The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-29

| with many a sly hit at Mrs. hampton.
when l married her." he said to a
few friends that had gathered in par
lor to hear him, ''they said she
wouldn't live long. Many women are
slandered this way every day. She
didn't do the house work-her mother
| lived with us and did it for her. She
/ just read books night and day. At
night when I put my horses up and
went into the house, she never noticed
my rough colchester mother mended
/ them when they needed it Every
week gave her my earnings. keeping
! only enough for horse feed. / felt
/ was poor society for her she
read and knew so much. l thought
her then-and she IS not bad looking
now-the prettiest woman l ever saw.
\ She didn't read novels. Once l got
copy of Moths at the library. She
returned the book and put the Bible in
its place. j read SO little that l didn't
notice the change. She didn't talk to
me about her books. She often wrote
me notes to read during the day. /
/ have tool box full of them in the barn.
After awhile my wife's mother died
Two or three years passed They
were full of regret to me that l was
DOT my wifes equal. l could not read
pr talk with her. was not unhappy,
/ ret was too awkward to assure her
that / was able TO eat three square
meals day-our first and grea test
misunderstanding.
| lone night / dreamed that l was
! about to enter Heaven. Divine music
lifted my senses to heavenly delights.
A friendly angel led me to temple,
the holy court of justice. Shining,
beaming angels guarded the door. An
| other angel led me in front of a high
( throne, and there I saw the resplendent
and glorifed King.
HE waved His hand and the walls of
the temple rolled aside. 1 stood on
| floating clouds, and all about me 1
heard the beautiful music again-not
loud, but very soft and sweet.
Thousands of angels came and stood
about me. The King and His altar
were high above me on the highest and
/ brightest of clouds. At His right hand,
with other choice angels, was my wife.
Il looked toward her, and, forgetting
my Maker, | stretched out my hands
and knelt as if to worship her, when
the cloud shot out from under me and
down. down fell.
Il could not cry OUT could suffer for
her. 1t was happiness.
Then l awol1e and found il was time
for me to be up and about my work.
THAT evening when l came home I
found supper ready-something / had
prepared myself since my wife's mother
died. No food ever tasted better. No
woman ever talked so much as nv
wife. while afterward as / sat by
the CHEEKY fire she knelt by my chair
and told me secret she had kept for
years-extraordinary woman. She had
finished her books and all her study
had been for me.
john she said, as she slipped few
papers in nay hands, for twenty-five
years have studied night and day to
condense my books that by few
evenings reading you could be pos
sessed of their knowledge; that You
might be wise and well read. Read
my notes and chose your profession.
Leave the dray for the ministry, the
law, or medicine
Il thought it over-I didn't doubt
anything she said.
The next day didn't drive the dray,
but tried to remember my hard life.
The day after sold my horses and my
wagon. In few evenings was ready
to be turned out to pasture in the do
nation field.
Il now do the studying and am on an
equal plane with the best wife man
ever had-she who toiled early and
late for twenty-five years to simplify
knowledge that l, her husband, the
most ignorant of men, could master it"
AS some of US looked at the parson
queerly he insisted that he had told
the truth, and amid much applause,
his blushing wife certified to the
story. EwING HERBERT.