Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-12-24

| RNSC anu 1uCoc iOShS, la iu5 tutIc iOi
ages. perhaps. and covering nearly hal
the surface of the grouni /. had served tC
keep the soil moist and mellow.
The first thing Peter planted was
| about quarter of an acre Of watermel-
nns. He then got in some early sauce
such as potatoes, sweet corn, peas,
beans, radishes. cucumbers. tomatoes.
and so on. And he got his whole piece
worked ny and planted before Stevens
farm was free rom snow.
People stopped in the road and gazed
upor the hillside in wonder. Why had
that spot never been used before? For
forty years il had been used as sheep
pasture, the rocks having forbidden all
thoughts of cullivating ii. But how ad
mirably it was situated for early tiIling.
and how rich the soil must have been.
with sheep running over it so long. An
adjoining hill shut off the east wind. 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 d.
vided among all sorts of produce. Then
he went TO work for Stevens again, and
in few weeks he had more than paid
for all the labor he had been obliged u
hire on his own land.
In the meantime, again, Walter Slur
gis had been looking after employment.
HIS hundred dollars Were used up To the
last penny. and he had just accepted a
place in one Of the stores in the village,
at salary of three hundred dollars 4
year. He still wondered how Peter
White could content himself in such bu-
siness. Peter used TO be invited 10 all
the little parties when he was a clerk.
but he was not invited now. Waller
S,urgiS went 10 these parties and he was
highly edited by them. Also, when
Peter WAS clerk. there were several
young and handsome damSelS, who loved
to bask in the sunlight of his smiles, and
one of them be iancied he loved After
he had got his hillside planted he went
to Cordelia Henderson. and he asked
her if she would become his wife al
some future period, when he was pre-
pared TO lake such an article home She
told him she would think Of il and let
him know by letter. Three days after
he received letter from her, in which
she stated that she could not think of
uniting her destinies with a man who
could only delve in The earth foI live
lihood. 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 a girl was not
what he needed for a wife.
When the fist of July came, Peter
reckoned up his accounts. and he found
that Mr.. Stevens was owing him just two
dollars, and all he owed IN the world
was seventy five 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 dollars worth. Towards the end |
of the month he had sold one hundred !
and thirty dollars worth of early pota
toes, peas, beans. etc. Then he had .
early corn enough to bring him fifteen
dollars more. Long ere his melons were
ripe, dealer in the city had engaged
them all. He had six hundred fair mel
ons, 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 selling Of the produce Of his hillside
He helped Mr.. Stevens in hay ing, and
about some other matters enough so
that he could have some help when he
wanted it. When the last harvesting
came, he gathered in seventy eight bush
els Of corn, and four hundred bushels of
potatoes. besides turnip,. squashee,
pumpkins, etc, and eighteen bushels of
Whi'e beans.
On the first day of November. Peter
White sat down and reckoned up the
proceeds of his land. and he found that
the piece bad yielded him just FIVE hun
dred and five dollars. and besides this he
had corn, potatoes, beans and vegetables
enough for his own consumption. That
winter he worked for Mr.. Stevens at get
ting out lumber for twenty FIVE dollars
per month ; and when spring came, he
was ready to go at his land.
In the meantime. Walter Siurgis had
worked year at fashionable calling
for three hundred dollars, and at the end
Of the term he was the absolute owner Of +,
Just Two dollars.
Say. Peter, you are not going to
work on that land of yours another sea-
son, are you?" asked Waller, as the two :
net IN the strt ct che evening.
"To be sure l am" was the response. j..
But here's Simond wants a cle,k.
md told him | guessed you would be i,
glad TO come
What will he pay ?" ;
"Three hundred'''
"Ah, Walter. l can make more than )
hat from my land p