Year: 1878

called out again, and the soft blanket
spread in it, and John Jones took the
lines in his emaciated hands and drove off
in the same direction as he did the day
before. When he returned he was ac-
companied by broad-shouldered good
looking German girl whom he introduced
to his wife as "our girl"


She looked with amazement upon sour
girl, and then stared at John. He soon
planned things to her satisfaction.


"The upshot Of the matter is, Jane, that
I've abused you long enough; the Lord
helpin' me, I'll never see you make a
drudge O. yourself agfn- 1t is a burnin'
shame for any great lout like me to ex-
pect frail little body like you to be
man, and dog, and wife, and mother, and
me savin' and boarding up money and
means to leave to the Lord knows who
| beg your pardon, Jane. And now you'll
tell this girl, Barbara Grootz, how you
want things done, ma let her take your



place and work in your stead, and you'll
live hereafter like human mans wife
ought to-"


By the time this speech was made, the
poor weak fellow was blubberlng like a
baby. Poor little surprised wife She
flew to his neck and laid her head on his
bosom, and cried like a baby as she said,
0John Jones, you darling +.


"No, not a bit OF darlin' just an old
bear, a regular old heather, to sacrifice
the best little woman under the sun, inch
by inch, the way that's been going on for
years., snuff1ed he, as he fumbled over
her face in an aimless, loving way.


Then "our girl" Barbara, went into Jane
Jones harness, and it fitted her to fac-
ton.


"Now we've turned over a new leaf, 90
and dress up, Jenny, bless you /" said the
new convert.


So, with the memory of lang syne
warming her heart, Jane unearthed her
wedding dress in the afternoon, and put it
on, with a pretty old fashioned collar,
and brushed out her brown hair that
once upon time curled beautifully. Per
haps she felt foolish and girlish and out
sphere, but she looked sweet enough
to make up Io9r all discrepancies.


She sat sewing, piftssi.sss ! new band on
Ruby's new skirt, when the chicken came
home from school. Her back was toward
the door. Tom came TO dead halt as
he stepped on the sill and then ran around
the lean-to to find his mother. No moth
er there, but the smiling, pinky faced Ger
man girl, who was pairing potatoes to
bake for supper.


Tom bawled out as mother dead ? o,
want my mother /" and circled around
the house and peeped in shylY with wet
eyes.


Was that lady in soft gray merino
dress, wearing an embroidered coral and
gold ear drops, his mother Surely it was,
for Nettie was feeling of her face and was
sparkling all over and saying, "Is this you
mother Why, where have you been 7"


"Oh, ma" said Tom, holding her
around the neck as though she might fit
away the next minute; ''why where did
you 60, and when did you come back ?"


Poor little ones, how proud they were
of the household drudge in her new and
beautiful Transformation.


But this is not all. Before the first cold
blast of winter came, steps were taken to
save and tighten the labors Of the femi-
nine portion of the farmers household.
siding was put on and painted white.
New windows were added, and green
blinds and spouting, and big cistern
close to the kitchen door, and a wide,
long, roomy porch. Closets were put in
all the rooms the old verminy bedsteads
split up and used for kindling new chairs
were bought including new rocking and
sewing chair for mother; new sewing
machine, that was love of friend the
door yard was paled in, and the calves and
colts kept where they belonged; and
evergreen trees, and Towering shrubbery,
and rose bushes made beautiful in the new
yard. An easy chain pump took the place
Of the moss covered bucket that held as
much as churn. It was packed off to