The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1909-09-23
A Waif's s
Life Mission
A Tender and Touching Story Re-
garding a Hunchback Waif
and Her Achievement.

In the doorway of al small, cneroom
frame house gloomy man sat one
afternoon, staring vacantly at his sur
roundings.
Far away across the yellow stubble
the heat rays were dancing with tan
talizing brilliancy; now and then a
prematurely scared leaf fell listlessly
to the ground from a stunted cotton
wood tree; in the scant shadow of the
barn crowd of beasts and fowls were
painting with the heat and making fu-
tile efforts to free themselves from the
stinging stock flies, while from the in
side of the barn came the sound of
horses hoofs as they impatiently pound
ed the floor for like purpose.
Midway between the house and the
barn a wolfish looking collie, with head
down and red tongue lolling, tugged at
his chain, or paced nervously to and
fro in front of the kennel, apparently
oblivious to the heat.
From where the man sat he could
look the full length of the porch in
front of the house. On the farther end
of the porch was an infants cradle,
rocked to and fro by little hunchback
girl. AS she rocked the cradle she
hummed an oldfashioned lullaby, and
turning every now and then she waved
her hand and waited a merry smile out
toward the gloomy-faced man in the
doorway. In the cradle was tie mans
eighteen-months-old baby, whom he
had not seen since the day it was born,
and then only fleeting glimpse.
The mans features were typical of
his surroundings-bro and bronzed
and scanned; his eyes were kindly blue
but they rarely looked up; his mouth
was finely chiseled, but closed like he
had snapped it shut and could not or
would not open it again. He did not
know it, but he was just an ordinary
headstrong, selfopinionated man, sore
ly wounded in his vanity and he was
suIking.
AS he sat there sullen and l. nelly his
eyelids dropped and his vision blurred
The heat rays seemed to dance faster
and faster; the cott' nwood leaf zig.
gagged and made fantastic gestures
the little hunchhack suddenly becoming
clothed in misty white garment float
ed out toward him, and with fairy
hand she pulled aside the curtain Of
the past, and one by one memory's pic
lures rolled by in silent review.
Fifteen years ago John Harmon hat
landed at the boxcar depot stuck ava!
out on the rim of Western prairie
Fresh from a New England village
barely twentyone years of age, h,
staked off his homestead and starte'
in to redeem the barren waste. Wha
he lacked in worldly goods was mad
up in enthusiasm and selfassurance.
For five years he toiled on alone. bu
at least once every week he received
letter from the old home town, full o
encouragement and good cheer, signe
by Martha, his sweetheart.
At the end of five years he wrote t
Martha to come and when she arrive
she put her shoulder to the wheel, sid
by side with Johns, and where ther
was one head of grain before ther
were two now instead.
For three years they toiled on side b
side, yoked to their conjugal cOEten
ment, when one day John disturbed th
usual serenity of their evening meal b
suddenly remarking:
martha, do you realize that we hav
been married over three years ?"
"Yes, John, do," said Martha.
"And," said John, leaning toward ht
with his more than usual earnestnes
~'dO you realize, Martha, that no chill
has come to bless our union"
eyes, John, I do" said Martha, an
two little red spots glowed on her wa
cheeks, aud two teardrops coursed dow