about three minutes conversation with
! Mrs. Jack and Popsy, to the latter OF
whom he was the bearer OF a parcel or
! cakes from Mrs. Petherick; but the re-
/ suit of his account of Mrs. Jacks alter
ed looks and tagging spirits-for the
farmer and his wife had told him that
she moped a great deal-was to bring
Miss Barnasconi put to Beck's Heath
the very next day.
Mrs. Jack was very grateful for her
kind friends visit; but, even from her,
she seemed to shrink a little, in a shy,
silent way. which was the very anti
pode of her old buoyant, frank. fearless
manner. But, when Barney observed
that she was looking pale and ques-
toned her about her health, Mrs. Jack
| persisted in declaring that she was
quite ~weli-only a little weak-and that
she needed nothing but rest and quiet.
Rest and quietv' exclaimed Barney
to herself, sitting behind the stout pony
on her way homeward. REST and
quiet with a vengeance! A long rest
and very perfect quiet it'll be II W.
! don't look after her. She Is as thin as
a whipping post, and rs white as hoe
pocket handkerchief. Something must
be done. She is just one Of those wo-
|, vx,1lN rive mo oil - N e,,laA,,