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

His name was John Goodwin Emer-
son, and his works and ways were these /:
Tending a pegging machine in a New
England shoe shop, and thinking much
OF Patience Lowering, the primary
school teacher. When the 6-oclock
whistle brought welcome release from
the weary clatter of the pegging ma
chine, he betook himself to the society
of Patience or books. That is, Patience
would not always receive him, and then
he read books In species of mad fury.
Patience Lowering seemed in some
manner above him. He knew this, and
had wisely thought to raise himself to
her level. Finally the time came when
the word that was in his heart came out,
and, upon suitable occasion, he told
her that he loved her, and had hoped to
make her his wife.
The result was peculiar and most I'M
happy. This modern maiden met loves
advance with a kind of iron-clad COM
nonsense, and bluntly told him his in
come was insufficient. Her own earn
ings were enough for her support. AID
little more. She lived in comfort. and
had some leisure, to say nothing of an
occasional taste of the drama and music.
AS his wife she would have none of
these, besides many household cares
and that sort of thing.
Did she not love him? She looked at
him with a sad smile, and said, 81 will
not say whether / love you or not per-
haps-perhaps not" Seeing that he
was greatly cast down, she added, play
fully, Am L not worth winning? Why
do you not try?"
What can 1 do ?" said he, bitterly.
am only mechanic"
She made no reply for moment, and
then she said, slowly, "That is nothing
i mean it is nothing against you. The
point is that you must be more. It is
not for me to say what or how. You
are man. 1 make no promise, but YOU
may win me--if you can.
With this she turned away quickly
and walked on alone before him, leaving
him standing in the middle of the rural
lane where they had been walking. He
saw her put up her hands before her
face, but whether it was in shame or
grief he could not tell. It was both
shame that she had been forced to speak
so plainly, and grief that-but, really,
her grief was so mingled with other SEN
tlments that 1t YVES part sorrow and part
hope.
The Young man gazed after her till
she had disappeared, and then he turned
aside to the stone wall that bound the
lane, and looked out over the wide ex-
panse of very fine turnip field. There
were millions of turnips in majestic
rows, rank beyond rank, their plume
like leaves waving as an army with ban
ners. OF these 10000 one alone at
tracted his attention. It was mighty
turnip, fair to see, and of goodly size
and shape. 1t was the king turnip of
the field, and the disconsolate lover
studied it with interest.
1t. is a curious fact that sometimes.
when the mind is suffering from great
shock or sudden revulsion of feeling.
the most trivial things absorb the atten-
ton. 1t is as if the will was too weary
to trouble itself about the directing Of
the mind, and any chance object ab.
sorbed the whole attention. The younp
man considered this superior turnip with
profound interest. Why was il so
mighty while all its million brothers
were no more than ordinary turnips {?
Traces of an old compost heap near by
seemed to explain the turnip's glorious
proportions. AT once his mind skipped
nimbly to the future. If this turnip, 80
goodly in shape and size, were selected
for seed, would not its seed retain some
thing of its noble proportions? If the
fittest were made to survive, would not
q superior race begin?
Having considered these deep and mo-
mentous questions for some time. the
young man turned away and went home,
feeling much better. Such is the effect
of labor, particularly mental labor, on
sorrow. The next day they both re-
sumed their labors in school and shop,
and none guessed that aught had passed
between them.
Months passed away, and already the