The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-08-07
brute" said Seth, tightening the ham

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die little.
"All che sewing, too" added Uncle
Paul-"the mending and making.
Never went anywhere except to church.
Eliab didn't believe in women gad-
ding about"
''The old savage !" said Seth.
She was fond of reading, but she
never got any time for it, " said Uncle
Paul. ''She rose before sun-up, and
never lay down until eleven O'Clock.
It was hard work that killed. that wo-
man, and Eliab coolly declared that it
was sheer laziness when she couldn't
drag herself around any longer. And
when she died he rolled up his eyes
and called it the visitation of Provi-
dence."
"Why didn't the neighbors lynch
him?" cried Seth, fairly aroused to
indignation at last.
Unclc Paul took Off his glasses, wiped
them vigorously and looked his nephew
hard in the face.
"Why don't the neighbors lynch
you?" said her
Seth dropped the sickle and started.
Nephew Seth," said Uncle Paul,
impressively, "thou art the mani Are
you not doing the very same thingP"
'IP' gasped Seth.
"Your wife is doing the work of a
household of sixteen people," said
Uncle Paul. ''She is drudging as you
could hire no foreigner to drudge.
She is rising early, and lying down
late; she is offering up her life ON the
shrine of your farm and its require
ments. I have seen her grow thin and
pale even during the few days 1 have
been here. l have carried water and
split wood for her because there was
no one else to do it. l have seen her
carry up Mrs. Belford's breakfast
daily to her room, because Mrs. Bel
ford preferred to lie in bed; and
cooking dainty dishes for Helen Pat
terson, because Helen wouldn't eat
what the rest like. No galley-slave
ever worked as she does. And you,
with your hired men-whose board
only adds to her cares--and your array
of labor-saving machinery, stand
coolly by and see her commit slow
suicide. Yes, Nephew Seth, think
it is case for lynching?"
Seth had grown pale.
'I-I never thought of this, )" said
he. "Why didn't some one tell me?'
'Where were your own eyes?" said
Uncle Paul.
Seth Bellenden rolled down his shirt
sleeves, put on his coat, and went into
the house.
He told the Belfords and Pattersons
that it was inconvenient to keep them
any longer. He gave Cousin Susan to
understand that her room was needed.
He made arrangements to board the
hired men at the vacant farmhouse,
and engaged a stout dairyman and
house-servant to wait on Lucy. And
he telegraphed to her father to come
to Silvan Bridge at once.
''She deserves a treat" he said.
"He shall spend the summer with
u.s."
And then he went to tell Lucy.
She had tainted among the butter
cups, picking Strawberries for tea.
Poor little Lucy! The machinery had
utterly refused to revolve any longer.
His heart grew cold within him.
"She will die, he thought, "and
shall have murdered her?"
But she did not die. She recovered
her strength by degrees.
'It is better than any medicine"
she said, "to know that Seth is think
ing of me and for me-"
And Uncle Paul-"the last straw"
as she had called him-hai proved her
salvation.
81 don't want her to go as Eliab's
wife did," said Uncle Paul. Saturday
Night.