The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-11-27
Gbe Home Coming of Jessica
BY MARY E. WILKINS.

w 'llist - WIN w 10 an
fc,,lt to tal, what led .rrssjca ia rorsaIfc
~, - 80. "a t,. a,a,a e., 10
nv ~ - 80 ~
lFSl place Sne must nave haa d
~smoldering ambition, or perhaps not
so much ambition as restlessness, al
,hoppb sbn looked etoid even slolt1.
Iessicn ,YIs q n]reffy gfrl win . nlacid
otyl. ar "r,ot tf,asg mn overia wing of
en,nnth Nh ma white cIryes nnd
ul~n,oSa 81 ~ ~, 90 - ol,iva,, nr nerves.
ne is tbn use 1ui,b ,1anV 6nngbIcrs Of
Nov iSnoIand Al Nor III lnn% she had
iivsd IN 99t,at "a I'm hn,iso = rnntnrv old.
nat ~ 30 ~. I ~. -" - No nrssnnt
~ ~ - = ~ ~ sho hod
,no,,aa Stt ~, ~ .,t,n ,,oe1nrt fni,
nnn,n ~ - nj, tiar' sn,aon nf bina
bnSand 4, a1nn,, ,ihbnn nr ,iVer With
orsar dd aSus IA thn roraatoInd she
Ind seen Tho q, mn Goyycrinr bushes in
thn front vn,d NM FORM gerry spring,
the same trees leaf ana blossom: she
bad senn 80 -, ronae in church
a"erv sm,daT ne same nanple PASS
the house.-rnen with the peaceful
slo,ch Of unnlcstioninr toll. women
moving with thot awkward hitch OF
advance which comes TO a woman from
entire acouIesence with hard circum-
stnnce md slle had become wearied to
the pitch of savage irritation, She had
even wearied Of her own father and
mother. or her father. who had never
seen q days vacation, and looked upon
one MS a transgrcssion of the COM
mnndlnent of tho gods: of her mother,
who would not WELD to advancing age
and weakness. but who persisted In her
old ways with a sort OF fierce obstinacy.
There's no use in me trying to help
mother, she won't be helped" Jes-
slca often said to herself. Then she
would go upstairs to her own room, sit
down by the ndo and gaze out at
that same DID prospect which came
gradually to fill her with utter loath-
ing, a sort OF spiritual nausea which
she could not understand. If sh. only
could have seen one different curve Of
the hills; If the silver river would nave
taken another bend: If some morning
she could have discovered a maple in
stead of an old cherry tree in the front
yard. She arrived at that point where
the wonted rasped her; she had the
antithesis OF homesickness. She looked
around her room, n fairly hated
everything which she saw. There was
the old pineapple bedstead in which she
had slept ever since she could remem-
Der; there was the OLD mahogany bu-
reau, those old china vases which had
belonged to her grandmother on the
lnantel shelf, the old sweeps of tas-
sGled dimity nj the windows, the braid
ed Jugs which would outlast her
49, ~ t'.t'S IH'' "iy No''
eeption of her state of mind; the horror
et snneness which overcome her like
the sting from a burn every time she
entered q 0 or looked out of a win
dow was beyond their comprehension,
There had been for them during their
whole lives no taking of their knotted
hands from the plow, and vet they
were not unlnteiligent people. They
were simply unquestioning with no
spirit or reoellion. Thsy could not I'M
aBihe II IN their daughter. When she
reVoited at last they were aghast, as
Inuch at q loss as II they had suddenly
a~lseoVefed a ehangellng in their home
cradle,
one evening When spring was upon
mem. n the restless ferment of 1t
SURFING Jesslca S blood TO It's utmost
hulion' she spoke: II Was a very warm
evening IN carry May. me FATHER and
Inotner were seated after tea In the
siea. nsihs room, one preparing po-
na.oes j,oI plahelng, me other mend.
h Ill.,. ~ Il " Ill III