The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-08-12
THE SGUTH BRANCH FARM.

THE SGUTH BRANCH FARM.
The Tanevs had lived on the South
Branch farm since colony times and no
fancy had ever cheated a man out of a
dollar. They lentno money and they Dor
rowed none; they never sat at any man S
table, or asked guest to theirs.
The fancy pew-a front one-was
filed every Sunday, come rain or sun.
Mrs. fancy, a middle-aged woman,
with her gray hair in tight little knot
behind and wearing the same rusty
black gown and bonnet for a dozen
years, was always like the others, pres
ent. But sometimes she was asleep.
For this was the one hour of the whole
week when she could sit down on a
cushion and fold her hands. The air
was warm; the music soft and sweet;
no wonder she slept. Sometimes the
words that were read stirred her soul;
it seemed as if her childhood woke, as
if the tears must come to her long dry
eyes. But they never did. By the time
she had walked home with her son
William. the strange story of Bethle-
hem, or Heavenly glory to come, had
faded into a doubtful dream, and all
that was real was the South Branch
farm, the price of pork, or the fall in
potatoes. After church dinner must be
ready, Dipping hot too, on account of
the boarder,) in half an hour; then she
had the sheep to look after, and the
poultry to feed; then supper, then milk
ing. The Taneys never had kept any
"help.n Mrs. fancy had brought up
six children, been sole cook, seamstress,
tailor and dairy maid; yet her husband,
old Ben, always had said: Sarah's not
a capable woman. NoTaney blood in
her.
Ben had been dead five years; but his
wife went on, carrying a growing load
on her back which lacked bone. William
was a harder task-master than his faith
er had been; the very oxen felt the lash
oftener and their corn fell off One-half.
He sat in the kitchen now with a book
before him, while his mother and
youngest sister, Lefty, were cooking
supper.
flake that butter off of the table,"
he said, suddenly. "Molasses will do.
What are you cooking meat forP It's
not necessary. Put it back in the Gel
lar
Eyes, William" replied his mother,
submissively; "only L thought the
boarder-"
I'VE can't afford to feed him like a
lord. You'll have to exercise economy,
mother, can't be always here to look
after things. How am ever to pay for
the meadow lots if the money IS flung
about in this way?"
lin what way, William?'' Mrs
Taney's scared eyes wandered over the
bare kitchen, the smouldering Goals in
a corner of the CRATE, the half-starved
face of her little girl. 81 try to save,
I'm sure. What way do you mean?"
80, every wayr' closing his book with
a bang. There's a leak at every cor
ner. Why, l toll and slave the year
round. But with such lot of mouths
to feed"
He glared at Lefty who shrank into
the pantry. She did not come out dur
ing supper and her mother dared not
call her. The girl was crying as usual
and her tears always exasperated Will
lam. Poor Lefty felt the horrible guilt
of her hearty appetite sore upon her.
She was always hungry; hungry to faint
now. EN
Mrs. fancy forgot to eat her dry
bread or drink her milk. The meadow
lotst 1t was to buy these lots, that her
husband had made their lives bare and |
hard and wretched, from their wedding |
day. The good, wholesome produce of |
the farm which should have fed the |.
children, had gone to market, while |
they ate the refuse; the money, which |
should have educated them, had been
her baby was i'll, no doctor was brought,
and the child died; the money saved went |
TO the lots; the mother had begged for |
q head-stOne for the child. There was
Lefty, growing to be a woman, half
clothed, without a sparkle of fun or
pleasure to tighten her young life;
while poorer girls dressed and went out
and had company, and enjoyed as the
young should, days filled with comfort
and happiness. Every penny thus
saved William laid by for the LOTS
Yes! those twelve acres had come to
be the absolute God for these people.
Not a happy life, nor God, nor Heaven.
After supper his mother followed him
out.
William she said, desperately,
" how many more years will it be be-
fore you can buy the lots?'
Years. The lotsr' in unfeigned
''I-how on earth can
you understand businessg'
1t was the first she had ever spoken
In this way.
Il don't know. But 1 am afraid 1
will not live to see it. It's so long"
She went back to the kitchen. The
dishes stood untouched upon the table
and little Lefty was seated on the steps,
q basket of red peaches beside her,
which the boarder brought down from
his room.
He was a young man, teacher in
country school, who had come
up to these hills geologizing in his sum-
mer vacation.
81 brought them from the Mcbride
farm. Mrs. Taney," he said. They
are a very common kind in the Shenan-
doah Valley" handing them to her.
Mrs. Taney's thin features grew
warm.
81 remember a tree Just like these,
at home" she said, "by the old mill.
Ny old nurse used to hold me up to pull
them for myself"
Your little girl tells me you came ,