The Republican journal., 1875-04-01

On our way home from the village W.
again passed our place John rather ma
liciously asked if we would not like tt
look at it ''as whole" and stopped thu
team.
AS whole, it was a narrow, hilly
stretch, outlined by weak skeleton of
fence; forbidding surface OF old stubblt
ground and wild turf, the distant hilltop
crowned with tall mulleins. There wa
not sprig Of clover on the place, ant
though there was an old brown house an(
barn. there was not an orchard tree, no.
reminiscence of garden.
John discoursed again of the poor sol
as we sat there He warned us that we
could never expect to raise wheat. Wheat
L have seen little save wheat since we
came into the State. didn't believe il
| so much wheat, on account of few prin
clples in chemistry, and l told him so
and let him laugh at my ''schoolma'a an
farming" while l jumped out and crepl
through the bars and ran up to make sure
the old house was locked What an old
house! 1t had grown dear to us already
| as being our very own; but in reality il
was as brown and struggling, and as lone
/ y and unpicturesque, as an old birds nest
-"torn with storms and rain"
With strange new sense of security
which only the possession Of a bit of real
estate can give one, we fitted away to
prepare to come again in the spring with
the first robin. | went back to cousin
Janets and hired out, not to her. but to
cousin John; while Louise took up her
old business of housework at a wealthy
farmers near us-cheerily, both of US
We had paid for our farm, and there re-
mained to us funds for the purchase of
horse, wagon and COW. Lou, being sup
of the precious deed, and the money,
promising to add thereto before spring
fifty dollars. ''And that will buy your
clover seed, Dolly"
But you know you believe in clover,
Lou, and several cows and sheep?n did
not fancy shouldering alone the RESPONSE
bility of my theories.
''Oh, yes, dear Dolly. if you are certain
you do
| was pretty certain.
Lou had her two dollars each week
What | earned was twelve dollars per
month, experience and health. OF course
they wanted to keep the sick girl in the
house. But at the outset | made for my
self some short dresses-I am small and
slender, and it was not at all such an out
rage upon the aesthetics of dress as you
may fancy-and thus lightly and conven-
iently attired, and beginning moderately,
| worked out of doors every day with
cousin John and the boys
| found everything hard, but nothing
impossible.
Little Rob and cut up half a dozen
acres of corn unassisted. Unassisted |
husked the same, bound my bundles, and
we'll, too At first | was greatly discour-
aged over this same ''binding," as all wo-
men are; for cousin said he couldn't sacri-
fee too much to our experiment, and that
he wouldn't have me in the husking unless
could bind my stalks as | went. prom
ised, but it tore and wore my hands cruel
ly, and then the bundles upon which | had
spent so much time would fall in pieces
while was carrying and setting them up.
But one day, when | was at quite d loss
what to DO, espied two German women
i'll the neighboring field occupied like my
self and | climbed the fence and called
upon them, as very properly might, they
being the latter comers. They, l found,
had availed themselves Of Woman's pro-
verbal wit; they showed me some balls
OF coarse tWine.
$50 puy yourself some pals of leetle
rope, and not tear your shman hands NIT
twisting stalks and marsh hay. 1t do take
more time to twist him than it do to earn
de leetle rope
| returned triumphant, and after that
bound my stalks, woman like, with ''lee-
tie rope"
After the first few days, could work
early and late. Cousin Janet said | should
surely finish myself up now; and Louise
was afraid | would, too. But day after
day | appeared in my corntield, where
worked after q fashion of my own. /
didn't fancy wet stalks, and bugs, and
mice nests, and perhaps a snake, in my
lap But the vigorous motion required to
strip and break the ear from the husks,
and the exercise of binding and carrying,
expanded my chest as thoroughly as the
motions of the movement cured, and mar
vellouslv streng gthened shoulder and wrist
Nv cOughed ceased The sunlight of the
lovely, Vaporous Indian summer weather
and the sweet air, proved at once q balm
and tonic for my irritated stomach, and
together with the exercise, inyigorateC
nv appetite. | used to run down to din
ner as hungry as the boys, and bark glee
fully like wolf" in Janet's ears, to show
her how ravenous ! was, until at last the
hired man-an old Scotchman-said one
| dav to John. who was lecturing me
| s'Hoot. mon let the lass alone gle hel
oatmeal pairritch for her breakfast and
let her wark; them as likes Wark car
wark their fill on that y
So they can. Louise and | know that
| A cup Of strong, pure, well-creamed coffee
with dish of oatmeal mush, dressed with
cream and siited sugar, has been our daily
breakfast for years. The old Scotchman'
hint has been a fortune to US in the matter
of solid muscle and healthy thought.
While | grew brown and strong out il
the sunny fields, | was daily learning my
| business working alongside cousin John
| learned the easy way, the mans way,
ofholding the plough and turning turrow
and it was proud time for me when Rol
and were trusted to plough out the pota
toes when potato harvest came, I"thanke(
my stars every day then, as every day
since, that had the energy and the sense
thus to fit myself to carry out our enter
prise, | was taught how to make proper
stack of the cornstalks - one that woul(
Shed rain - and how to build load.
aoould persist; if l slid off the load, a
often | did, l would Chamber back; for i
| was as slim as willow whip, | wa
also as 1.-the. l picked apples day afte
day, until no possible height on the lad
der could turn me giddy. | drove thu
mower to cut the seed clover; | could, il
my short, scant skirts, | learned to har
Tess, to milk fast and clean, how to feeC
and care for stock, and how to swing al
axe and file saw and if did sometime
quite wear out John and old Donald will
my questions, and with being IN the way
and with the general bother of a cir
mixed up with the work, Lou and l don
know that we care; man, as a race, owe
US great deal | would tag round' al
day at cousins heels with his little boys
who thought it great fun to go out ant
work with Dolly and who between then
taught me almost as many things as thell
father did; and at night | sat in the rock
ing chair and questioned John about sheel
and wool, and lambs and haymaking, ane