The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-06-01
A Golden Harvest.
BY SUSAN HARTLEY.

with the rheumatism, and We were so
full of company that we were we'll
nigh distracted. It was nice sum
Weather-late in July. The seaside
meadows looked like green velvet.
Wheat fields rustled in the breeze, the
birds sang in the trees, and you never
saw anything so beautiful in all your
life as my bed of pinks and geraniums
under the south windows. The East
Greenfield minister said it was like q
little slice out OF the garden of Eden.
But had not a moment of time to
enjoy all this lOveliness. There never
was any help to be had for love or
money in conference time, for the
girls wanted to go to the meetings
Themselves, as well as anybody, and
their folks had company then with
all the rest.
Mother was poOrly-she never en-
jOyed good health-and that year the
spring bitters didn't work as well as
usual, and she was rundown before
haying time was half through, 50 all
she could do was to tend TO father,
and I had ali the hOusswOrk on my
shoulders. Dear me, and isn't il
hard work to cook for ministers
Mother Wss afraid that they wouldn't
have everything just SO nice, and
made me put three eggs iHtO every one
OF the cus;ards, and frost every bit OF
sponge cake. The ministerial! appe-
tite is amazing. Why it should re-
quire so much more food 10 support
piety than sin I can't imagine, but
was obliged TO provide certainly three
times the quantity for these reverend
gentlemen as for the gOOd-for-rotll-
ing, dance-going, swearing, hired men
OF ours. There was one widOweI
among them as YOe-begOne as he was
hearty, and mother Wss delighted be-
cause folks said he took great liking
to me, and was going to ask me to
take the place of the departed. But
though a minister's wife may hold a
very high station in lie, and Tom
BabsOn was only second mate OF the
schooner Mary AIl1, I'd rather have
had Tom than q doZea solemn face:
like ParsOn Hibbard, though l wa
sorry to disappGint mother and the
rest OF my folks, who groaned because
I wss so dreadfully wanting in moi-
ton. But ] was willing TO DO my
best to provide for the poor soul, who
was AS thin as rail and br0ileC
chicken, and cream biscuits, and eur
| eustards seemed 10 be the only lighi
ia the midnight of his af1iiction.
"Hour pie crust is neSvy," remarked
mother, dolefully, one bright hot
morning, when / was AZ usual baking
| for dear life.
"Well I can't help it il il is" I re-
piled, energetieally. "I do wish fa'
| ther wasn't q deacon so that we
needn't keep q ministerial boarding
house; Pm tired OF devO.ing my life
to ministers. What q happy world
it would be il there was not a minis
\ ter in it Then there wouldn't be-
| any conference meetings either"
Mothers mind was diverted from
the condition Of pastry to my impie'
/ ty, and she held up both hands IN
| horror. She doubted if either repent
anee, or prayers, or good works
could save me after uttering such {
heresy as this. And to tell the truth, ]
was a little frightened myself, bu
then I was so tired and it was very
hard for q young girl like me to b'
shut up in the kitchen, while every
body else was having a good time
Tom Babson, my lover, was going tC
sail again tomorrow, and 1 had founC
time to get only glimpse OF hin
while he had been on shore. But las
night he detained me little while OF
the door steps, though Deacon Layns
was in the EindOE listening TO every
word that was said, and gave nae {
/ ring with g stone in it, which SHIFTED
its colors like the rainbow, and wa
wonderfully brilliant. He bought i
across the seas of soma Jewish trader
he said, and whispered in my ea
that If l would wear it at the sOcis
to-noFr0V evening, he should take i
as a promise to be his Eifos
BE knew that there was no ehanc
of seeing me at any other time-l wa
aIways so bgsy-and I told him tina
I should certainly be Rt the sOcia
which vas TO be held at Unel
Ethan's, the next door to our HOUSE
Itwas no wonder that my pie crus
was heavy, for my heart wasn't il
nv work at all. / was thinking {
Tom ali the while, and wondering if v
/ l couldn't manage 10 speak to eac
3 other at the social, come way, or If
couldn't see him early In the mOP-
/ ing before be left the village.
''Dear noe, the butcher can't
coming to-day, after all, and what
the world shall we do for dinner ?
suppose he got out OF everything bl
fore he got here there are so man
people in togn 20 be fed Just now,
J. said mother, breaking into nay happ
thoughts again. at is enough to ki
: any body outright TO have so mue
company under such circumstances
$50 / have been saying and thin
ing" I said quietly "but then,
think We can do well enough for di
ner. Seth can kill some chickens al
will have then in the pot IN I
tIme.n
\ 81 don't see how we can spare an
more chickens we have only Il
y : eropple crowns left now, and they'l
: so good for laying. Still, 1 suppo
we must, for there is nothing else
be had aud you can't set Q pieEed-I
= dinner before ministers. But the
L isn't 8 sign of a vegetable fit to
X I cooked in the garden. Seth br0ug
in the last cucumber Yesterday, Il
n peas are all too large, the squash
aren't ripe, and those case-kni
beans are so tough that nobody ia Il
n world can eat them"
"We!l, perhaps / can find son
corn that is large enough. | Sc
(, n some in the field that was pref
g well grown day before YESTERDAY, al
se l can make some nice sauce of tho
|. tomatoes Uncle Ben sent over"
Il said, eons0lingly. leave the dim
/. to me I'll manage il some way.n
YOU'RE a great comfort, Ruth
o said mother, with Frightening fac
and she left the kitchen with a si
of relief, and never glanced into
again until the dinner was on &
= table.
After the chickens were in the !
70 and cooking briskly I had little %