Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1905-11-10
ELIZABETH ATRES.,

~UV60s
ed to an inquirins neighbor, speaking
carclessly, but looking sideways Mt his
wife. with mischief in his eyes.
Eyes, We have, father" h an
swered demurcly. Then, turning to the
%neighbor she explained. ut seems like
quite an undertaking at our time Of
life, but the boys are set on our ON
ing west, SO We're going to please
en-"
The house was put in order, the
windows d%arkened, ana the key to the
back door hung on the nail outside in
plain sight of all beholders, where It
had hung for years whenever the MEN,
bers of the family were abroad. The
chickens and cow were confided to the
care of an obiiGing neighbor and the
wedding journey was actually begun.
They made a slow progress, this SIM
pie, elderly man and woman absorb
ed in the realization Of their llfe's
dream and enjoying 1t to the full.
They often stood hand in hand to
view the sights of the city. with the
satchel. which they never allowed out
of their keeping, resting on the pave
ment at their feet.
You would have known they were
from the country and were unused to
the ways Of the world, and you would
have known, IL you had been an OBJ
server of faces, that they were living
some great happiness. Theirs was a
case where expectation was not better
than realization. ~
They had planned vaguely for this
journey throughout their life together,
not thinking of what they should see,'
and they found the world a place Of
wonders especially arranged for their
pleasure.
my land, father, isn't there a lot to
see" mother exclaimed esc:tea!y, a.
day by day fresh marvcls were re-
vealed to her vision.
"It's considerable few Of a world"
father agreed, quantity.
They went to Colorado to visit their
sons and their growing spirit Of adven-
ture carried them still farther west.
Fathers jest about going to "Califor-
ny" changed to earnest. They saw the
land of the Pacific slope and they We're
awed by It's vGst1ess and stranSeaess.
They saw their country from east to
west and then they returned to their
quiet hcme, their wedding Journey ct
last ACCOMPLISHED.
you've got to see things to know
how they look; no n can describe
!'em to you said mother, q
mo, they can't; but l feel that I'm
going to have n real pleasant time tell
IT, H. H. NJ .,,,n ,l,N,,@ 80 k.s- .
returned father, his mind leaping
ahead to the stories he should relate
when the neighbors came in to visit
them winter evenings"
They did not send word to their
| friends of their coming, so there was
no one to meet them at the station.
The news of their arrival soon spread
through the village, but before the
n]eighbors ran i'm they gave them
time to get settled. They found the
doorkey hanging on the nail where
they had left 1t. Then they opened the
door and went into the house. Father
raised the long-closed windows and
doors while his wife inspected her do
main. .
"My!' she exclaimed, her house
wlfely instinct aroused to action, "ths
dust's an inch thick On everything"
"We've been where it's a sight dus-
tier" father answered. DO you re-
member that day in the desert7 We
most choked."
Mother held her bonnet in her hand
and picked at its bows refectively.
1T doesn't seem possible we've real
ly been so far. My, my, the things
we've seen! And now it's all over"
she said. w
Eyes," echoed father, n little sober
'ly, we've travelled a considerable, and
now It's all over and we haven't 1t to
look forward to n more. We've
been planning to take that trip for tif.
ty years. Do you know 1t, motherY"
He was feeling the let-down after
weeks of excitement, and now that the
plan of a lifetime had been brought to
it's elimination, he missed its stimulus.
His wife looked at him closely inc un.
derstood his mood.
WELL" she said, cheerfully, we en-.
joyed looking forward to 1t; we en-.
joyed having it; and now We'll enjoy
looking back at it and talking it over.
1t was worth waiting for, but, father,
home? 1t does to me. I'm real glad
to be here"
"Yes, mother" he answered, catch
ing her mood and forgetting his mo
mentary depression, at seems real
good to be home.'-Toledo Blade.
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