Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-05-30
AFTER THE KISS.
DIVERGENT PATHS.


was beginning to pour down, scorchine
hot, upon the piece of corn-land in the
bottom. The labOrers stopped at the enc
of bout to wipe the perspiration from
their heated brows. 1t seemed a long
way across the lot, and the dry sand, un,
shadowed as yet by the young corn, look,
ed far less inviting than the closely crop,
ped turf under the shady elms in the pas,
ture lot near by. The little spring, which
bubbled from beneath the gnarled roots
and lost itself few PAGES further on in g
tangled growth of fcat-tails and wild grass
es, seemed to beckon the tired men to for
get their toll and rest beside it.
Old Hiram rubbed his shining bald pate
with the remains of red silk handker-
chief, and, settling his palm-leaf upon his
head, aimed a savage blow at thrifty
young burdock, standing so close to a
stalk of corn that it had escaped the tooth
of the cultivator.
"Now, lads" said he to the three or
four younger men who stood each at the
end of a new row: les git back here
agin afore the old horn blows, an so hev
time ter rense out our mouths afore din
ner."
81 declare, Hi" said John Marvin, 81
believe I'll take rinse now, for Pm pow
erful dry. Joe, just keep my row along
won't you" asked he, carelessly, of the
Young man next him, who had already
loosened the earth around two or three
hills of his own allotment. The other
nodded, and proceeded to bring the idlers
task along side his own by few swift
strokes of his hoe.
Marvin leisurely climbed the fence and
strolled down the declivity, chopping off
the heads of such mullen stalks as were
within reach, and picking up stone to
fling at a golden-winged woodpecker that
was toraging on the half-decayed trunk Of
blasted tree growing near his path.
He was Just out of earshot when Hiram
remarked: "John's good nstured chap,
but he's mighty lazy. How many rows
hev we fetched up for 'im sin we begun
on to this twenty acres"
"This makes my third one to-day"
said Joe, laughing, but guess Pm the
only one that he's asked this morning
John don't like to work very well, that's
fact"
"Ef I had to pay the hands on this
farm, should a. most be notioned to dock
i'm when Sat'day night come round; "
put in another of the men, as he unearth-
ed Canada thistle.
"Pshaw, Tom," answered Joe, with a
smile, "John's philosopher and looks
upon work as one of the necessary evils
existing in this lower world. He calcu-
lates on lodging it, so far as possible"
"Ef that's wat you call feelosifer,
joe" said old Hiram, "theym animals as
is not o mach count in a corn-feld.
You've ben to schule, witch is better
chance nor wOrkin'men, as old as be,
he'd wen they war boys; an so hez John,
though guess he never wuz overly fond
ny book"
Halfway across the field the laggard
overlook bis fellows.
81 say, boys, if it's as hot as this to-
morrow, | believe that I've got to go TO
town to see about some Summer clothes" "
Tom winked at Joe, who looked grave
but said nothing
That night, after the milking was done,
John, with a cigar in his mouth, strOlled
out into the orchard, where Joe was seat
ed under tree, laying the fading twilight
under contribution for rays enough to en-
able him to extract the pith from coarse
Imprinted article in an agricultural jour
nal, transferring now and then thought
TO a note-boo which lay upon his knee.
IT say, joe" said the former as he came
up, let's go into the village tomorrow.
want to see about some clothes, and can't
stop to wait for a rainy day, and you can
make some errand in as well as not, SO
let's go and have a good time. Let's lay
off half day anyway"
Joe closed his notebook, and deliber-
ately folded his paper, replying as he did
so, "Can't afford TO loose the time, my
boy, don't need any clothes, and, beside,
tile work or the farm is already two or
three days behind the point where should
want it to be if | were carrying it on my
SELF"
lfyou were carrying it on yourself ~
said the other with curl of his lip, very
nearly approaching q sneer; "what does
that have to do with laying off halt day.
You don't suppose fellow is to take as
much pains for old Foster as he would on
farm of his own, do yOul'
"Why not, John, dosen't he take q
great interest in the men that he hires
Aren't we welcome to read his books and
papers when work is done, and doesn't he
take as much pains to look after our wei
fare as though we were friends instead OF
merely hired laborerS2"
Il should like to know what you mean
by merely hired labOrers? I'm as good
as old FOrter any day, and don't see any
reason why should slave myself TO death
on his farm, because he is sharp enough
10 leave books and papers around where
we can pick them up, just as ne leaves
salt where the cattle can lick it. He's a
keen old chap, and thinks that if the men
take an interest in keeping up things, as
he calls it, lie will get more work out OF
them; but he don't come it over me, can
tell YOU"
"Now, John, am really very sorry to
Foster is trying to do us all the good that
he can. He expects his work done, OF
course, since he pays for it, but good
man can always get a little more from him
than from anybody else in the township"
"Why, you act as though he had hired
Won to blOv for him Fynect IN have