The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-07-04

the day Walter saw Peter coming towar
them with his team. He was hauling lun
Der which Mr.. Stevens had been getting OF
during the winter. Walter saw how coar1
and humble his quondam clerkmate looket
and he knew that Peter would hail him
they met; 50 he caught his companion b
the arm and lodged into by-lane. Pete
saw the movement, and he understood IL
but he only smiled. By-and.by the snow
was all gone from the hill side. The wintr
garb was removed from tho spot some time
before It left other places, for Petcr'slot lay
on the southern slope of the hill, and thus
had all the advantages of the warm sun oil
day without any Of the cold north and east
winds. The youth found his land very
rocky, but none Of them were permanent !;
so his nrst move was 10 get of some Of these
distractions, and as Mr.. Stevens land was
not yet clear Of snow, he was able to give
his young workman considerable assistance.
They took two yokes Of oxen and two drags
and went at it, and in just five days every
rock was at the foot Of the slope, and made
into good stone wall. Peter then hauled
his hundred loads of manure which he had
bought for sovsnty-fve dollars, and part Of
it plowed in, and part he saved for his top
dressing.
Peter now worked carly and late, and
much Of the time he had help. Mr.. Stevens
was surprised at the richness of the soil, but
there was no reason for it. At the top of
the hill there was huge ledge, and the
rocks that had numbered the hill side must
at some former period, have come tumbling
down from the ledge; and these rocks lay
ing there for ages perhaps, and covering
halt the surface Of the ground, had served
to keep the ground moist and mellow. The
first thing that Peter planted was about q
quarter Of an acre Of water melons. He
then got in some early garden sauce, such
as potatoes, sweet corn, peas, beans, radish-
es, cucumbers, tomatoes and so on. And
he got his whole piece worked up and plant
ed before Stevens farm was clear from snow.
People stopped in the road and gazed up the
hill side in wonder. Why had that spot
never been used before? For forty years it
had been used as sheep pasture, the rocks
having forbidden all thoughts Of cultivating
it. But how admirable it was situated for
early tillinG; and how rich the soil must
have been, with sheep running over 1t so long.
An adjoining hill shut of the east winds,
and the hill itself gave its back to the chill
north.
Peter had planted an acre Of corn, an acre
of potatoes. and the rest he had divided
among oil sorts Of produce. Then he went
to work for Stevens again, and in few
weeks he had made up for all the labor he
had been obliged to hire on his own land.
In the mean time, again, Walter Sturges
had been looking for employment. His hun
drcd dollars were used up to the last penny,
and just then he accepted place in one of
the stores in the village, at salary of three
hundred dollars year. He still wondered
how Peter White could content himself in
such business. Peter used to be invited to
all the little parties when he was clerk,
but he was not invited now. Walter Stur-
ges went to these parties, and he was high
ly edited by them. Also, when Peter was
q clerk, there were several young and hand
some damsels who loved to bath in the sun
light of his smiles, and one Of them he fan,
cied he loved. After he had got his hill side
planted, he went to see Cordelia Henderson,
and he asked her to become his wife at some
future period when he was prepared to take
such an article to his home. She told him
she would think Of it and let him know by
letter. Three days afterwards he received a
letter from her, in which she stated that
she could not think Of uniting her dcstinies
with man who could only delve in the
earth for livelihood. Peter shed few
tears over the unexpected note, and then he
reasoned on the subject, and finally blessed
his fate, for he was sure that such girl was
not what he needed for wife.
When the first Of July came, Peter reck.
ed up his accounts, and he found that Mr..
Stevens was owing him just two dollars, and
all he owed in the world was seyenty-fve
dollars for manure. On the third day Of
July he carried to the hotel, ten dollars
worth Of green peas, beans and radishes ;
and IN three days afterwards he carried to
the city twenty-eight doll ars' worth. To-
wards the end Of the month he had sold one
hundred and thirty dollars worth Of carly
potatoes, peas, beans, etc. Then he had
early corn enough to bring him fifteen dol
lars more. Ere long his melons wcrc ripe,
and dealer engaged them NIL. He had sis
hundred fair melons, for which he received
fourteen cents apiece by the lot, making
eighty.four dollars for the whole.
During the whole summer Peter was kept
busy in attending to the gathering and sell
ing the products Of his hill side. He help
ed Mr.. Stevens in haying, and about somc
other matters-enough so that he coulS
have some help when he wanted it. wher
last harvesting came, he gathered in seventy
eight bushels of corn and four hundrcc
bushels of potatoes, bcsides turnips, squash
es, pumpkins, etc., and eighteen bushels o
white beans.
On the first day Of November, Peter Whit
sat down and rcckoned up the proceeds Q
his land, and found that the pieoe had yield