The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-12-31

W cnop Sllcn things Tor his mother
IF Nellie were here now," he
thought, regretfully. 'she would
have had everything ready for our
first holiday dinner together, and
New Year is such suitable day
upon which to begin married life"
With this thought, the cheerful
tune Jack was whistling came to an
abrupt close, and an expression of
sadness crept into his face: then
the chopping bowl was pushed aside,
and he buried his face in his hands.
ut is useless" he groaned, 81
can never get over it; / cannot be
brave. Oh. Nellie, Nellie, I cannot
live my life without you, and-I
WON'T"
Jack had decided to be farmer
without consulting the girl he loved,
principally because he had never told
her he loved her, and so had no
claim upon her. He had believed
that man had no right to propose
marriage to a girl until he had
home to offer her, and so he had
gone alone into the prairie wilder
ness and taken up his battle against
poverty single-handed. He had been
unusually successful, and in three
years he had secured the little home
in which we find him, and he owed
no man penny. Then he had gone
back to the old home, to find Nellie
Rogers and ask her to be his wife.
He had thought of her so long as
mistress of that little sod house on
the prairie that he could not believe
her answer would be disappointing
and when it came it almost crushed
him.
81 do care for you, Jack, but not
enough to live on a farm, and in
such wilderness. l want to live in
the city. If you loved me. why did
you not ask me where j want tc
live? Should woman not have a
choice in the matter? If you still
love me, Jack, why not sell the farm
now?"
ut is my home, Nellie. ] hav,
worked three years to get it.
could not sell it now for what it i.
worth to me, and 1 have nothing
else. Do you understand, dear? T
is all the home / have to offer YOU
1t seemed to Jack that such an ex
PLANTATION ought to satisfy any girl
and when Nellie persistently refused
to live on farm, he could only con
clude that she did not love him wei
enough to be his wife. He babe he
! a formal farewell and went back t,
HIS farm, angrily telling himself tina
ths girl was not worth a secont
thought, and that any self-respect
ing man could make himself happ
without her. That was in November
and Jack had kept himself very bus,
ever since, in order to forget wha
first time he had broken down. Blu
he had built so many air castle
about this first day of the new yea
the first holiday which he and Mel
lie would spend in their new HON
hat it was rather difficult to celc
brate the day alone, and as cheer
fully as if nothing had happened t,
disturb ms plans.
eff there We're any hope that i
might be different next year, h
moaned; but Nellie's answer ha,
been final. Next year, and all tn
years to come must be spent with
out her if he remained on the farm
"And it may be years before / can
sell, and even then ] must begin a
the beginning and make anothe
home. A girl would have to love
man very dearly to wait SO long, an,
if she loved him like that she woult
go to the home he had provided"
The clock on the pretty little man
tel chimed the midnight hour, ant
Jack raised his head YEARLY.
81 won't be a coward" he said. g
don't feel, just now, as if / cared
much about a swell dinner, but
may have more courage few hours
later and then can make that pie