The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1897-11-27


thea quit. His strength of purpose was
growing weak when Louise, rafting the
pots in preparation of breakfast, began
one of her old tunes she used to sing
when, full of hope, they had moved to
the Ridge.
She's turning over a new Leaf"
thought Long; and 1 must" Panta-
looms in hand he stepped to the door
and cast the tobacco across the garden.
He saw it fall on the onion bed, noted
the place, and h~urriedly dressed.
The day began still and sultry, clouds
still lingering in the south and west.
The children were hoeing afield and
Long was blowing in the cotton. His
wife was missing from her usual place
of espial in the doorway. After the
breakfast dishes had been cleared away
she picked up the hoe and began to
work industriously in the garden.
It'll be of little use" she thought,
as the hoe thumped on the hard ground
and ratified among the rocks; but it
strengthens folks in their resolution, to
keep busy"
why, what's this?" she said, pick.
ing up something in the onions. We'll,
ii it amt Henry's tobacco" Her sus-
p~icions were confirmed. She involun-
tarily glanced toward the field; she was
just in time to see her husband disap-
pear in the brush down the side of a
ravine that ran across the farm. THE
second time he's stopped this morning.
Something must be ailing him." She
stood leaning against the hoe. gazing
intently at the spot where he had van
ished. Five. ten. fifteen minutes passed,
and her husband had not returned to
the mule that stood patiently in the
sun doggedly fighting the flies.
Her curiosity, not altogether I'M
mixed with fear, was aroused. She
dropped the hoe and. still holding the
tobacco, started under cover of the
patch of corn for the ravine. She en-
tered it and crept along the dry bed
toward the spot where Long had disap-
peared. She had made only a few yards
when she stopped and listened. She
could hear n mumbling just ahead. She
was almost sure it was Henry's voice.
What could be the trouble? He must
be hurt, and she could scarcely restrain
m impulse to rush to his side. What
she did was to crawl cautiously some
yards further. Only a bush or two sep
arated her from her husband, and she
could hear him distinctly.
Lord help me-" he was saying. give
me more faith. am so weak; I've tried
50 hard to quit. o Lord. give me
strength for LUIS sake. 1t worries her
&c to see me throwing my money away,
an it takes from her an the children,
O Lord help me-help me-"
\ deep rumbling rolled along the
vest; hurrying clouds passed under the
sun. \ silence fell for a time on the
ridge; then a breeze came sweeping up
the ravine that smelled of rain. Long
paused only n moment to listen to the
prophetic sounds, and feeling that il
was a propitious time for a more com
prehensive prayer, he resumed: "Yes,
Lord. help. and if it be Thy will send us
rain. We so badly need rain. Lord,
for LUIS sake and the children, send us
diH. Lulu HC'p mt hClp AK SlNS
up the filthy stuff! And. Lord. if it is
Thy will give us a bountiful crop; we
need another mule, we need some plows,
we need so many things; an, o Lord,
we so much need a well. LUIS health
is poor, an she can't drink poor water.
o Lord. give us a big crop, an for LUIS
sake give us a we'll"
T--.zz F1I - L. r-~ --l o-..l 800
20 Lord, have mercy on me. a selfish
old sinner. Help me, o Lord, to keep
from worrying. an help me be submits
She rose and pushed herway through
the brush. Long heard his wife ap-
preaching. and, still on his knees,
turned and faced her with an express
sion of blank amazement.
Get up from there. henry. I've
been a-hearin' you. an I'm a selfish old
a-begrudgin' you the little sat-
isfaction We have from your gIid." She
stepped nearer to him and extended the
of tobacco. Here's yer tobacco:
| found it in the onion bed where you
throwed it; if it's any comfort to you
it an chew it. an I'll never open
my mouth in a word of complaint ag'in
amt We goin' to take it?"
Long had risen to his feet and stood
staring at his wife and the preferred to-
bacco. A tear relied slowly down his
and he raised his hand and
brushed it away.
"Lu. you're too good; it's me that's
the selfish old brute" he began, husk-
ily. God being my helper, I'll never
put Il chew in my mouth again unit!
you nave a home in the valley and a
well of lasting water"
He took the dirty piece of tobacco
and hurled it far down the ravine. Be-
lore il had reached the ground large
irops of rain began to fall on the
parched ground and splash on the dry
"Oh, Henry, forgive me-" cried his
wife, throwing her arms about his neck.
A terrific clap of thunder burst from
The clouds overhead, and following il
a downpour of rain.
The tears rolling down Longs cheek
with the falling drops as he
lrew his wife into the protection Of ths
lenser brush.-N. Y. Independent.