Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1895-02-01

even q foreman at a mill. But they ala
not know this, and without another word
both cheerfully accepted the new life
whirh was to begin the next Monday
morning. "
Tie hardest bit of 1t was the long
hours-the separation from the dusk Of
the morning till after nightfall. Some.
times Roderick came in 30 tired that.
Instead of talking, he would just throw
himself dOwn-noto on the sofa, that he al.
ways left for her, but on the rug at her
feet--and fall asleep till bedtime. while
she, anxious to use her busy fingers to
the last available minute, sewed silently.
watching him the while. IF he had seen
that watch! Does n man ever thoroughly
comprehend how a woman loves him?
But, the working days done, there were
the blessed Sundays, he never knew how
blessed, he said, till he became a "work-
ing-man." Church over, his wife sent
him to take a long stroll over the hills.
while she gathered round her for an hour
the little class of mill girls, taught for so
many years by Miss Jardine. Roderick
sometimes grumbled ut this, but she
said, gently, eve each do our work. I
think this is mine; let me do it." And by
the time he came to tea it was done,
and the jealous fellow had his wife to
himself for the whole evening.
Those sweet Sunday evenings, wher
"the rain was ON the roof"-for winter
set in early that year-how comfortable
they were! The two, shut in together,
had to learn the grcat secret, and go
through the hardest test of married life
even such young married life us theirs
constant companionship; not love, not
passion, scarcely even affection-for all
these a sometimes exist without it,
Mt least for u long time-but simple COM
panionship. that priceless friendship
which is ''love without his WINGS"
"Suppose You had been n goose, ST.
lence," he said II day. Suppose you
had expected me to be always making
love to you, instead of talking to you
like n sensible woman; suppose you had
not cared for the things I care for, but
wanted something totally different-say
dressing and dancing and going out of
evenings-what in the world would have
become of meg"
She laughed merrily. "And suppose
yor had been a man of the world, who
liked good dinners and brilliant society,
and was ashamed of his poor little wife
= oAS WUS uOl ClCVGI-
"Nonsense!"
"Not clever" she repeated, with q
sweet decision, "after the fashion that is
called clever; nor beautiful, nor grand:
had brought him no non and given
him no position-I don't speak often of
this. but I know it all. Suppose, Rod
erick, you had been different from what
you are; I wonder what would have be-
come of me! No, nor And her gayety
melted into an almost sad seriousness.
"Whateyer the future brings we have the
present. Let us rejoice in it, and-let us
thank God"
In his old life Roderick had seldom
thought Of this. Now, when every night
he saw his wife kneel down by her bed
side, he had come instinctively to kneel
beside her, Saying his prayers" as the
children do; or, rather, since with her
always neal him there seemed nothing
left to pray for, just whispering in his
heart, '"Thank God!" As he did now
ay, and many a time in the day, in the
midst Of his work, which was NOT too
pleasant sometimes. But it grew pleas
ant and easy when there flashed across
him the vision of the sweet face ut home
mo longer the ideal mistress of his
dreams, but the dear wife of his bosom.
always at hand to tighten his burdens
and divide his cares.
(To be continued.)