The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1858-08-18

land ?" said w alter. II could not wor
it, I-I-should hardly like to desccn
from a clerkship to digging and delvin
in blue frock and COW hide boots"
"Theu it is easily settled" rejoino
Peter, "for 1 should prefer the land"
Walter was pleased with this, aud be
fore night he had the hundred dolla
bill in his pocket, aud Peter had tn
warrantee deed of four acres of LAM
upon the hillside. Both the young me-
belonged in the village, and had al
ways lived there. It was only FIVE mile
from the city, and of course many cit,
fashions were prevalent there. 1t wa
under the influence of this fashion tina
| Walter Sturgis refused to have anything
to do with the land.
Times were dull, and business wa
slack. even though it was early spring
Peter Whites first object, after having
got the deed of his land, was to hunt ~
some kind of work Had he been ;
mechanic he might have found some
place, but he knew no trade except tha
of salesman and book keering. A Who'll,
week he searched in vain for employ
nIent, but at the end of that time he
found an old farmer who wanted a hand
though he could not afford to pay much
But Peter, finally, and with the ad
vice of Mr. Somers, made an arrange
ment of this kind He would work foI
the old farmer, (Mr. Stephens) steadily
until the ground was open, aud then he
should have half the time to devote
upon his own land, and in part payment
for his services, Stephens was to helr
about all the OK work the youth might
need. Next Peter went to the hotel
where there was large stable, and en-.
gagged a hundred loads of manure the
landlord promising to take his pay III
produce when harvest time came Sc
Peter White put on a blue trock and
COW hide boots, and went to work for
farmer Stevens
In the meantime Walter Sturgis had
been to the city to try to find situa
tiou in some store, but he came back
bootless. He was SURPRISED when be
met Peter driving an OK team through
the village, At first be could hardly
believe his own eyes Could it be pos
sible that was Peter White, in that blue
frock, and those coarse boots On the
next day relation from the city came
to see Walter. The two walked out,
and during the day Walter saw Peter
coming towards them with his team
He was hauling lumber which Mr.. Ste
vens had been getting out during the
winter. Walter saw how coarse and
humble his quondam clerk mate looked,
and he knew that Peter would hail him
= ha
ion by the arm and lodged into by lane
Peter saw the movement, and he under
stood it, but he only smiled. BY and
bye, the snow was all gone from the hill
side. The wintry garb was removed
from that spot some time before it left
other places, for Peters lot lay on the
southern slope of the hill, aud thus had
all the advantages of the warm sun all
day without any of the cold north and
east winds The youth found his land
very rocky, but none of them were per
some of these obstructions, aud as Mr..
Stevens land was not yet clear from
snow. he was able to give his young
workman considerable ASSISTANCE They
took two yokes of oxen aud 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 Pc
ter then hauled on his hundred loads o:
manure, which he had fer seventy five
dollars, and part of it he plowed in. aud
part he saved for top dressing
Peter now worked early aud late, and
much of the time he had help. Mr.
Stevens was surprised at the richn, Sc of
the soil, but there was reason for it
At the top of the hill there was huge
ledge, aud the rocks which had encum-
bered the hillside must, at some former
period, have come tumbling down from
the ledge; and these rocks, laying there
for ages, perhaps, and covering nearly
half the surface of the ground, had
served to keep the soil moist and mel
low. The first thing Peter planted, was
bout quarter of an acre of water-mel
ous. He then got in some early garden
as potatoes, sweet corn,
peas, beans, radishes, cucumbers, toma-
toes, and so on. And he got his whole
piece worked up and planted before Ste.
ven's farm was free from snow. People
stopped on the road and gazed upon the
in wonder. Why had that spot
never been used before? For forty
years 1t had been used as a sheep pas
.ure, the rocks having forbidden all
thoughts of cultivating it. Bnt now
admirably it was situated for early till
ing and how rich the soil must have
been, with sheep running over it so
ong. An adjoining hill shut off the
east winds, aud the hill itself gave its
back to to the chill north.
Peter had planted an acre of corn, an
acre of potatoes, and the rest he had
divided among all sorts of produce
Then he went to work for Stevens again,
and in a few weeks he had more than
paid for all his labor he had been obliged
10 hire on his own land.
In the meantime, Walter Sturgis had
,gain been looking after employment.-l
His hundred dollars WIS used up to the
ast penny, and just then lie accepted
place in one of the stores in the village,
It salary of three hundred dollars q
year. He still wondered how Peter
W hite could content himself in such bu- |
'iness. Peter used to be invited to all
he little parties when be was clerk,
put he was not invited now. Walter
Sturgis went to those parties, and he
vas hie bly, edited by them. Also, when
Peter was clerk, there were several
1ouDg and handsome damsels who loved |
% bask in the sunlight of his smiles, aud
me of them he fancied he loved. After /
lie had got his hillside planted, he went
% see Cordelia Henderson, and he asked
Ter if she would become his wife at some