Year: 1873

CHAPTER I.


1t has already been said that Ellen
gradually recovered from her severe in
disposition and resumed her accustomed
duties. But she did not regain her for
mer elasticity or strength. Her first
day OF fconyaleseence was spent over the
wash-tub, from force Of habit as well as
necessity. This of course brought on a
new attack Of physical and mental pros
tration, followed in a few days by an
other attempt at overwork and these
alternatives of toll. and prostration con-
tinued until one day the rupture of a
blood vessel aroused her husband and
Ziek Hamilton 10 4 realization of the
fact that, let the expense be what it
might, aid for the wOrn-out woman in
the labors of the household had become
imperative.


A rough, stout girl from the neighbor-
ing village was employed in the wretch
ed home and installed in the low
kitchen as mistress. But one day Of the
constant toll that Ellen had borne for
years suffieed for the woman who
worked for pay. Had she been wife in
stead Of servant she could have had no
choice in the matter, but, as il was, she
was free to choose, and therefore depart
ed for more endurable quarters. An
other and yet another woman was en-
ployed with like results, until Peter

found it impossible TO retain the men in
his employ, who were engaged in fenc-
ing and otherwise improving his last
new farm, unless he should become cook
himself.


Ellen would notice the children some
times, and in feeble, listless way do
what she could for their comfort, but
she grew weaker continually until by
the autumn time she was seldom able
to leave her bed.


DIR. Goff, who had paid little heed to
the coarse insults Of Peter Dowd when
on former occasion he had striven to
arouse him to a sense of his duty
towards his wife, had been Ellen's at
tendant physician all through the sum-
mer, and now, seeing the impossibility
of making her comfortable in the
wretched cabin of the rich landowner
he suggested to uncle Jacob Graham the
necessity of removing her to his house
To this all parties readily assented, and
the world-weary wife, with fearful
goodbye to her troop of noisy, inhar.
monious little ones, and stolid glance
of contempt at the man who had blight.
ed her life through a blasphemy of what
the world, in its ignorance, sometimes
calls marriage, gave a sigh of relief as
the wagon rolled away from the door
taking her, as she hoped, forever from
the scene Of so much personal wretch,
edness.


Katie, the child of Ziek and Saraf
Hamilton, was now house-keeper il
Jacob Graham's house, and with much
zest and good will did she enter upor
the task of nursing back to life the pale
wrecked sufferer, who would lie listess
ly for hours upon the lounge beneatl
the window where morning glories wer
giving way to chrysanthemums, an
the maple leaves were donning thei
richest coats Of amber, gold and brown


For the fourth time Peter Dowd sc
cured a house-keeper. The new recrui
was a large framed, brawny-hande
woman, with fiery black eyes, coars
hair, and rather regular features, fin
teeth and prominent nose. Her firs
glance at the cabin and its surrounding
was one of mingled surprise and cor
tempt. She had heard that Peter Dow
was rich, and had expected TO see n sub
stantial frame or brick farmhouse, an
other evidences of comfort, If not of lux
ury.


Peter, poor fellow, had become some
what humbled by the necessities of hi
situation as house-keeper, therefore h
would listen now to insinuations in re-
gard to his surroundings from fear G
being left alone, such as had Ellen dare
to make as his wife, he would have ne,
emptorily silenced.


''I should like to know.u said Poll
Jones, the new recruit, braudishing


great homemade broom as she snok,
and sending cloud of ashes from tb
dry earthen hearth over the slab mar
tel, surmounted by a gun resting q
deers' horns; az should like 10 know