Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-09-19

which the lonely cabin stood was shell
tered from the prevailing winds, but
the house itself was almost covered
with the drifts. The constant fire
roaring up the huge stone chimney
had melted some of the snow at the
top and it had run down the slanting
roof and formed huge icicles on what
had been the caves of the house. The
man had cut away the drifts from
doors and windows for light and lib
erty. At first every stormy night
would fill his laborious clearings with
drifting snow, but as 1t became pack
ed down and frozen solid he was able
to keep his various ways open without
a great deal of diff Guilty. A little
work every morning and evening suf-
feed.
Every day he had to go down the
mountain stairway to the bottom Of
the pocket to feed and water the bur-
ros. What was a quick and simple
task in milder, warmer seasons some,
times took him a half a day under the
present rigorous conditions. And the
woman never saw him start out in
the storm without a sinking heart and
grave apprehension. On his return to
the cabin half frozen, almost spent
! and exhausted, she ever welcomed him
with eager gratitude and satisfaction
which would shine in her eyes, throb
in her heart and tremble upon her
lips, control it as she might. And he
thought it was well worth all the trou-
Bile and hardships of his task to be so
greeted when he came back to her.
Winter had set in unusually early
and with unprecedented severity. Any
kind of winter in the mountains
would have amazed the girl, but even
the a with his larger experience
declared he had never before known
such sharp and sudden cold, or such
deep and lasting SHOWS. His daily
records had never shown such low
temperatures nor had his observation
ever noted such wild and furious
storms as ragged then and there. 1t
seemed as il Nature were in a con-
spiracy to seal up the mountains and
all they contained, to make ingress
and egress alike impossible.
A month had elapsed and Ends
foot vas now quite we'll. The man
had managed to sew up her boot
where the knife had cut 1t and al
though the job was a clumsy one the
result vas a disable shoe. 1t is as
tonishing the comfort she took when
she first put 1t on and discarded for
good the shapeless wooden stocking
which had covered the clumsy band.
age happily no longer necessary. AL
though the torn and bruised member
had healed and she could use it with
care, her foot was still very tender
and capable Of sustaining no violent
or long continued strain. OF neces-
sity she had been largely confined to
the house. but whenever 1t had been
possible he had wrapped her In his
great bear skin coat and had helped
her out to the edge of the cliff for
a breath Of fresh air.
Sometimes he would leave her
there alone, would perhaps have left
her alone there always had she not
im~periously required his company.
Insensibly she had acquired the hab
it-not a difficult one for a woman to
fall into-of taking the lead In the
! small affairs of their circumscribet
existence, and he had acquiesced II
her dominance without hesitation o.
, remonstrance. 1t was she who or
/ dered their daily walk and converse
} ton. Her wishes were consulted
) about everything; to be sure no grea'
, range of choice was allowed them, o.
> liberty of action or freedom in thu
c%onstraints with which nature bounC
them, but whenever there was an!
: selection she made 1t.
l The man yielded everything for he
and yet he did it without in any wa!
! derogating from his ~self-respect o.
without surrendering his natural in
dependence. The woman instructive
!, ly realized that in any great crisis il
/ any large matter, the determination
1 Of which would naturally effect thei
0 present or their future, their happin
ess, welfare life, he would assert him
Q self, and his assertion would be I'm
questioned and unquestionable by her
There was a delightful satisfaction
to the woman in the whole stu alton
She had a woman's desire to lead il
the smaller things in life, and ye
craved the woman's consciousness
y that In the great emergencies sh
would be led, in the great battles sh
9 would be fought for, in the great dar
Q gers she would be protected, in tn
great perils she would be saved
Q There was rest, comfort, joy and salts
faction in these thoughts.
s The strength OF the mar she MAJ
g tered was estimate Of her own powe
t and charm. There was a great. sweer
e yoiceless, unconscious fattery IN hi
e Difference Of which she could not b
unaware.
To BE CoNTINUED.)
- N a.... h
Thin Ice.
- ~ - $40 -