Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1920-10-28
zoe and
A Her Problems

Having decided that her duty was
to take care of her home Zoe promp-
tlv withdrew from the aid society
and gave her time and attention to
her family The weeks were siren
uous during the canning and pre-
serving season and she was glad
when Allen decided the time was
ripe for camping trip. Zoe re-
members the time spent in the woods
that summer as the happiest time of
her life. All were in perfect health
and the chill dren relieved her of
much of the work.
She had been too busy all her life
to give attention to the beauties of
nature but she caught the inspira-
ton from the others and was fairly
carried away with what was going
on lii this fastness which the wood
mans AK had not yet reached and
where nature still held sway.
Allen had been endowed with
naturallst's perception. He was an
enthusiast in the study of the lavish
display of vegetation around them.
lOnce Zoe would have been bored
but since she had allowed herself t O
observe the marvels of nature
around her she too was interested
and soon learned to distinguish and
name many varieties of trees, shrubs,
vines and other vegetation. The
birds interested her too, and she
never wearled of watching them.
The nesting season was over and the
young with their parents were fit
ting through treetops and bushes
feeding on the ripening weed seeds
and gathering strength for the long
journey southwark, Twitterings and
chirrupings with trills and snatches
of song filled the air. Zoe realized
that she had missed much of the
Joy OF living by not giving atten-
ton to the happiness Of Gods crea-
lures.
Sometimes they all went together
but the smaller children liked better
to play by the babbling brook which
ran by their camp, digging in the
! sand and wading in the clear water.
Max and Allen kept their larder
{ supplied with fresh fish from the
8 lake.
a Time passed rapidly after their
d return home so they prepared for
= the opening of the schools. Con-
y stance was to go too and Zoe would
e be alone for the day She watched
y them until they had passed out Of
/ sight that first morning with a for.
lorn feeling that she had lost hel
! baby. No, not lost her." shs
II thought, "Dut we are giving her he
N chance.
N One evening in early Novembe
Doris came home from school witt
$ flushed cheeks and quickened breath
Il A doctor was summoned but IN spit
ar of their efforts the child rapidly grey
= worse and in the struggle which en-
sued death conquered. Scarcel,
10 three days had elapsed when sh
ef closed her eyes and fell into th
-. dreamless sleep which knows n
Nc waking.
. Only mother who has lost
child can realize Zoe's anguish 8
as she strove to sooth the little suffert
nd in her delirium, realizing that til
by grim destroyer was about to entt
nd her household and rob her Of tn
nd golden haired, sunny eyed darlin
the light Of the home. When tt
W. blow come she was stunned and fl
ly. a time her numbed faculties faile
rat to grasp the fact that the child w
." no more.
the the For many weeks a pail of gloo
hung like a nightmare over t
md household. Zoe wept often al
gave way to gloomy brooding. II
,dd health suffered in consequence a