Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1872-11-14
HER TWO HANDS.

oach from MS Wrlnkled front. Caspal
had a bend, as it he had been half Der.
suaded these many years to 20 on hands
and knees again, 50 heavily time sat on
} his back, and SO close to the earth did
, his daily labor draw him.
He was good-natured, trottiup old
fellow, working his mouth eagerly. and
straining his bleared eyes, as he ap-
preached the towns draggled skirts, fo1
very thinking of his folks-his old wo.
man and his little cal.
There were rows of dismal frame
huts all around, built by railroad COM
panies for the purpose of penpino as
many of their employees families ot a
time as possible. They repose gloomy
and barn-like, squat on that sandy
foundation which scripture condemns.
swarming with legions of tallow-head.
ed children. Women, sharp at the el-
bows, and sharper at the face, were
raising clouds of pork smoke from their
kitchen altars. In fact the whole neigh
borhood reeked with the smell. of
grease, and the evening was so warm a
Laplander might have resented it. But
Casper's nose was not delicate. He
trotted over the cinder sidewalk, nod
ding this way and that, glad there was
such tine air, and that his old bones
were 80 near home.
"Thar's the little gal, as usual, 3" he
chuckled, as he turned a corner and
found Madgie on her lookout at the
gate She was comforting sign to
see in that neighborhood, so tidy and
fair ir calico and braids, and the pink
flesh color of youth. You wondered
why she hadn't been no further up
town, and draped in something costly;
why her deft fingers had never learned
there were keys to unlock soul which
slumbers in rosewood, and which rises
at touch, like some blessed genii, to
confront all ills and Fill all thoughts:
you wondered why some high bred
father was not coming home to her now.
But then this old man would have
found it SO Lard to do without her.
Then, too, Madgie might never in her
life have struck the royal heart which
was now in her hands, which she held
in her bank against all the future. and
the interest of which was the only in
come which she wanted.
"There you are, grandpa!" cried
Madgie.
Yes, and there you are, Madeie:
and here we both are, Madgie " enter
ing the open gate and casting down his
pick.
He put his hands on both sides of
her head and gave her a sounding
smack on tho cheek.
"Supper's ready"
eyes, yes, just wait until git lit.
tie OF the smut off my hands and neck.
It's been powerful hot, dusty day."
Caspar trotted through the little
barn allotted to him, hailed his old
wife, who sat ready to pour his tea, and
after blowing and plunging through q
deal of water, returned to his family
with shining countenance and q hand.
full of onions.
81 jist pulled these up for a relish.
They're cooling, ingens is. You tend
ed that ingen bed, didn't you, Madgie ."
Grandma and l."
"And we wanted some of these in
gems for Market" said the old wife.
cycling the sacrifice severely. eve
ant got no ground to throw avav
raisin' luxuries for ourselves"
"Wcll, we'll, mother, pleaded Caspar.
dipping his fragrant sphere in salt, /
don't cdiklate to pull 'em all. I list
wanted somethin' refreshin' after q
hard day. Taste 'em Madgie," said
he inslnuating the emerald tops toward
her.
ooh, no, grandpa, keep 'em your
SELF" shaking her head and smiling.
81 feel, " rambled Caspar, filling his
senses and his jaws, with perfnmed
roots until q blind man would have
pronounced him a Mexican if his )se
had sat in Judgment over Caspar, "I|
rally feel as if 1 needed somethin' re-
freshin', workln' hard day after day for
nothin' you might say. Sort of seein'
your work go to pieces under your
eyes, and KNOWN the danger to them
on the road.
"What do you mean, grandpa 2"
cried Madgie, turning white as her
bread and butter.
"Why, honey, you see we've picked
and picked in that cut, and the sile's
as unstiddy as water. The stones and
the earth just roll on the track contin.
era,; The company orto do somethin'
to that cut. Stones as big as you are
Jared down by every train. But then the
roads new, the roads new yet"
Men amt got no sense" broke in
the old wife. "Don't You see you're
skeerinR that child to death for fear
Charlie1l get smashed up. He runs
on tho road.
Two blades of keen remo1se leaped
from Caspar's bleared eyes.
"Now, don't you be skeered, honey.
Take an ingen, honey.
He reached over to pet her fingers.
"Charlie didn't pass to-day when
the dirt was rattlin'. down so. He
didn't pass till after eight this evening,
and we left the track as clear as this
table. Yes, sir; them rails is as free
and bright as new tin pans. So don't
you be skeered, honey"
"I'm not scared about anything,
grandpa" said Madgie TREMENDOUSLY,
but smiling like rainbow.
"There, now, mother" cried Caspar
triumphnntly, returning to his onions,
"you come down on me for nothin'.
She amt skcered a bit."
No, not a bit. She flew about the
room like q bird, washed the earthen-
ware, brought her grandfather his
pipe, and dropped 1T his feet to tell
him some fnnnv storv oAoo% Tn H.: