Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1876-01-06
THE FARMERS STORY.

SEEN you sit on the fence, sir, writing
in that little book. thought perhaps you
might be writing poetry. A good many
folks come down here of a summer and
make poetry about the sheep and the
moon. Peggy reads 'em out to me in the
paper, and the stories, too, sir. Do you
write stories? Yes? Well, that's gift.
If [ had it I think l could make one about
what has happened to me. Peggy says it
could be done.
Now, it's all plain sailing, nothing
out of the common; but [ wasn't always q
well-to-do old farmer. Once I was a
farmers boy-a hand, with nothing ofmy
own but a stout heart, and strong limbs,
and good health.
g Many's the night, when the stars were
in the sky, used to go out to the great
pasture where the sheep browsed all day,
and sit and think thoughts had no words
for, and make beautiful pictures for my
self IN my mind-not fine ones, sir. This
is what | used to see the oftenest: A little
cottage with wide fireplace, such as
they had IN my day. A dresser with a
row of delf upon it, four chairs and a
table of white pine. When had these |
was to marry Peggy Grey. But when l
should have them, and she her white
wedding-gown and the house linen,
neither of us knew.
She put her siXpences into a red earth
en- savings bank, and | kept mine in an
old OIL TWO ho1
waiting and hoping and were not much
nearer than at first. Sometimes | felt
down-hearted. Sometimes her little let
tiers were bit sad. And just as [ sat in
the meadow | knew she sat before her
kitchen fire in the house where she lived
at service. Simple folks we were, but we
had hearts, and felt, perhaps, as deeply as
greater folks might.
My master, the farmer, was close
man. He squeezed as much work out of
his hands as possible. But it was a steady
place, and he paid all he promised; so |
stayed, never thinking what trouble staying
would bring me to-trouble that never
would have come but for Mark Hulker
A good for nothing fellow he was, dis
grace to the rest of us, and he cheated the
master and left his work undone. So
after hours master set me at his stint, and
1t being indoor work, [ kept at it all
night. The old man liked that, and set
me new task every night. All the bet
ter for me, | thought; he would pay me
extra, and what was WEAKNESS to me if it
brought me nearer my Peggy? So [
counted the hours work as SO many shil-
lings. But when Saturday night came he
gave me just my weeks work.
6 Master, said |, I've worked over
hours every night, you forget that
SO hire you by the week." he said.
{ III give you no more than one week 5
wages. So if you don't like it there are
plenty of strong lads to be had, if you are
growing lazy Then he turned his back
on me, and Mark laughed. That angered
me, and words fell from my lips We
had quarrel, master and /, and I called
him niggardly old rascal and with
that he dismissed me from his service.
g At dawn you GO he said. You
udFG NOAhSu to-udl anu nave IISut "
your bed at night. but at dawn you GO
q marched out of the room with
words [ never should have used and up
to my garnet, and threw myself on my
bed But l did not stay to be turned out.
At midnight l rose softly, made up a
bundle, and climbed out of window. l
cut my hands with the glass of broken
pane and the blood dropped down upon
my clothes But was too angry TO feel
the pain, and I bound up the wound
with handkerchief Then | trudged on
meaning to look for work the next day.
80 did, but found none. Then the
thought struck nae to make my way to
- and see Peggy. It would be COM
tort to me whatever came. So l turned
my steps in that direction and kept on
till night fell. Then, faint and weary,