The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-01-21
THE SOUTH BRANCH FARM
BY REBECCA HARDING DAVIS.

brancn farm since colony times, ana no
fancy had cheated man of dol
lar. They lent no money, and they Dor
rowed none; they never sat at any man S
table, or asked guest to theirs. .....
The Tawney pew-a front one--was
filled every Sunday, come rain or
sun. Mrs Tawney, middle-agcd wo-
man, with her gray hair in tight little
knot behind, and wearing the same rus
ty black gown aud bonnet for dozen
years, was always, lik 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 Bethlehem, or of the heavenly
glory to come, had faded into doubt
tul dream, and all that was real was the
South Branch farm, the price of pork, or
the fall in potatoes. After church din
ner must be ready Dipping hot, too, on
account OF the boardcr) III half an hour
then she had the sheep to look after, and
the poultry to feed; then supper; :hen
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, ''Sarahs not u
capable woman. No fancy blood in
her,
Ben was dead five years, but his wife
went Oh, carrying growing loads on the
back which lacked bone. William was
a harder task-master than his father had
been; the very oxen felt the lash oftener,
and their corn fell off one half. He sat
in the kitchen now with book before
him, while his mother and youngest sis
ter, Lefty, were cooking the supper.
Take that butter off the table," he
SAID, suddenly. "Molasses will do. VIVA,
are yon cooking meat fora It's not neces
sary. Put it back in the cellar"
Eyes, William replied his mother sub.
missively. "Only thought the board.
cr--'' .-"
"We 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 l ever to pay 70,
the meadow lots, if money is flung about
in this way9' ~t''l'
I'm what way, William2' Mrs. Taney's
scared eyes wandered over the bare kitch
en-, the smoulderlng Goals in corner Of
the CRATE, the half starved face of he1
little girl. II try to save, I'm sure
What way do yon mean9" ...& -.f ..'5*
20, every way!" closing his hook witt
bang. There's leak at every corner
Why, toll and slave the year round
But with such a lot of mouths to fe d
He glared at Lefty who shrank into
the pantry. She did not come out dur
ing supper, and her mother dared not cal
her. The girl was crying, as usual anc
her tears always eXaspcrated William
Poor Lefty felt the horrible guilt of he1
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
lots? 1t was to buy these lots that he1
husband had made their lives bare anc
hard and wretched from their wedding
day. The good, wholesome produce @
the farm, which should have fed the chill
dren,. had gone to market, while they att
the refuse; the money. which should have
educated them, had been put in the bank
to buy these lots. When her baby wa
i'll, no doctor was brought, and the chic
died; the money saved went to the lots
The mother had begged for headston,
for the child, but the money was needed
for the lots. There was Lefty, growing
to be a woman, haif-clothed and half
starved, without a sparkle of fun, O
pleasure to Tighten her young life, Will,
poorer girls dressed and went out ane
had company, and enjoyed, as the young
should, days filled with comfort and ha D
piness. Every penny thus saved William
laid by for the lots. Yes! those twelve
acres had come to be an absolute gooc
for these people. Not happy life, no.
God, nor heaven.
After supper his mother followed hin
out. .. ra H.t s.
"William," she said, desperately, "hov
many years will 1t be before you can bu,
those lots?" ..a7
"Years? The lots!' in unfeignei
amazement. elbow on earth can 70,
understand business2', -