The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-08-02

LEl
infant mind and he tended the pegging
machine. and it seemed as if all were lost
between them, Wait The spring sun
already mounts the sky, though the wind
blows and the snow flies. 1t was the
18th of February when the young man
went to the savings bank and drew out
some money. He remembered the days
when he had saved these dollars for an
other purpose, and now il was all over,
and he might as well spend the money
| in another direction. Before night he
had purchased two hot. bed sashes, load
| of stable manure and few boards.
| From these he constructed hot-bed,
| such as he had seen gardeners make for
early lettuce. Two days after, he found
| chance hour when the wind was lulled,
and he opened the hot-bed. The soil
was soft and warm, like bit of spring
land in the midst of snow. Taking
paper from his pocket, he began to SOW
quantity of seeds-white turnip.
Now it happened that the yard where
he worked was next the street, at the
side of the house where he lived with
! his mother. He was aware, after a
while, that some one had stopped in the
way and was looking over the fence at
him. Little caring who it might be, he
| went on with his labor. Presently
there was little cough-a highly sug-
gestive cough, full of curiosity and
dashed with pique. He looked up. 1t
was Patience Lowering.
"What are you doingG"
"Sowing the seeds OF good fortune"
said he, gravely.
"Dear me how interesting Have
you any of that kind of seed to spare p"
"No. But you shall have the whole
crop"
"Ah thanks. You are very kind. I
hope it Will bear some an huDdredfold,
some two hundredfold.
He stood up and looked at her, with a
new light kindling in his eyes. CT
hope it will be a thousandfold, if you
will accept it." g.
This disjointed speech he uttered with
ill-suppressed eagerness, and she OBJ
served it and blushed. Nothing more
passed between them, save a few COM
monplaces, and then she moved on, and
he finished his work with renewed hope
and courage.
Weeks grew to months, and still he
tended the pegging machine, and slowly
added to his savings in the bank. With
all this, be was not patient. He had
not Patience, and yet she daily walked
before him. Thus was he doubly sor-
rowful, for he had neither the woman
nor the virtue. He cast about in many
ways to see whereby he might better
himself. Moreover, he read books, and
thus, while he knew it not, he grew in
mental stature.
Meanwhile the turnips grew. They
sprung up quickly in the gentle heat of
the frame, and, acting on the advice of a
gardener in the neighbour God, and such
books on horticulture as he could find,
he transplanted the tiny plants to small
fower-pots. AS they grew he removed
them to still larger and larger pots.
When the spring came he hired few
rod Of ground outside the town, and in
Jun, removed the turnips from the pots
to the open ground. He gave each tur-
nip three square feet of space, and he
digged about each plant and enriched it
to the utmost. The result was as he
had expected. In August he had some
100 or more most mighty turnips. The
like had never been seen in all the land.
Envious passers-by looked over the
fence and remarked that "them roots
would eat bad too big and corky, you
know" To all of which the young man
said not word.
In all this Patience Lowering took no
interest. She could not understand it,
and she had belied her name. She had
become weary of waiting. Instead of
leaving his pegging machine and start
ing out in the world to make his fortune,
after the manner of the various knights
of whom she had read, he went to that
dull shop every day-and cultivated
turnips. The truth is, she was blind
She saw not the cords of duty that
bound the young man to his peggirg
machine, that his widowed mother might
live in decent comfort. With the sum-
mer came her vacation, and she went
away to the sea-shore for little pleasure
trip. 1t was her first journey away from
home, and it is small wonder that she
met and was dazzled by a creature of
seemingly fairer shape. He made love
to her, and-poor little goose !-she &C.
cepted him without even asking whereby
he earned the wherewithal to be clothed
in such gorgeous apparel. There is a
trace OF the eccentric In every mind,
and the wise virgin who counseled
her poor lover accepted rich one
without a question. She returned to
her native shoe town with diamond
ring, and announced that she would teach
school but one year more.
1t was admitted ON every hand that
the like of these turnips had never been
seen before. A single turnip was suffi-
cient for family of six for two days
half turnip at meal. Moreover, they
"ate very WE'LL" as reported by the
editor of the local weekly" The
turnips grew to the sere and yellow leaf,
and then they were carefully gathered
and stored for the winter in the cellar of
Mrs. Emerson's house.
Suddenly there appeared in the town
creature new to the experience of the
sober inhabitants. The younger fem
mime populace declared that it was "Pa-
thence Coverings beau." So it seemed
to the cultivator of turnips as he came
home from the shoe shop and met Pa.
thence on the mans arm in broad day.
light. He bowed to her as they passed,