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5 iSsljak, gSffilljn jJPRQ £ t ,A ,5Mb JHhEusVJK 'if m Jj."iw w. A. *;&/ " tT* B i u yw •HbWIkE I / 1 .X For Woman’s Work. OVER AND OVER. “Over and over, little lad, The same thing over and over.” So sings the robin from her nest, Buzzes the bee in the clover. “Every spring I build my nest, Over and over bringing I Tiny twigs and a wisp of straw, ,i Toiling and dreaming and singing.” A “Every day I seek the flowers . I To search out hidden treasure; . JI Over and over, home at night, IB I bring o’erflowing measure.” Over and over, every day "The sun bursts forth in glory, Over and over, soft, warm winds Have whispered the same sweet story. / Over and over, mother toils / And plans for one boy’s pleasure, K i Over and over, bears with him Jb / And gives love without measure. JBL Jf So, weary not, dear little lad, But bravely do your duty, Over aud over; you will find JWL The whole way bloom in beauty. Florence A. Jones. For Woman’s Work. A MID-WINTER MARRIAGE. BY MARY B. BTKLSON. Lanesboro ; Feb. 2nd. Miss Eveline Rogers, Palatine, lowa. my dear cousin : We have decided to be mar ried on the twelfth instant instead of June next, as I wrote you last. Do not faint! Pack your valise and come without delay. I need help in my hasty preparations, and I know you are always ready to assist the “needy and suffer ing.” I represent the “needy”—hardly a swap of sewing done. The family are the “suffering”— to think that they must part with their dearly be loved eldest born, who has not yet turned thirty! But enough of this nonsense! We will meet you at the train Thursday, if you do not disap point me by writing to the contrary. Yours lovingly, Cora Colby 4 P. S.—l seem to hear you say: “Why this un seemly haste?” It’s all Roland’s fault. He is tired of boarding, and has at last overcome my scruples against marrying young. Again, I beseech you to come. O • ''l “That’s like Cora!’’ I exclaimed as I read the letter to mother. “She and Mr. Hunt have been engaged—how long? Five or six years, I do believe. Now she will be married in that old snuff-colored cash mere if I do not go down in time to help her make another dress. Mr. Hunt must have the patience of Job, to have waited for her this long.” “She is worthy the waiting,” said moth er, quietly. “How tenderly she cared for poor little Amy I I believe she would have been in a home of her own ere this, had it not been for Amy. Now, that the poor child has finished her sufferings, I am glad Cora is to be married. She deserves all the happiness we can wish her. You must not disappoint her, Eveline.” “No, certainly not. It is fortunate I have that brown silk now. 1 will carry that and wear my blue serge. I shall re turn the day after the wedding, so that you can go to Mitchell. You remember Uncle and Aunt Barber’s silver wedding is the fifteenth.” “So it is. I had almost forgotten that. We must decide upon wedding gifts.” Thursday morning found me en route for Lanesboro. After a two hours ride I reached Moline Junction. It was bitter cold, and the penetrating wind which swept around the corner of the little depot, set my teeth in a chatter. “W-when does the tr-train go we-west?” I inquired. “The passenger is delayed on account of snow east. A freight starts in ten min utes,” was the reply. I purchased a ticket, found a seat in the corner of the caboose, and was soon being jerked toward the setting sun. Uncle John Colby lived two miles from Lanes boro, a small town on the D. and B.— “Dead Branch,” as Cousin Walt appropri ately styled it. Fortunately it was only a sixteen mile ride from Moline Junction. Before twelve o’clock I was seated in the cutter behind Uncle John’s bay ponies. “So glad you came, my dear,” said Un cle John, as he wrapped the robes about me and shook the lines for a start. “The folks are so rushed they hardly take time to eat or sleep. All nonsense, I say, but women don’t use reason when there is a wedding brewing. I tell your Aunt Su san she is planning to cook enough for a regiment. There will be quite a crowd, though. Olive and Jim are cominng next Tuesday. Walt will be home from school. He is going to bring a chum of his—a medical student —I forget his name; per haps you have heard it; he is the one who nursed Walt through the fever last fall. Never mind; Cora will tell you. Cora has so many friends about here, and she wants to have them all at her wedding! I don’t doubt she’ll write old Mrs. Austin and Uncle Jake Pratt if Adah does not object. Adah is more ‘high-toned,’ you know. I expect we’ll lose her next. The operator at Lanesboro—Allen Holmes —calls over our way quite often of late. But here, we are at home.” J ust here let me give you a description of Uncle John’s home and family. The house, a Urge, square, two-story building, stands back from the road, partially con cealed by a forest of poplar trees. The front door opens into a hall, at the end of which is the stair-way. To the right a door leads to the parlor, beyond which is the parlor bedroom ; to ths left a large sitting room. Beyond this is a wing, containing a long dining room and kitchen combined; then a bedroom, pan try and a wash room. It is larger than the average western farm house, but none too large for the family which occupies it, with their many comers and goers. We have already introduced you to Un cle John, with his frank, common talk. Aunt Susan is a fat little woman, with a large heart. Always ready to take in and “mother” not only the “world and his wife,” but all their children if necessary. Blessings on dear Aunt Susan ! Cora, the eldest, is a plump little body, resembling her mother in form, features and disposi tion. Olive has been for several years Mrs. James Brown. They live at Cresco, thir ty miles east of Lanesboro, which place is also the home of our hero, Roland Hunt. Walt, a merry fellow with ahead full of wit, is a Sophomore at Cornell. Rob, the steady-going lad, is his father’s main-stay. Adah is a tall, slender, black-eyed beau ty, with quiet, precise ways of her own. Lastly, little Sue, the pet of the family. Amy, the tiny cripple, died a year pre vious to the opening of our story. Cora met me in the hall, with a hearty embrace, and ushered me into the sitting room, with its bright fire, where the fam ily were gathered to welcome me. I had not seen them for nearly a year, and how we did talk I They must tell WOMAN’S WORK, me how hurried they had been since the wedding day was set, how Ellen Ander son, who had promised to help them, was sick with inflammatory rheumatism. They had succeeded, however, in securing Kate Borseim, who was doing very well. How glad they were that Walt could come home, if only for two days. He would be such a help. Here little Sue at tempted to tell me of the doctor who was coming with Walt, and how Walt had said he would just suit Cousin Eveline. “Do you think he will suit ?” she queried, anxiously. This caused a ereat laugh. Dinner was then announced, and Sue’s question was still unanswered. That evening, after the family had re tired, Cora told me of her plans. “We are to be married next Thursday at one o’clock, have dinner, and take the four o’clock train for Cresco. “Roland and Olive have our house near ly furnished. Isn’t that nice ? Roland is to come on the morning train Thursday. Ido hope it will not be delayed. I would like to have him come on Wednesday, but the head clerk is sick, so he cannot leave the store for any great length of time. “It seemed, after we made our plans, everything worked against us. The clerk was taken sick; Ellen could not come to help in the kitchen, and I was disappoint ed in getting a dressmaker; but now, that you are here, that does not matter.” “A bad beginning often makes a good ending,” quoted I, cheerfully, “and I prophesy that everything will be done in the ‘niche of time.’ ” How the days flew, and how we worked! Cora and I sewed steadily, while the rest scoured and scrubbed, baked and brewed. Tuesday brought Mr. and Mrs. Brown from Cresco, and Walt and his friend, Donald Mcßandall, from Cornell. To wards evening the snow began falling heav ily, and by nine o’clock the paths were filled. “Looks rather dubious for a wedding,” said Uncle John, as he came ia from the barn. “Roland will not venture to wait until Thursday, but will come in the morning if the trains are not blocked,” observed Mr. Brown. The next morning found snow still fall ing, with a high wind which set it scam pering in every direction. At times it was impossible to see the barn a few rods away. It was a genuine western blizzard. Aunt Susan and Olive went on with preparations for the morrow’s festivities. “It may be a lovely day,” said Adah, “and all the guests will be here.” “Yes.” said Cora, dubiously, “but what about Roland? The train will not run for a week.” “We could go after him, if necessary,” said Walt, teasingly. “But why not have a wedding without him? Here are Adah and Allen Holmes. Wouldn’t take much to persuade them to act in your places. We might even fit out for a double wed ding Here are Donald and Eveline—they would make a steady, reliable couple. Eh, Donald?” “What nonsense I” laughed Mr. Mcjßin dall, with a touch of embarrassment. For tunately I was seated at one side, and by bending over my sewing could conceal the blushes which I felt creeping up to the roots of my hair. Not for the world would I let those teasing cousins discover that this tall, brawny Scotchman, with his merry blue eyes and quiet ways, was be coming an interesting personage to me. The blizzardy day drew to a close. Ev erything was in readiness for the morrow. Thursday morning dawned clear and bright. The family were astir at an early hour. The men shovelled the paths. Im mediately alter breakfast, Walt, Rob and Mr. Mcßandall started with horses, sleighs, and shovels to break a road to Lanesboro. “If we only had not invited such a crowd,” Cora would exclaim. “But they all will come in spite of the drifts, and if Roland doesn’t get here, how foolish I shall feel I” Before nine, Allen Holmes drove up. “A telegram for Cora,” cried he, cheerily, as we met him at the door. “Roland will be here yet. He left Cresco this morning on the snow engine. That will only come to Moline Junction, but he will not mind walking a few miles to attend a wedding. ‘•Walt sent word thatthey should go on to Union. That will save five miles’ walk for him. I must go.” And away he dashed. At twelve, the guests began to arrive, and at one o’clock the house was well filled. Cora was dressed, looking very lovelv in her blue velvet, but with an anxiows look in her gray eyes as she gazed from an east window of her room. No one in sight. The tables were laid, and tempting odors came from the dining room, whenever the door was left ajar. Two o’clock, and no bridegroom. The guests chatted and tried to appear as if they were not longing for the cere- mony and the dinner which was to follow. Three o’clock, and yet no bridegroom. The children, for Cora had invited young as well as old, were quieted by be ing taken to the pantry and fed. Aunt Susan waylaid Uncle John in the wood shed with a biscuit and a cup of coffee, for “fasting always brought on one of his headaches.” Four o’clock, and still no bridegroom. An anxious half hour dragged wearily away, when there was great shouting and rejoicing. The snow-shovellers had ar rived, bringing the belated bridegroom. But where was the minister? He was to have come on the morning train from Hampton. Lanesboro did notafiord a res ident minister. After some discussion it was decided that Mr. Barnes, a justice of the peace, who was present, should be in vited to perform the ceremony. This he did to the best of his ability. The ceremony was legal, no doubt, but not impressive. Roland, being a heavily built man, unac customed to vigorous exercise, looked in tensely weary after his twelve miles walk through the drifts. The guests mercifully made their congratulations short. The dinner was excellent in spite of its long delay, and the guests did it ample justice. After it was over, the next question of absorbing interest was: “How are we to reach our respective homes ?” The “Dead Branch,” as Walt said, might not be used for weeks. The only way would be to break a road to Moline Junction. Before we separated that night, it was decided that the available men and teams of the neighborhood should be pressed into service, and it was hoped that before eve ning of the following day we should be in Moline Junction. During the night many of us heard the wind roaring through the poplar grove, and so were partially prepared for the fierce blizzard which we found raging the next morning. There was little hope of reaching our homes that week, so every one tried to forget that there were any reasons for so doing. The old farm house had never, on its most festive occasions, held a merrier crowd than during that snow blockade. Music, charades, recita tions, and games of various kinds were the order of the day. The following Tuesday found us in Mo line Junction, awaiting our trains. I will not linger over the cold, tedious ride through the drifts. Suffice it to say, none of us were frozen, and “all’s well that ends well.” I do not mind telling you, in the strict est confidence, that this marriage, with its attendant blizzards, brought about a love affair which will, no doubt, end in a wed ding. Donald and I are agreed, however, that it shall not take place in mid-winter. nmvni rTOANYß<iv«R«mLrnrr M■ 0 WI ■ under 18 years o f age who will work for Mlf M M mill 111 I üßufterwhool. NO MONEY NEEDED.! Bill M! W IW Hend thi „ uA . cu RTlfl to co., ■■■■■MHMk 46WE8T QUINCY BT., CHICAGO, ILL. ■ a We want a live and wide-awake I l| 1 111 A* representative in your locality vl 111 rKm t 0 re P resent us - With “Vim,” taflUlaaV vigor, pluck and push you can make money. For particulars send self addressed stamped envelope to Crescent Toilet Co., South Bend, Indiana. Ip LEGANT CARDS. Fine as engraved. 50 for 25c. H. Talmadge, West Union, lowa. NEWMAN’S MANDRAKE LIVER PILLS CURE II Indigestion, Constipation and Sick Headache. Purely vegetable. Never gripe. By mail 25c. New man, 17 Park St., Canandaigua,N. Y. A WORLD’S FAIR Gov.) sent by registered mail, and $5.00 worth of music of your own selection, from our No ioc cata logue, for $2.50 Catalogue Free. HUYETT MUSIC CO , 269 DEARBORN ST., CHICAGO, ILL. The liaoy’t* Comfort. The Mother’s Friend. SLa •• Dr. Fahrney’s TEETHING SYRUP .For all baby ailments; . JR .f ■. prevents Cholera Infan- turn; pleasant to take * / > / I and perfectly harmless. >' i 25 cts.. at Druggists. ~ AN EMINENT PHYSICIAN y.gK says that he is using in his V LwEg practice Truitt’s V .Retable xjjffiVVX j\ X ‘-otenge for Dyspepsia with It! I I t * le most happy results, where T all other medical agents v—.-.lMWlllfflKß proved unavailing. Every druggist and storekeeper should keep them. Price 50c. a box by mail. Agents wanted. J. F. Truitt, Bridgeport, N.J. NATIONAL SURGICAL INSTITUTE. ATLANTA, « i., I f Treats Deformities and W Chronic Diseases, tuch as / J Club Feet, Diseases of / A4E f the Hip,Spine andJ< hits, fg B W > Paralysis, Piles, I istula, r W f Catarrh, Female and \ f private Diseases, Hernia, r S | Diseases of the Urinary Sr&J Organs, etc. Send lor il- WBBN lustrated circular. Name this paper. 9