Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1900-12-27
ONE OF AIDES FABLES.
The "Prospel Gus Farmer'' and His
Wife.


Wife.
George AIDE is a young writer who.
has won for himself distinguished
place as humorist and satirist. His
two books "Fables in Slang'' and
"More Fables in Slang'' have had a.
wide circulation, and are books with
which one may not only while away
an hour, but may be read and reread
with Increasing interest and enjoy
ment. Mr.. AIDES fables have a moral
to them that appeals keenly enough
to the heart of men, and which lies
very openly on the surface. There is.
the prosperous Farmer" who owned
a section and had raft of big horses,
white-faced COWS, and farm machin-
cry. He was universally respected,
because the whole county knew what
he was worth. Years ago he had
married willing country girl with
pink cheeks and put her in his kitchen
to serve the remainder of her life.
He let her have as high as 50 a year
to spend for herself At 30 she was
as thin as rail and bumped over the
shoulders, and looked to be 60. She
was the onl y work animal on the
place that was not kept fat and sleek.
But, of course, Henry did not count
on selling her. Henry would often
fix up his blooded stock for the coun-
ty fair and tie blue ribbons on the
Percherons and Herefords, but it was
never noticed that he tied any blue
ribbons on his wife. Then came the
inevitable end.
When the respected farmer had
been married for twenty years and
the children had developed in long
gawks who did not know anything
except to get out and toll all day for
pa and not be paid anything for it,
and after Henry had scraped together
more money than you could load on a
hay-rack, an unfortunate thing hap
pencd. His wife began to fail. She
was now forty, but the fair and fat
did not go with it. At that age some
women are buxom and just blossom.
ing into the full charm of matronly
womanhood. But Henry's wife was
gaunt and homely and all run down.
She had been poorly for years, but
she had to keep up and do the chores
as we'll as the housework, because
Henry could not afford to hire girl.
At last her back gave out, so that she
had to sit down and rest every once
in while. Henry would come in for
his meals to let her know how hearty
all the calves seemed to be, and he
began to notice that she was not very
clipper. It worried him more than a.
little, because he did not care to pay
any doctor bills. He told her she had
better go and get some patent medi-
cine that he had seen advertised on
the fence coming out from town. It
was only twenty-five cents bottle
and was warranted to cure anything.
So she tried it, but it did not seem to
restore her youth, and she got weaker,
and at last Henry just had to have
the doctor, expense or no expense.
The doctor said that as nearly as he
could diagnose her case she seemed
to be worn out. Henry was. surprised
and said she had not been complain
ing any more than usual.
|. Next afternoon he was out decker
ing for a bull, and his woman, lying
on the cheap bedstead, up under the
hot roof, folded her lean hands and
slipped away to the only rest she had
known since she tied up with a pros,
porous and respected farmer.
Many of the other fables are in a
lighter vein, but this one shows a
kind of humor that almost moves one
to tears. In real life, we fear. it