Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-05-09
VOL. 3.----N0. %.

Ies, that Is worst oil all, Peter.-
I'm sorry to hear you say that" "I.as
winter, resumed Peter, lost 90 shee[
and Q fine cows" .rn 7 ..,
"We've been very unlucky, Uncle
Ben," said Hannah, sand we're down.
right discouraged. Peter had to mort.
gage the farm this year." aE .a"E..
mortgage! mortgage!'' The old
man shook his head and locked serious
"There was no help for il Uncle" said
Peter. II was mortgage or be sued.'
"How came you TO get in debt n
"Well, | boughta wagon and pair ol
horses for $3.50, crops were short, and
my bills at the store higher than | ex.
pected In fact there had been no settle.
ment for year, and il took my 500 bush.
els Of wheat and 400 bushels of corn 10
make all square," "Bless me-" ejacu-
lated The old man-and was silen, for
some moments. aru .#aua Il
"What did you get for your whea,!"
he al length asked. "5s cen,s.'-6s!'-
No, 5s," "You didn't sell for that,
surely" ayes. l, was all Gray e.
Elder would allow me. ."--"5S cents!
Well, tina, beats all! And did you sell
your 500 bushels at that price!"-"Yes."
while received SO cents for mine!"--
"You did !"-Cer,ainly did. So you
los, jnsi $50 on your wheat" a sf
$50 dollars! How many comforts
so dollars would buy!''' said Hannah,
letting her work fall in her lap as a jes.
,ure of dependency. na r3 n.r h
"And what price did pou get for your
corn?'--"25 cen,s.''--"Mine brough,
81. Just cents difference. How ma
ny bushels had you ?"--"I sold 3OO."
"At loss of $2l. Ell loss on your
wheat and corn. Idon't murh wonder
that you can't get along. l, requires
two things to make successful farmer.
Intelligence in agricultural matters, to
make the ground produce freely, and
that knowledge in regard to the produce
market necessary to insure sales at the
best price. You are a hard working
man Peter; but to ensure success some
thing hey ond hard work is needed. The
head must guide the hands. And to do
this, the head must be properly enlight-
ened. .u#8 4
Uncle Ben inquired still more minute
ly, and the results confirmed his first
impression. There was industry, bu,
no, enlightened industry. ..a ~ .
"Do YOU take an Agricultural papers'
he asked. .~,-tgs7 Hrr aaV
NO." replied Peter with some en-
phasis. IL don't believe ia book farm
ing. I've seen too many men ruin them
selves by new experiments. | was
brought up by one of the best practical
farmers in the state, and know my busi-
ness thoroughly. There's only one right
way TO till the ground, and ilater my
self that understand that way" +.
Uncle Ben tried 10 show Peter his er-
ror; but this was subject upon which
Peter grew warm at once, and thus clo-
sed the avenues Of his mind to all the
appeals Of reason.
Next day Peter was absent on busi-
ness. and the old gentleman spent most
Of the time with his niece, asking ques-
tions, giving advice, and minutely obser-
wing everything. There was bu, little
real comfort in the dwelling, and lillle
cultivation in the children. .-- .. -..
Ellen, the oldest was a coarse, hard
working girl, who had been to school
long enough to learn to read and to
fill u few pages of blank paper with
pot hooks, and hinges. Beyond this,
her mind was uneducated. Coarse and
rough as she was, however there were
about her certain elements Of womanly
beauty in the first efforts of develope-
nent, that Uncle Ben perceived. and
which awoke for her, in his mind, feel
ing of interes, and concern. s4 81
"You're working Ellen too hard"
said he as the girl passed, carrying a
large kettle of boiling water.
Il know it. Ellen ough; TO 60 to
school. But l can't spare her. If we
could afford help it would be different
Ii makes my heart ache, Uncle Ben
whenever ! think Of the way our chill
dren are growing up" ia 589I
"All bad--very bad. Depend upon
il, Hannah, there's something wrong
You are al. Industrious enough; all. in
fact. overworked and yet there is no
thrift; no order in your family; no cheer,
fulness--no comfort. 1900.
Hannah acknowledged, with tears in
her eyes. the truth of the picture. Blu,
she knew no remedy; and saw nothing
but trouble aheac. IN ~ IT,
"lf we 20 on as we have been going,
wen lose our farm in two or three years;
and then what win become OF us alR l
feel utterly discouraged" 'tA
81 see no books about" said Uncle
Ben. "Don', Ellen and Henry spend
any time in reading" aafyrr
.'There's The Bible and some old reli-
gious books up stairs, but the children
don't care about them. Henry borrow
ed the Arabian Nighls and Robinson
Crusoe from some Of our neighbor's
children, and he and Ellen got SO inter-
es,ed in them, that they couldn't do any
thing else. Henry would leave his work
and hide away to read, and Ellen would
neglec, everything. Their father go. SO
angry, that he forbade their bringing
any more hO0ks into the house o-.sIs