Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-01-02
SOUTH BRANCH FARM.

SOUTH l6hANCh FAhM.
The Taneys had lived on the South
Branch farm since colony times, and nc
fancy had ever cheated man Of a dol
lar. They let no money, and they boz
rowed none; they never sat at any mans
table, or asked a guest to theirs.
The Taney pew-front one-was filled
every Sunday, come rain or sun. Mrs.
Tarey, q middie-aged woman, with her
gray hair in tight little knot behind,
and wearing the same rusty, black gown
and bonnet for dozen years, was always
like the others present. 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.
The air was warm; the music soft and
sweet; no wonder she slept. Sometimes
the works 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
story of Bethlehem, or heavenly glory to
come, had faded into doubtful dream,
and all that was real was the South
Branch farm, the price of pork, OF the
fall of potatoes. After church, dinner
must be ready Dipping hot, too, on &C
count of the boarder), il halt an hour;
and then she had the sheep TO look after,
and the poultry to feed; then milking.
The Taney's never had kept any help"
Mrs. fancy had brought up six children,
been sole cook, seamstress, tailor and
dairymaid; vet her husband, Old Ben, al
WAYS had said: "Sarah's no. capable
woman. No fancy blood in her.
Ben had been deaf five years, but his
wife went on carrying groaning load
on the back which lacked bone. William
was a harder master than his father had
been; the very oxen felt the lash oftener,
and their corn tell off one-half. He sat
in the kitchen now, with a book before
him, while his mother and youngest
sister, Lefty, were cooking supper.
take that butter off the table, ne
said, suddenly. "Molasses will do.
What are you cooking meat for? It's
not necessary. Put It back in the eel
lar"
eyes, William" replied his mother,
submissively. "Only [ thought the
boarder-"
eve can't afford to keep him like a
lord You'll have to exercise economy,
mother; can't be always here to look
after things How am I ever to pay for
the meadow lots if the money is going
away IN this stylea'
"In what way, William?' Mrs. Taney's
scared eyes wandered over tire spare
kitchen, the smoldering coal in a corner
of the CRATE, the haif-starved face of her
little girl,
II try TO save, am sure. What way
o you mean, sirs'
"Oh, every wayW closing his book
with a bang. There's leak at every
corner. 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
liam. Poor Lefty felt the horrible guilt
of her hearty appetite sore upon her.
She was always hungry hungry enough
to faint now.
Mrs. Tarey forgot TO eat her dry bread,
or drink her milk. The meadow lots!
1t was to buy those lots that her husband
had made their lives bare and hard and
wretched from their wedding day. The
good wholesome produce from the farm,
which should have fed the children, had
gone to market, while they ate the re-
fuse; the money which should have edu-
Gated them had been put in the bank to
buy these lots. When her baby was so
i'll no doctor was brought, and her child
died; the moneysayed went to the lots;
the mother had begged for a headstone
for the grave. There was Lefty, growing
to be woman, half-clothed, without
sparkle of fun or pleasure to Tighten her
young life; while poorer girls dressed
and went out, and had company, and en-
joyed, as the girls should, days filled
with comfort and happiness. Every pen
ny thus saved William laid by for the
lots" Yes! those twelve actors had come
to be the absolute God for these people.
Not happy life, nor God, nor heaven.
After supper his mother followed him
out.
"William,'' she said, desperately, show
many years will it be before you can buy
the lots9"
''Years9 The lotsl" IN unfeigned
amazement. "I-how on earth can you
understand business9"
1t was the first time she had ever
spoken in this way.
81 don't know. But I'm afraid I will
not live to see it. It is so long"
She went back 70 the kitchen The
dishes stood untouched upon the table
and Lefty was seated upon the steps, a
basket of red peaches beside her, which
the boarder brought down from his room.
He was a young man, q teacher in a
Virginia country school, who had come