The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1895-10-25
THE CRISIS.
BY HARRIET e. CIRCUIT.

HS# 8HA&&4EE
Robert Strong, reported millionaire,
stood in the bay window of one of Chi
Cages mansions one brilliant sunshiny
December morning. There had been
a light fall of snow the night before;
+ breezes had played with it and dis
tributed it most unequally. The mil
lionaire was watching his enterprising
young neigflbor over the way, who in
ha Pited the poorest house on the
strict, and who was out %shoveling
vaMsssw from his sidewalk. Mr.. Strong
NNSSSe$ in a meditative mood. Although
NS~arrounded by every evidence of
wealth and luxury he did not look nor
net like a man who was perfectly sat-
l&sfied with life. He had been pacing
->tsp ard down the room more like some
2fged animal than like a prosperous
member of the board of trade.
'lt is time that Hobbies was here!." he
was saying as he walked up and down,
making an occasional pause at the
window. ''Why does he not come? 1
am anxious to know my fate. Wealth
or poverty-which is it to be for the
future? That fellow over there shovel
ing snow for exercise works on salary,
and has no business cares. / wonder
who is happier, he or l? How we are
hampered by our environment! /
would really like to take a shovel and
dispose Of those drifts still reposing
undisturbed on our front steps. The
exercise would do me good, but what
a shocking thing it would be! The
servants, the family, the whole COM
munity would be shocked, inexpress-
IDLY shocked! A hundred dollar bill
would hardly induce one butler to SO
far compromise his dignity as to
shovel snow. And if I should do it! I
have half a mind to try him with a
bill and see what the effect would be!
He is fond Of money. A hundred dollars
SO easily earned would be a temp
tation. l am curious to know what he
would do! The experiment would
probably result in his giving notice,
and Mary would be sorry to lose him.
l wonder when I saw her last? She
seldom takes breakfast with me. Last
night I came home late; she had gone
for the evening and came home later
still! Yesterday-did see her yester-
day? Yes, we passed each other in the
hall and said good morning and good
by! We had an hour together Sunday.
Blessed be Sunday! Mary and 1 are
on the best Of terms-we have not
%quarreled for ten years! l think we
love each other. But we are both SO
busy. She has the care of this great
house. and company, and society! |
have business interests, and the club,
and little politics. SO our home life
gets lost somewhere. I wonder if we
are any happier than we we're in the
old simple days when we lived for each
other, instead of for servants and soci-
ETY.! Was that the doorbell? I shall
not breathe freely again until know
whether that sale goes through. If
the deal goes against us-my God! 1t
can't go against us! If it does | shall
be ruined! II Hobbies would only
come! A man needs nerves of steel in
these days to bear the strain of bust
ness. If the deal goes he will come
himself, that we may plan together.
If it fails-he will write. A messen-
ger will bring the news. That young
man over there works as if he enjoyed
it. How he makes the snow fly! Here
comes his wife. Happy creatures!
They have no dignity to be compro-
missed. He can shovel snow and she
a sweep it without shocking the
whole community. What q beautiful
morning! The air is like wine, and
the sunshine turns the snow into ten
thousand glittering diamonds! Surely
that was the doorbell! Can it be
Hobbies? must not look too delighted
lest he should guess how near ruin ]
am"
1t was not Hobbies, but his daughter
Lucy who entered the
s'Do you like the snow, Lucy?" he
asked, as she came and stood by his
side at the window.
"No, papa! I don't like it at all.
can hardly walk to school, the side
walks are in such a condition! If it
was a little farther I should order the
carriage"
"That would hardly pay for three
blocks. Your mother walked two
miles every day that she was in high
school"
How perfectly dreadful that must
have been! Why didn't she take a
Carp
1T was a country town, and there
were no cars"
20 papa! just look! Those people in
the cottage are both out working in
the snow. He goes ahead and shovels
and she follows with a broom. Isn't 1t
too bad they are SO poor they have to
work SO hard. / always feel sorry for
such people"