Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-18
TIE SOUTH BRANCH FARM.
BY REBECCA HARDING DAVIS.

The Taneys had lived on South
Branch farm since colony times, and no
fancy had cheated man of & dol
lar. They lent no money, and they Dor
rowed none; they never sat at any mans
table, or asked Il guest to theirs.
The Tawney pew-a front one--was
filed every Sunday, come rain or
sun. Mrs. Tawney,a nliddle-agcd wo-
man, with her gray hair in u tight little
!1rof behind, and wearing the same rus
II biacN gown aud bonnet for 81 dozen
years, WAS always, llG the others, pres
emit. But sometimes she was asleep. For
this WAS the one hour OF the whole week
when she could sit down on . cushion
and fold her hands. Tie air was warm,
me music soft and sweet: no wonder she
slept. Sometimes the words that were
read stirred her soul; it seemed as if her
childhood woke, SIS il the tears must
come ~ her long dry eyes. But they
never did. BY the time she had walked
home with her SOC William, the strange
story OF Bethlehem, or OF the heavenly
glory TO come, had faded into a doubt
ful dream. ald all that was real was the
South Branch farm, the price OF pork, or
the fall in spOtatOes. After church din
aer must be ready Dipping hot, too, on
account OF the boarder) III half an hour,
then she had the sheep to look after, and
the poultry to feed; then supper; then
milking. The Taneys never had kept
any "help'" 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 Il
capable woman. No fancy blood in
aer'
Ben was dead five years, but his wife
went on, carrying growing loads on the
back which lacked bone William vas
harder task-master than his lat! cr i4ad
keen; tie very oxen felt the lash ottcner,
AMI their corn FILL off one half. lie sat
Ii the kitchen now with Il book before
him, while his mother and youngest Sis
ter, Lefty, were cooking the supper.
Take that butter OF the table, he
said, suddenly. "iIolass2s will do. WHAT
are yon cooking meat for? It's not neccs
sary Put 1t back il the cellar"
ayes, William replied his mother sub
missivcly. "Only thought the board
er-'
ave can't afford 10 feed him like q
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 money is flung about
in this way?'
''in what way, William Mrs. fancy s
scared eyes wandered over the bare kitch-
en-, the smoulderlng Goals in corner Of
the CRATE, the half starved face of her
little girl. ~ try to save, I'm sure.
What way do yon meant"
90, every way" closing his book with
a bany. There's a leak at every corner.
Why, ( toll and slave the year round.
But with such lot of mouths to fe. d.
He glared at Lefty who shrank into
the pantry. She dld not come out dur
ing supper, and her mother dared not call
her. The girl was crying, as usual. and
her tears always exasperated William.
Poor Lefty felt the horrible guilt of her
hearty appetite sore upon her. She was
always hungry; hungry to talntncss now.
Mrs. fancy forgot to eat her dry
bread, or drink her milk. The meadow
lotss 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 chill
dren, had gone to market, while they ate
the refuse; the money. which should have
educated them. had been put in the bank
to buy these lots. When her baby was
III, no doctor was brought, and the child
died; the money saved went to the lots.
The mother had begged for headstone
for the child, but the money YVES needed!
for the lots. There was Lefty, growing
to be woman, haif-clothed and half
starved, without 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 hap
plness. Every penny thus saved William |
laid by for the lots. Yes! these twelve |
acres had come to be an absolute good |
for these people. Not happy life, nor
God, nor heaven.
After supper his mother followed him
out.
'.William," she said, desperately. chow
nlany years viii 1t be before you can buy
chose lots?"
wears? The lotsr' in unfeigned
amazement "I-how on earth can YOU
understand businessi'
It was the first time she had ever spoz-
e. in this way.
~ don't know. But am afraid I Will
not live to see it. It is so long
She went back to the kitchen. The
dishes stood untouched upon the table,
end little Lefty was seated on the steps,
a basket of red peaches beside her, which
the bnarder had brought down from his
room.
He was a young man, teacher in a
Virginia country school, who had come