Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-01-18

A STRUGGLE FOR LIFE.


all through coating of clean dirt, you at once
took such to your heart.
Such an one was Farmer Leighton. A tall,
raw-bOned, hard-featured man, with the awk-
ward straddling gait, uncertain peise of body,
and sflsy feet, which are the rewards of an
inscrutible Providence for a life of severe toll
perhaps to teach us to look beneath the sur
face for the truest worth; perhaps also to tell
US that man does not live by bread alone, and
that Mary did indeed choose q better part
than serviceable Martha.
Farmer Leighton was now well-to-do per-
sonage in his little world. A man of some
forty five summers, in most Of which corn
planting, hay-makiDg, reaping, and housing
crops-the multifarieus, never-ceasing tolls of
the farm-had left their marks not lightly
upon him; with scant, grizzled de-whiskers,
and chin wretchedly shayen by a dull razor
and an unsteady, wearied hand; hair of that
tawny sandy hue which betokens several gen.
eratiOns of rough struggle with forest-life,
hanging down in straight and tangled locks
about his ears and coat-collar; and Sunday
suit of blue kentucky-jeans, homemade, and
lngenlOusly contriyed to show every angle and
rough knot and ungraceful line in the poor,
ill-used body beneath. This was the man
whose harsh, cracked voice, with querulous
quaver in it at first, and strange after-tone
of protecting and longing love, called out:
Now, then, old lady.'
At which bright bay mare, harRessed to a
mud-splashed buggy, standing near the hitch
ing post at the gate, pricked up her ears and
wondered what she had done now.
As though there were no other old lady in
the world,
In a minute" voice from within-doors,
having In il also a certain uncertain tremble-
aquayer, however, which stood for the fear
fulness of a long and much-loving heart, whose
meek habit was to fit its motions to the con-
venience Of others; a voice soft and agreeable,
even though it was cracked, and limiting of
many cares and much housewifely forecast.
And presently appeared in the covered way of
the comfortable double cabin portly dame to
whom this voice belonged.
Her followed young girl, blue-eyed and
falr- haired, as they are in Indiana and Of such
buxOm and shapely form, combining both
strength and grace, as is the natural result of
hog and hOminy," plenty of fresh air, and
total lack Of servants and other Incentives to
lazy life Her name is Miranda Leighton
for which am sorry, for cannot but believe
that she should have been called by some such
honest and plain name as Susan, Jane or Eliza
But the HOOsier farmers, having little other
grandeur to bestow upon their children, are
pretty sure to give them grand and outland-
ish names. And I have a respect for facts,
which are stubborn things, but useful in their
way.
Miranda unfastened her pony from a rack
beneath the wsgon-shed, where he had stood
under shelter-fucky beast and leading him
saddle. As she settled herself there, helped
by her fathers kindly hands, a horseman rode
into the open by turn of the road.
There's John now" said Mrs. Leighton.
"John, come, 60 to church with US"
I'm goin'," said he. "Ther's q new min
lister, amt thar ~
Yes; and no tricks now, john" urged his
mother, beseechiBgly.
mo Indeed; we're goin' to listen-see what
stuff he's made Of Guess the boys II be still
enough to-day
I'm warrant they II be all thar" grumbled
old man Leighton.
Which was a safe guess For, next to cir.
Gus, nothing draws so large a crowd in an In
diana village as public speaking Of any kind;
and, above all a new preacher. A talent for
'oratOry is worshipped by all the West; and a
man who really has something to say, and
knows how to say it as though he believe.
with all his heart, could not have a more ap-
preciatiye audience than these rough unlet-
tered Indiana farmers. Nor will you find any
where sharper or more relentless critics than
these. As logical as children, and as imps-
tient Of humbug, they are ever ready with a
? biting word. which inevitably pierces to the
core OF some conscious misstatement or sophis-
try which the speaker is not himself taken in
by.
= So the sister and brother rode off together in
advance, while the old folks followed at such
leisurely pace as suited the bay mare, who had
1t now as a matter of right
Miranda had Just returned from school In
Indiana the boys must work, and their school
ing comes, if at all, by fits and starts-as they
say lawyers get to heaven. 1t is theirs to bat
tie with the primal curse from their earliest
years, and such learning as they get is picked
up at odd times, and chiefly from their Bibles
and the agricultural papers. But the girls 20
10 school. For them money is laid by; and as
they grow to young womanhood, poor indeed
must be the farmer who does not send his
daughter away to boarding-schoo III some city
or larger town, where she has at aDNrste, the
opportunity to gather such Of the ways, and
thoughts, and accomplishments Of a more re-
fined culture as may assimilate best to her ma
ture. With these advantages the daughter
becomes the oracle Of the house, cherished by
all as being Of superior mould, and greatly
held in awe by younger brothers, who submit
with what grace may be, to her dominion.
Miranda, as l said, had just returned from
school. The free air and pleasanter sunshine
OF this Sunday morning, and the exhilarating
canter OF the pony, raised her spirits, and
gave her courage to administer q scolding to
John, some of whose tricks she had heard Of
on her return from school at Louisville.
Don't you see it is very wrong?" she ask
ed, with such q sparkle in her eye as made il
vaguely doubtful to the contrite John whether
it was nearly so wrong as he had before thought
to tie kitten under the bench occupied by
. INC DlOle Glass IN cnuICn, WQere
ii had miawed dismally at every pause in the
sermon, 10 the great distress Of the young Ia
dies and the intense delight Of the boys.
Don't you see it's wrong?" she repeated.
" Didn't mother always tell you to be a good
boy; and didn't always tell you to behsve?"
"Tm going to be as good as pie, now you We
came back, Sis, +" said John, turning towards
the pleased Miranda q face really expressive
Of q vast amount Of con.--.aon. But, alas, as
he turned in the saddle a horrifying scresch Of
feline agony interrupted this charming scene.
80 Lord, exclaimed John, sliding nimbly
Of his horse, and making a desperate grab at
his coat tails, from q pocket in one of which
presently emerged q good-siIed cat, splitting
out in evident rage at her treatment, snd with
eyes sparkling, head down, and tail erect,
rushed of into the woods.
There was q dead and ominous silence for
the space of twenty interminable seconds
Now, John" at last exclaimed Miranda,
very slowly, and with an injured air. g now
john"
And then the little witch could hold her grave
face no longer, but burst into such peal Of
laughter that the pony was really at q loss to
know what il all meant while the bay mare
hurried up her tagging PAGES, very much sur.
nrised indeed and anxious to discover the