The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-11-11

q q way TO town and ask ne
4 q TO come next week an'
0oN help me clean house. IL
getting pretty late. and | don't ike t'
put II off so long"
The man took a step or two forward
then turned toward the tall, spare
hollow eyed woman, who WIS his wife
and answered:
rs IL really necessary, SusanT A
glance round the room was her an
swer. LET IL go this fall" said the
man. I'm sure IL don't look very
bad"
dirty. Look at the walls and win.
dows."
Pooh! see dlrtier ones every day
Then, as il another thought had struck
him, he said, Couldn't you do part
this week and part next?"
II don't know. Perhaps So"
The answer came in discouraged
tones, and the churning was contin-
ued in nervous, spasmodic jerks.
The man saw her discouraged look,
aud said as he went out:
Well, IL you must, | reckon | can
let her know. l don't see how 1t is,"
said he, soliloquizing, as he trotted his
horse at a low rate along the winding
prairie road Il can't see how ii is
that Susan thinks she must hire so
much done. Looks like she ought to
be able to do all she has 10 do. True,
in harvest time it comes little hard
on her. hire three or four men then;
that makes more cooking; but then
I've heard wlmmen say they'd as soon
cook for six as two. Now, there's my
mother; she used to cook for eight or
ten men harvest time and had seven
children TO do for. We've only four
youngsters, and don't milk half as
many cows as father used TO. But
reckon the wimmen them days were
made Of better stuff than nowadays.
Git up, Dobbin. I've hired a heap OF
work done for Susan this year. She
had help when we killed hogs, and
then she was sick and Merry Gilman
come and stayed two weeks. and l
had TO give her five dollars and her
board. l couldn't very well afford it,
either, for my moving must be paid
for this fall, and I want TO buy some
more stock, too this fall and | must
have corn planter next spring. But
here, IL haven't missed Mrs. Flynn's
and didn't stop Git up. Dobbin."
What was the hollow eyed, tired
looking woman thinking of all this
time? Thinking Of She had no time
TO think Of anything but work. The
cburning was not done, the breakfast
dishes were unwashed, the milk was
not Skinned, the weeks ironing stared
her in the face, and last. but not
least, was the little one tugging at
her skirts, begging for nourishment
But IL does not cry, so she keeps on at
the churning until the little ones pa
tience is exhausted and It's screams
are heard above the slash. slash Of the
cburn. The mother can no longer re-
sst-baby must be cared for, though
all else 20 untouched.
She was naturally tidy woman, and
as she looked around upon the untidy
house she grew nervous almost to de
spair, and the tears fell fast upon the
baby's face at her breast
Oh, how welcome those silent visit
ors when the heart is overburdened
by grief or trial! They seem to be
the rivers that wash our hearts from
seI6shness
Mrs. Wilton wept long and bitterly;
but when the tears were wiped away
80 also was her burden OF toll and
care, and tenderly kissing her sleep
ing babe, she laid him In his little
crib and went about her work cheer
fully II not contentedly. She pos
sessed n cheerful disposition natural
ly, but she was not a stranger to those
hopes and aspirat tions that come to
most of us to cheer our discomfort.
she loved beautiful things. She loved
nature, and longed for stroll over
the prairie that lay broad and bright
around her. But she found very lit
tie encouragement for Injuries. even
ihe luxury of a ramble out of doors.
Her husband was sordid, money
loving, money getting man, who saw
no use for anything that there was no
money In. He knew all the ways and
means OF money getting and money
keeping. lie had taken his loving
wife from n loving home In an East
ern State, and made for himself
home in the prairies of the West. He
was deemed n very shrewd man by the
noighbors around. He knew when n
piece of land was worth selling or buy.
ing, and he was always getting some
good chance" His wife had long
ago found out that money was his idol,
and everything must be sacrificed TO il
-~even herself, She sometimes thought,
when, with aching head and tired
feet, she had sought her pillow. Thus
years had gone 10y. until few would
recognize in the hollow eyed. suuken
checked, prcmaturely old woman. the
fresh, rosy girl John Wilton had
brought there eight years before.
Mrs. Wilton did not ask her husband
If he had stopped at Mrs. Flynn's; she
supposed, of course, he had; and the
following week she watched every
day for her expected help. Watched
but not waited, for as the hours went
by she began the task and kept at It
until IL was done
Mr.. Wilton pretended not to see all
this. He kept aloos as much as pos.
sible, so as TO avoid any explanation
he might be called upon 20 make: but
when alone with himself. he said:
wall Sugan is getting aiony nicc