Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-03-01
AsArHA,s FORTUNE.

The yellow November sunshine
was doing its best to brighten the
old farmhouse kitchen: the yellow
leaves blotehed and stained, which
had cddied down at the touch of
many fitful wind and midnight
frost from the big apple tree by the
door stone, lay in pools Of shaded
gold, stirred by every gust, and The
gnarled apple tree BY the wen had
long since been rified OF its weight
OF crimsOn-streaked fruit.
81 do believe the apple crop is the
best we have had this ten years"
Moses jefferson, as he strobe into
the kitchen with bag of seed-corn
over his shoulder.
Mrs. jefferson, a spare, wiry-loOk-
ing woman, as different as possible
from her burly, beaming husband,
sat at the whitely-scoured pine ta-
BILE shelling beans vigorously into
the pan. Agatha, the only child,
was close to the window, her prst-
ty profile outlined against the blue
cameo of the sky, intensely busted
in the unromantic but useful oceu-
patton of setting q thrifty patch on
an elbow of her fathers brown cloth
coat, with quick, agile fingers, and
needle that glanced in and out like
a flying shaft of silver.
She was pretty girl, with soft,
hazel eyes, abundant brown hair,
coiled picturesquely round erhead,
and albeit somewhat touched by the
too ardent finger of the sun, was
full Of delicate reds and whites. =
Moses jefferson and Clarissy, his
wife, were, to use the formers ex-
preston, Gas hOmely as hedge-fen-
ces," without graceful outline or
beautiful feature iR their whole
competition; and how pretty Aga
tha ever came to be their daughter,
was as incOmprehensible a riddle as
it is how the magnificent cactus
blossom, with its leaves of flame and
heart of scarlet fire, shOuld ever
spring from the wrinkled old stick
by courtesy called "plant.' But
so Nature manages her Affairs, and
as vet we humans have not been
able 20 improve her.
Mother and daughter were earn
estly talking together as tie far
mer entered, and be cOuld just catch
Agatha's last word:
II wouldn't, mother; wouldn't" )"
Wouldn't what: What is il
you're talking about?'' And Moses
jefferson looked questionaby from
one face to the other.
''Why," said Agatha, looking up
with flushed cheek, "motheIwants
to sell the old pile OF newspapers
that belong 10 Uncle Philemon, mp
IN ~ eHs saln . n
hardly right to me-"
The farmers couutenancC grew
grave; he shifted the bag o seed
corn into chair and shosk his
head.
agatha is right about il" he
said. 81 would not seel ZEN il
was you, Clarissy."
f'You know nothing about it No
ses Jefferson" said his wife,in a
sharp, high-pitched tone. Having
the best closet in the house all nam
pered up with a mess of old news
papers. "Why, there's a thousand
on 'em II there's one, l do believe"
mo there amt, Clarissy-nOw
you're exaggerating. Uncle PhiIe-
mon has been taVing 'em for ten
years, and there amt over fifty-tw1
weeks in year, as ever L heard
on"
"Well, there's more'n l want lum
/ bering around, anyhow. 1t is al
/ folly and nonsense. As long as th,
old man was able to 30 poking a
bout with his knotted stick, count
| ing on 'em and strengthening the
edges, don't dare touch 'em. Bui
now he's bed-ridden and flighty, anC
won't know any thing about il. I'm
bound to sell 'em.'
"But mother" pleaded Agatha
breathless and eager, suppose hs
were to want them brought up u
his bed side?"
"Oh, he won't; and if he dses W.
can put him OF with some excuse OF
other, ''I'u venture easy enough
Kiah Darwin's widder says pUper il
| four cents q pound, and calculated
/ | could get q new set of milk pans
| with the money. Besides, Agathi
wants the closet to keep her clothes
in, now that she's home from thI
factory for good"
81 can get along without il JUS
as we'll, mother," said Agatha; ''anc
il does seem wrong to 90 and sell
all poor old Uncle Philemon's pa
pers, when he is too old to know
| about it."
'sNow you may just as well holC
your tongue" said Mrs. Jefferson
shortly, and with unmistakable EN-
| phasis. GIVE made up my mind-tC
sell 'em-I will if you and YOU
father keep on talking till the day
of judgment. Miss Darwin say
| there's a man comes round with 1
sort of hand-barroW and a string o
! jingling bells, once in a while, anC
gives you four cents a pound for olC
newspapers. So, if any Of you SCI
him, stop him."
And Mrs. Jefferson, having ha,
her say flounced out of the room I,
see if her pickles were nearly scald
ed. Honest Moses, whistling a mel
ancholy psalm tune under his breath
1 unconsciously producing thereby
the effect OF a high wind grOanin,
! down lugubriOus chimney, wen
up to the garret, with his bag o
| seed corn, there TO deposit it will
other agricultural treasures, ant
Agatha put on her little blue-friIle'
sun-bOnnet and gray shall, an'
| tripped across the russet field, {,
| tell Hugh Darwin, her sweetheart
how very shabbiiy "mOther was 90
ing to treat poor Uncle Philemon
/ For troubles ceased to be trouble
when Agatha had whispered then
into the sympathetic ear of her tru
love.
Now Hugh Darwin and Agath
Taf hrA
years, and were likely 10 be engag
ed thirteen more; for they Wer
i both poor, Woodworking people
without five dollars ahead in tn
world, and nothing to look to bu
their own skillful right hands ant
cheerful, hoping hearts. For evel
the truest OF true lovers can't afior'
to be married unless they have
roof over their heads, and dali
bread to eat, to say nothing of
possible chance of the atIendan
butter. But in spite of this, the
derived infinite consolation frou
long twilight walks, and snug fire
side gossips, and confidential talk
over their respective wicket gate.
and looking forward with patien
hope to the far ''some day" that wa
finally to crown their hopes.
Hugh listened to Agatha's stOr
in silence. He was sorting apple
in heaps on the barn floor, and whe
she had concluded he brought dow
his hand on the biggest bin with a
energy that would have abraded an
less horny cuticle-
"It's shame" was honest Iugh
emphatic comment.
''Soit is" said Agatha, ''andIatl
er thinks so too. You know Uuc
Philemon brought father up, an
took care Of him when he was
boy, and now. that he is sick az