The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-08-06

| found some place, Dut nc kneW ~ a.e0'
except that of salesman and bookkeeping.
A whole week he searched in vain for en-
| ployment, but at the end OF that time nc
| found an old farmer who wanted hand,
though he could not afford TO pay much.
But Peter finally. and with the advice oil
| Mr., Somers, made an arrangement oil TINS
kind He would work for the old farmer.
CAlr. Steyens) steadily until the ground
| was open, and he should have half the time
TO devote upon his own land, and part pay
ment for his services. Stevens was 10
help about the OK work that the youth
might need. Next Peter went to the ho-
tel. where there was quite q stable, and
engaged hundred loads Of manure, the
landlord promising to take his pay in pro-
duce when harvest time came. So Peter
White put on a blue frock and cow-hide
boots and went to work for farmer Stew
ems.
In the meantime Walter Sturgis had
been TO the city TO find situation in some
store, but he came back bootless. He was
surprised when he met Peter driving an
OK team through the village. AT first he
could hardly believe his own eyes. Could
it be possible that was Peter White, in that
blue frock and those course bootsp
On the next day relative from the city
came to visit Walter. The two walked
out, and during the day Walter saw Peter
coming towards them with his team. He
was hauling lumber which Mr.. Stevens
had been getting out during the winter.
Walter saw how coarse and humble his
auondam clerlsmate looked, and he knew
that Peter would hail him If he met; so
he canght his companion by the arm and
lodged into by-lanc. Peter saw the
movement, and understood IL, but he only
smiled.
By-and-by the snow was all gone from
the hillside. The wintry garb was re-
moved from the spot before 1t left other
places, for II lay on the southern slope OF
n hill, and thus had the advantage of the
warm sun all day. without any of the cool
north and east winds. The youth found
his land very rocky, but none of them were
permanent; so his first move was to get
off some of these distractions; and rs Mr..
Stevens land was not yet clear from snow,
he was able to give his young workman
considerable assistance. They took two
woke of oxen and two drags, and went Mt
II. and in Just five days every rock was Mt
the foot of the slope, and made n good
stone wall. Peter then hauled his hundred
loads of manure which he had bought for
sevcnty-fye dollars, and part of 1t he
plowed in. and part he saved for top dress
ing.
Peter now worked early and late, and
much of the time he had help.
Mr.. Stevens was surprised ut the rich
ness of the soil, but there was reason for
1t. At the top of the hill there was huge
ledge; the rocks which had encountered
the hillside must ut some former period
have come tumbling down from the ledge
and the rocks, lying there for ages, per-
haps, and covering nearly half of the sur
face of tho ground and served to keep tho
soil moist and yellow.
The first thing that Peter planted was
about quarter of an acre OF water-mel-
ons. He then got in some early garden
sance. such rs potatoes, sweet corn, peas,
beans, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, and
so on. And he got his whole piece work
ed up and planted before Stevens land was
| free from snow.
People stopped in the road and gazed
upon the hillside in wonder. Why had
that spot never been used before? For
| forty wears il had been used rs sheep
pasture, the rocks having forbidden all
| thoughts of cultivating it. But how ad-
mirably il was situated for early tilling;
and how rich the soil must have been,
with sheep running over it so long! An
adjoining hill shut of the east winds 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 di-
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 to hire
on his own land.
In the meantime. again, Walter Sturgis
had been looking after employment. His
hundred dollars had been used up to the
last penny, and Just then he accepted n
place in one of the stores of the village,
nj a salary of three hundred dollars u
wear. He still wondered how Peter White
could content himself I'm such business.
Peter used TO be invited TO all the little
parties when he was clerk, but he was
not invited now. Walter Sturgis went TO
these parties and was highly edited by
them. Also, when Peter was n clerk
there were several young and handsome
damsels who loved TO bask in the sunlight
of his smiles, and one of them he fancied
that he loved.
After he had got his hillside planted,
| he went to see Cordelia Henderson, and
he asked her il she would become his wife
at some future period, when he was pre-
pared to take such an article to his home.
She told him she would think of 1t and
let him know by letter.
Three days afterwards he received n
letter from her, in which she stated that
she could not think of uniting her deSti-
nies with man who could only delve in
the earth for livelihood. Peter shed n
few tears over the unexpected note, and
then he reasoned on the subject, and final
ly blessed his fate, for he was sure that
such girl was not what he needed for q
wife.
When the first day of July came Peter
reckoncd up his accounts, and he found
that Mr.. Stevens was owing him just two
dollars, and all he owed in the work was
seventy-five dollars for manure.
On the third of July he carried to the
hotel ten dollars worth Of green peas,
beans and radishes: and three days after
wards he carried to the city twenty-eight
dollars worth. Toward the end Of the
month he had sold one hundred and thirty
dollars, worth of potatoes, peas, beans,
etc, etc. Then he had early corn enough
to bring him fifteen dollars more. Ere
long his melons were ripe, and dealer in
the city had engaged them all. He had
six hundred fair melons, for which he re-
ccived 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 products of his hillside.
He helped Mr.. Stevens in haying. and
about some other matters-enough so that
he could have some help when he wanted
IL.
When the last harvesting came, he gath