The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-02-15
HIS SURPRISE.

Adam and Eve were probably the
only welded couple Of whom no one
ever said. "How could he?" or "How
could shef"
Certainly. when the staid old bach.
elor, Jonas bingham ("35 IL he's q
dayl" said the wondering "other
girls'O, carried off Mary Morton. not
yet out of her teens, right in the face
and eyes OF many admiring boys, a great
many people wondered, How could
she?"
At homo she occupied the sometimes
questionable position Of the middle one
in family Of three daughters. Nobody
doubted that she was good and useful,
but she was not brilliant and fascinat-
ing like her older sister, Amy, nor was
she pretty doll of a girl to be petted as
everybody petted her younger sister.
Bess.
Amy had troops Of beaux that she
wound around her finger and made her
most obedient slaves, but Jonas Hing.
ham was Mary's first attentive escort,
and his devotion and sincerity carried
her heart by storm.
Jonas pleaded eloquently for an early
wedding day, and Mary was nothing
loath, for life with Jonas and for him
seemed like paradise in anticipation.
He lived three miles away on large
farm, his fathers and grandfather's
before him. His father had been dead
several years, and his mother, though
still active and industrious, was too old
to work as she had always done.
Everybody knew the Hinghams were
forehanded free from debt and with
money ut interest. The Mortons. Oh the
contrary, had always lived from hand
to mouth, Mr.. Morton's trade never
having sufficed to do much more than
provide home, with ample food and
clothing. besides educating the girls rs
they wanted to be, with music and
painting and all the ornamentals which
girls in country villages sigh after
1t is safe to say that Mary never
dreamed Of the change it would he for
her to go from her snug, pretty bone
into that great, bare farmhouse-~like
changing from soft, musical poetry 10
plain, dry prose.
Summer and winter tho family had
always worked and ate and sat in the
great kitchen, except when company
came. Then they rolled up tho green
paper shades in tho sitting room and sat
in there. Everything was stiff. bare, Or
derby and scrupulously cloan.
Stepping into Mother Hingham's
Shoes" meant moro real, downright hard
work than Mary had over dreamed Of,
but she was young and strong and
would not finch when sho saw that
both Jonas and his mother expected her
to be tho notable, Woodworking house.
wife the elder woman had always been.
Her hands grow brown and hard, her
dresses grow old fashioned, and she had
neither time nor care to remodel them,
as she seldom went anywhere. except
occasionally TO church and more rarely
still on brief visit TO her fathers.
Then babies came % the years went
by-boys, always boys.
''If only had girl, thought Mary
sometimes, ''she might grow up to help
mo and do all tho light and pretty
but these boys will never care for such
things
Mother bingham lived but few
years after Mary came there To tho
last she was happy and content, fond of
Mary and at homo in the farmhouse,
still unchanged.
Jonas will have to hire help for his
wife, now that his mother is gone,
people said
But he didn't seem to think of that
AS long as Mary did not complain he
never dreamed she was OVERRIDING or
needed anything she did not have
One Of the established traditions Of
the house was that they must have a
hired girl through haying time. never
at any other time of the year unless in
case of sickness
So through harvesting and the fall
housekeeping, the meat killing and
tho spring sugaring, up to haying time
again, Mary's one pair Of hands did the
work till-she broke down.
Jonns was worried about indoor mat
tiers, not that he was SO miserly he did
not like to pay hired help, but who was
to take care and oversee il all?
or course the MOrtons were as agitat-
ed as Jonas himself, and IA much Us
they could came to the rescue but Mrs.
Morton was growing old and could not
work rs she once had done. and Amy
had made brilliant match years ago
Bessie was still Mt home and single,
but had never enjoyed going there when
Mary was we'll. and with Mary sick it
could not be thought Of
Jonas had bad luck finding capable
indoor help, and it was great relief to
them oil when Aunt vi, Mr. Morton's
maiden sister, camo from tho west and
hot having any particular home aiy.
where willingly took the leadership in
the bingham household.
But somehow Mary didn't seem 20
gain at all, and Aunt vi told Mrs. Nor
ton that Mary seemed to have lost all
interest in life
''Jonas Is just as kind as can be, and
the boys are all smart and bright and
fond of her. They arc forchanded and
have q good home, but it seems as il she
doesn't caro- about living. ! do think il