The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1867-07-12
Hoe Out Your Row.

farmhouse. lie was the last of four
brave boys who had gone forth from
that humble roof to work their way up
manfully, to place of honor and use
fulness in the world. Perhaps there
was little dimness in the old man S
eye, and may be a little tremor in his
voice as he spoke the farewell words
But he took from the old side-cup-
board his parting gift; bright, new
hoe-and as he placed it in the hands
Of the youth, the accompanying adj
monition sounded cheerily onhis ear,
Hoe out your row.
1t was the fourth time a similar pre-
sentation had been MAIDEN the old
homestead.
Everybody will find his row to hoe
in this world. George and sometimes
It's mighty tough one; but it is only
towards that shirk it. Whatsoever
thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy
might and never forget to look up
The old man yrung the hand of his
son, and stopped down to kiss the
cheek Of his fair, new daughter; while
mother busted herself with the dozen
"last things" which every one but n
mother forgets The lingering fare
wells were all SAID at last, and the old
coach rolled away with the two hope
full, sunny hearts Just entering life S
bright and beautiful summer.
The old homestead seemed deserted
and drear as last years nest. The
aged pair sat down by their own
hearthstone alone as when they began
life together. How these old walls
had rung to the sound of childhood's
nirtb, childhood's step, and in latter
years had echoed with the tread of
manful feet. Now they must live more
in the buried past.
But to George and Ellen life seemed
all one bright future, with the rainbow
of hope arching all their plans and
/ projects
Their Western home was a humble
one, and plenty of work for willing
bonds within it. The young farmers
chief capital was his strong arm and
stout heart, and the sound working
day principles he had been taught from
childhood. Sometimes he grew dis
couraged at the prospect Of paying for
the place he worked but he was sure
to meet with hearty encouragement
and words of cheer from Ellen;
glance, too, at tho parting gift of his
father as it stood ON the mantel in the
family room, was as good rs a sermon
any day There it stood ever ready
to give encouragement or admonition,
as the case might be. Strangers
might think it a strange, curious orna-
ment for chimney-piece, but it was
soon regarded as one Of the household
I treasures. Dust nor rust were never
suffered to mar its brightness.
Ellen, it is no use trying" said
George one evening, quite despond-
ingly, as he turned away from some
/ figures he had been making on a scrap
of paper, II can't make out the pay
ment this week, and / may as well give
it up.
Ellen looked up cheerfully from her
work and nodded toward the mantel
81 have hoed and hoed, but this
row is too much for me. The wool
will pay the next iIstallment, and the
crops the next; but where this fifty
dollars is to come from, that l need IN
addition to what | can make out, Is
more than | can see.
"Sell the COW, George" advised 81
len; "you were offered sixty dollars for
her, you know.
But what can we do for butter, and
cream in our coffee, and all that p
"Do without for a time dear. a
home is n great deal more important
to us now than any table luxury. Be
sides, you shall not suffer. These lit
tie self denials, you know, are almost
unavoidable, if we would fairly noe
out our row.
George, like a sensible man, took
his wife's advice; and the satisfaction
he felt as he paid down the money
promptly and took his receipt far ex-
ceeded that which any table enjoyment
could afford him.
Ellen ransacked her memory for
economical sauces and gravies, to take
the place of old Debbys golden butter
and yellow cream; and she never for
got TO stir a well beaten egg into the
bot of coffee, and SO improving Its
richness that George scarcely missed
the favorite luxury.
Steadily onward he hoed his row
until the place was all his own. The
old home had put on new face out
doors and in. There were shrubs and
rose bushes in abundance in the once
tangled and briar-grown door-yard'
and a fine young orchard was bloom
inc ON the sunny slope toward the
There were files of agricultural pa
pers on the broad shelf OF the library
and a choice selection Of miscellaneous
books above them. There were little
tasteful appointments here and there,
about the cheerful sitting room' put