The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-11-19

tatoct. l got paper Of pen and one o
parsnip seed j; put them in to be. sure o
. root and top crop; got some choic,
squash seed, and put that in corner
and one cay when I was busy puttine
in "plenty # seed,"- "-on tho principle
Of Baroum's happy family, calculating
that vegetables, ss we'll as animals
should be trained to live in peace and
grow together, "A rosyfaced ncighbor
leaned on the fence; laughed until he
shook like "a bowl full of jelly" and
told me that potatoes would be a. scarce
l" my lot' the thon coming fall, as Re-
publican votes in Pennsylvania. AS
ne is a Lancaster county Democrat,
what could he be expected to know
OF either potatoes or votes =? So kept
putting in seed and pulling out weeis,
until tho first Of September, whsn the
spirit moved me to go to New York
and see what Sorosis was about. There
my old friends, George B. Lincoln, one
OF Mr.. Johnson's discharged post
masters, and your correspondent, VIM.
II. BurIeish, with their curly-haired
wives, conspired to aid Time in his
hight, so that Ii was October before I
got back to my potato lot! Then,
dear, oh dear, how the volunteer sys.
tenn had aourishcd during my absence!
What Spanish needles and red roos an
clump grass was there ! but the regular
army had held its own manfully against
the intruders, aud such potato tops
have seldom been seen in the State.
Those stationed in the center of the
lot had sent out scouts across to both
sides; while those having their base Of
supply on the east had extended their
lines almost to the west and pice ver.q;
The squashes, feeling indignant at the
rivalry, had climbed the fence, carried
several panels with Haunting green ban
ners, and mounted their town: With two
very small squashcs, all the artillery
they had been able to bring forward i.
their fierce, .Fenian warfare Of green
flags. Presently, Jack Frost came,
like wolf on the fold, Grant on tho
. Confederacy, or tho British G Gov< rnnent
on the Brotherhood, and laid the rivals
low; and now comes the time for GET
ting in my potatoes. For these I hive
searched-aye, diligently searched, as
for hidden treasure; but those I find
are very small potatoes, with very red
eyes, which may have been made so
from very much weeping-weeping for
their big brothers who are diseracing
the family by sinking their duty and
failing to come forward, to be eaten, as
any honorable potato would tor, /
opine that my potato fork, like the mesh
es OF the law. must have been construct
ed to catch the little folks and let the
large rogues get through. .
In this, my dilemma, / remember
that, three weeks ago, I saw one Of
your city dail'es, sent by a Chicago
father to his young lady daughter, con.
tanning an advertisement Of "a discreet
young man," who "offers his services to
widows and independent young ladies'"
Now, this is evidently the person to
unearth my potatoes for it is a work
that requires discretion in no ordinary
degree; and if he should feel that the
job is not large enough to pay him for
coming so far, he might comfort himself
with the assurance of plenty of work.
There is here very independent young
lady, who has no end of trouble With
timber land: and a young, or old man,
who has the discretion to persuade
timber merchants that "stioks for axe
handles" does not mean whole hickory
trees, might BE- of real service to her.
A widow adjoining needs the services
OF discreet man to decide whether it
is better to keep chickens in a GOOD
and let them eat their heads off, or turn
them out to get them knocked off :by
sticks and stones. Another widow
would like discreet man to mend the
fence, SO rs TO kept her COW of tho
railroad, or give his personal attention |
to Old Brindle to see that she walks in |
the 10y she should 60, and picks her |
grass at the side Of the road, avoiding
those tempting morsels which grow he:
tween the rails. What I want you to;
do is, find the discreet young man and
assure him that he can have plenty OF
employment BY applying to- ia Il
JANE G.. SWlsSHELM.>~
and others, Wilkinsburgh, Allegheny Co. Pa
P. s.-Ple,se hurry him along, or
those potatoes will freeze in the ground.
J. q. 9.
A STRONG MAN-Deanon 1nhn