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Polaris, v. 2, issue 2, June 1941

Page 12

12                                    POLARIS
on hot days, she followed him and tried to make his burden lighter. At night she remained beside his bed and the boys' to see that they had no bad dreams. When Ira rose on Sunday mornings, she tried to steal into his thoughts and make him decide to go to church. She went into the cowshed once everyday to protect the cows from disease; and in the autumn, when frosty nights came, she went about the fields and persuaded the frost not to touch Ira's corn.
   Toward the end of the winter, Ira made up his mind to take a trip into town, and now Sara did not know what to do. Should she go with him, or should she stay at home with the boys? It ended with her staying at home, and while the boys tried to cook their own food and to see to the cows in the cow shed, she went about with them trying to show them how to do it.
   When Ira came home he was drunk, and beat the boys just as he had so often beaten her; but the next day he was remorseful as he had always been and because, thank goodness, his conscience was not ruined yet.
   One day a strange woman came to the house with a bundle under her arm, made herself at home, and took over the work in the kitchen and the cowshed. A little while after, Sara saw that Ira was thinking of getting married again. "Poor old fellow!" she thought. "Is he really going to throw himself away to another woman?" She had to look on while her dresses and linen were used by the stranger. Later in the spring, preparations for the wedding were made, and one day the neighbors appeared with baskets on their arms, and drank to the happy couple.
   The boys went about looking bashfully at one another, for they were thinking of their mother. Sara went with the little wedding party to the church, and sat far back in the choir, and watched Ira being wedded to another woman.
   "It's too bad!" thought Sara. "She hasn't even tied his silk neckerchief properly around his neck. It wasn't like that when I did it."
   Things were very different for Ira now. He and his new wife frequently fought, and the boys were so ill-treated by their stepmother that they often cried themselves to sleep.
   The Almighty had seen all this, however, and one day an angel came flying down to Sara, and asked her if she would go with him to Paradise.
   "Oh, no!" said Sara. "I don't think I should have a day's happiness there either, so long as things go with Ira as they're going now." So she stayed on, and was comforted in knowing that Ira thought of her more and more, and talked about her to the boys when the woman was not present.
   Years passed, and the boys grew up and took places in the parish. They got on, and one of them married a farmer's daughter, who inherited both farm and land, and the other took a girl with money, and bought a schooner, and began fishing on a large scale.
   A day came with Ira lay ill in bed, the same bed in which Sara had closed her eyes, and she sat on the edge of the bed, and passed her hand over his eyes in the hope that that he would see her. At last he looked up and gazed at her.
   "Oh, is that you Sara?" he said.
   "Yes, thank God, it's me," said Sara. "And I think we shall

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12 POLARIS on hot days, she followed him and tried to make his burden lighter. At night she remained beside his bed and the boys' to see that they had no bad dreams. When Ira rose on Sunday mornings, she tried to steal into his thoughts and make him decide to go to church. She went into the cowshed once everyday to protect the cows from disease; and in the autumn, when frosty nights came, she went about the fields and persuaded the frost not to touch Ira's corn. Toward the end of the winter, Ira made up his mind to take a trip into town, and now Sara did not know what to do. Should she go with him, or should she stay at home with the boys? It ended with her staying at home, and while the boys tried to cook their own food and to see to the cows in the cow shed, she went about with them trying to show them how to do it. When Ira came home he was drunk, and beat the boys just as he had so often beaten her; but the next day he was remorseful as he had always been and because, thank goodness, his conscience was not ruined yet. One day a strange woman came to the house with a bundle under her arm, made herself at home, and took over the work in the kitchen and the cowshed. A little while after, Sara saw that Ira was thinking of getting married again. "Poor old fellow!" she thought. "Is he really going to throw himself away to another woman?" She had to look on while her dresses and linen were used by the stranger. Later in the spring, preparations for the wedding were made, and one day the neighbors appeared with baskets on their arms, and drank to the happy couple. The boys went about looking bashfully at one another, for they were thinking of their mother. Sara went with the little wedding party to the church, and sat far back in the choir, and watched Ira being wedded to another woman. "It's too bad!" thought Sara. "She hasn't even tied his silk neckerchief properly around his neck. It wasn't like that when I did it." Things were very different for Ira now. He and his new wife frequently fought, and the boys were so ill-treated by their stepmother that they often cried themselves to sleep. The Almighty had seen all this, however, and one day an angel came flying down to Sara, and asked her if she would go with him to Paradise. "Oh, no!" said Sara. "I don't think I should have a day's happiness there either, so long as things go with Ira as they're going now." So she stayed on, and was comforted in knowing that Ira thought of her more and more, and talked about her to the boys when the woman was not present. Years passed, and the boys grew up and took places in the parish. They got on, and one of them married a farmer's daughter, who inherited both farm and land, and the other took a girl with money, and bought a schooner, and began fishing on a large scale. A day came with Ira lay ill in bed, the same bed in which Sara had closed her eyes, and she sat on the edge of the bed, and passed her hand over his eyes in the hope that that he would see her. At last he looked up and gazed at her. "Oh, is that you Sara?" he said. "Yes, thank God, it's me," said Sara. "And I think we shall