The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-10-11

whom we're married and settled in differ
ent portions OF the globe, and who, with
their various progeny, were won't to flock
to the ancestral domain for Thanksgiv.
ing, Christmas and other holidays, and
on different anniversary occasions. Mrs.
Van Dyke was therefore seldom and al
m 3st never alone and care-free for even
one week of the year; and besides Mr..
Van Dyke was naturally inclined to ex-
tend off-hynd invitations to all his
friends to rut up at his house whenever
It suited their pleasure or convenience.
Not only was he very generous and en-
tertaining host, but. owing TO Mrs. Van
Dykes management. his house was q
post restful and altogether desirable
refuge for many of his relations.
Mrs. Van Dyke had not been an un-
usual girl and she was not an unusual
woman, though one of unvarying ami
ability. She was patient and kind and
gentle beyond description. Throughout
the long years of their welded life her
loving husband never heard her utter q
complaint. She was the last person to go
20 sleep at night, and the first to waken
or at least to rise in the morning. for
forty seasons. She planned breakfasts
and dinners and suppers innumerable,
was often at the mercy of poor servants,
and was sometimes left for weeks at 4
time with none at all; and yet the
lamps burned every night. and were
filled and trimmed eve y morning; the
buckets went down and up in the moss
empowered well, the cistern pump creaked
with unbroken regularity, and Mrs. Van
Dyke never said word about all those
rented houses where there were no lamps,
where water flowed freely by merely
turning a faucet. where hot baths could
be taken any hour without thought Of
pumps and kettles, and where women's
cares and responsibilities were reduced
to a minimum.
All, yes, Mr.. Andrew Van Dyke loved
his wife. She was sweet, trustful. con-
tiding and tender creature. who always
looked upon him as superior, and who
never failed to meet him with smile, If
not kiss, when he entered the dear old
home. No matter how large the grocery
bill, it was promptly paid, and unques-
tioningly So were the dry goods bills,
and the mlliners' and upholsterres' bills,
and, finally, the doctors bills that Mrs.
Van Dyke contracted.
One day she casually remarked to her
devoted partner in LIES joys, Andrew,
did 1t ever occur to you that our trees
the house too much2 Would you mind
cutting some of them down, and trim
ming others so as to let in more sun
shine? The doctor says my RHEUMATISM
would be less apt to trouble me
He loved his wife devotedly. So he had
several pranones of maple. and one large
oak limb cut INN edIately. That was not
sufficient, however. Whole trees needed
to be removed from their close proximity
to the house. Inasmuch as the tears were
seen to fiji his eyes when even the fe W
limb be- were severed from their parent
trunks. and be confessed q desire to
beg plaintively.
Oh, woodman, spare that tree,
Mrs. Van Dyke had not the heart to
suggest further clearing out. Her rheu-
matsm grew worse and worse. The shade
rom the grove grew more and more
dense. Mr.. Van Dyke was only home at
nights and Sundays, but OH the blessed
ness of beins screened from ousy world
on hot Sunday afternoons, when he sat
behind the sbrubbery under the broad
sheltering trees and, yes, though they
had been married so long, made love to
his sllv er-haired Wife
Dear she said, softly, on one of those
occasions, ''why could We not have city
water put in our house? 1t would save
so much strength.
''No water like chat from the old we'll, !"
he re piled and ENLARGED upon it for some
time eloouentlv. "Besides it would tear
up things. ard We are so peaceful and Sc
rene that should dread the general dis
turbance.'
Again, being left without servant for
several days, she said pleasantly, but
very appealingly, MY dear, wish we
had gas In the old home, as in your
so many lamps every morning would be
come unnecessary.
II hate gaslight," he exclaimed.
nothing like nice well-shaded kerosene
lamps"
He did not have to keep them in order,