mer had been Married for Twenty Years and the
Children had developed into long Gawks who did not know Anything except
to get out and Toil all Day for Pa and not be paid anything for it, and
after Henry had scraped together more Money than you could load on a
Hay-Rack, an Unfortunate Thing happened. His Wife began to Fail. She was
now Forty, but the Fair and Fat did not go with it. At that Age some
Women are Buxom and just blossoming into the Full Charm of Matronly
Womanhood. But Henry's Wife was Gaunt and Homely and all Run Down. She
had been Poorly for Years, but she had to keep up and do the Chores as
well as the House-Work, because Henry could not afford to hire a Girl.
At last her Back gave out, so that she had to sit down and Rest every
Once in a While. Henry would come in for his Meals and to let her know
how Hearty all the Calves seemed to be, and he began to Notice that she
was not very Chipper. It Worried him more than a little, because he did
not care to pay any Doctor Bills. He told her she had better go and get
some Patent Medicine that he had seen advertised on the Fence coming out
from Town. It was only Twenty-Five cents a Bottle, and was warranted to
Cure Anything. So she tried it, but it did not seem to restore her Youth
and she got Weaker, and at last Henry just had to have the Doctor,
Expense or No Expense. The Doctor said that as nearly as he could
Diagnose her Case, she seemed to be Worn Out. Henry was Surprised, and
said she had not been Complaining any more than Usual.

Next Afternoon he was out Dickering for a Bull, and his Woman, lying on
the cheap Bedstead, up under the hot Roof, folded her lean Hands and
slipped away to the only Rest she had known since she tied up with a
Prosperous and Respected Farmer.

[Illustration: THE FAMILY]

Henry was all Broken Up. He Wailed and Sobbed and made an Awful Fuss at
the Church. The Preacher tried to Comfort him by saying that the Ways of
Providence were beyond all Finding Out. He said that probably there was
some Reason why the Sister had been taken right in the Prime of her
Usefulness, but it was not for Henry to know it. He said the only
Consolation he could offer was the Hope that possibly she was Better
Off. There did not seem to be much Doubt about that.

In about a Month the Respected Farmer was riding around the Country in
his Buck-Board looking for Number Two. He had a business Head and he
knew it was Cheaper to Marry than to Hire one. His Daught