Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-01-14

CURED and received an exact account of
Jacobs experience during his absence.
After hearing the story to the end he said,
''And SO yon love this Susan Meadows =
"Pd-Td do anything to be with her. .
care you afraid of herr
"No!' Jacob uttered the word SO en-
phatically that it rang through the house.
"Ah, well % said the cid man. lifting
his eyes and speaking in the air, all the
harm may be mended yet. But there must
be another test" Then he was silent for
some time.
Il have it! he finally exclaimed.
sJacob, you must go back for the oats
harvest. You must ask Susan to be your
wife, and ask her parents to let You have
her. But-pay attention to my words J
YOU must tell her that you are poor,
hired man on this place, and that she can
be engaged as housekeeper. Don't speak
of me as your father, but as the owner of
the farm. Bring her here in that belief,
and let me see how honest and willing she
is. l can easily arrange matters with
Harry and Sally while you are away and
I'll only ask you to keep up the appearance
of the thing for month or so.
"Not word ! Are you not willing to
do that much for the sake of having her
all your life, and this farm after me? Sup
pose it is covered with mortgage, if she
is all you say, you two can work it off.
Not word more 1t is no lie, after all,
that you will tell her"
Il am afraid" said Jacob, "that she
could not leave her home now. She is too
useful there, and the family is so poor.
"Tell them that both your wages, for
the first year, shall 90 to them. It'll be
my business to rake and scrape the money
together somehow Say, too, that the
housekeeper's place can't be kept for her
must be filled at once. Push matters like
man, if you mean to be complete one,
and bring her here, if she carries no more
with her than the clothes on her back p
During the following days Jacob had
time to familiarize his mind with this start
ling proposal. He knew his fathers stub
born will too well to suppose that it could
be changed; but the inevitable soon con-
verted itself into the possible and desirable.
The sweet face of Susan as she had stood
before him in the wheat-held was contlnu-
ally present to his eyes, and ere long he be-
gan to place her, in his thoughts, in the old
rooms at home, in the garden, among the
thickets by the brook and in Ann Pardon's
pleasant parlor. Enough his fathers plan
became his own long before the time was
out.
On his second journey everybody seemed
to be an old acquaintance and an intimate
friend. 1t was evening as he approached
the Meadows farm, but the younger child
l. 4ta1 ,gIr Ehnyp
cry of, ''Oh, here's Jacob % brought out
the farmer and his wife and Susan, with
the heartiest of welcomes. They had all
missed him, they said-even the horses
and oxen had looked for him, and they
were wondering how they should get the
oats harvested without him.
Jacob looked as Susan as the farmer said
this, and her eyes seemed to answer, |
said nothing, but knew you would come. y
Then, first, he felt sufficient courage for
the task before him.
He rose the next morning, before any
one was stirring, and waited until she
should come downstairs. The sun had not
risen when she appeared, with a milk pail
in each hand, walking unexpectedly to
the cow.yard He waylaid her, took the
pals in his hand and said in nervous haste,
''Susan, will YOU be my wife :"
She stopped as if she had received sud
den blow; then shy. sweet consent
seemed to run through her heart. 80
Jacob - was all she could say.
but you will, SUSAN" he urged and
then (neither of them exactly knew how it
happened) all at once his arms were around
her, and they had kissed each other.
''Susan," he said, presently, 81 am a
poor man-only farm hand, and must
work for my living. You could look for a
better husband"
81 could never find better than you,
Jacob"
Would you work with me at the same
place."
"You know l am not afraid of work, !"
she answered, "and could never want any
other lot than yours.
Then he told her the story which his
father had prompted. Her face grew bright
and happy as she listened, and he saw how
from her very heart she accepted the hum
bic fortune. Only the thought of her pa
rents threw cloud over the new and as
tonishing vision Jacob, however, grew
holder as he saw fulfllment of his hope so
near. They took the pals and seated
themselves beside neighbor cows, one rails
ing objections or misgivings which the
other manfully combated. Jacobs earn
estness unconsciously ran into his hands, as
he discovered when the impatient cow be-
gan to snort and kick.
The harvesting of the oats was not COM
menced that morning. The children were
sent away, and there was council of four
persons held in the parlor. The result of
mutual protestations and much weeping
was. that the farmer and his wife agreed to
receive Jacob as a son-in.law; the offer of
the wages was four times refused by them,
and then accepted and the chance of their
being able to live and labor together was
finally decided to be too fortunate to let
slip. When the shock and surprise was
over, all gradually became cheerful, and,
as the matter was more calmly discussed,
the first conjectured difficulties somehow
resolved themselves into tribes.
1t was the simplest and quietest wedding
at home on an August morning. Farmer
Meadows then drove the bridal pair half
way on their journey to the old country
tavern. where a fresh conveyance had
been engaged for them. The same evening
thew reached the farmhouse in the valley,
and Jacobs happy mood gave place to an
anxious uncertainty as he remembered the
period of deception upon which Susan was
entering. He keenly watched his fathers
face when they arrived, and was little re-
lieyed when he saw that his wife had made
good first impression.
$50, this is my new housekeeper, said
the old man. 81 hope you will suit me as
well as your husband does"
"I'll do my best, sir, said she; "but
you must have patience with me for few
days, until l know your ways and wishes. "
'sMr. Flint" said Sally, "shall l get
supper ready ?"
Susan looked up in astonishment at hear
ing the name.
Eyes" the old man remarked, ''we both
have the same name. The TACT Is, Jacob
and are a sort of relations"
Jacob, in spite of his new happiness, con-
tinued i'll at ease, although he could not
help seeing how his father frightened under
Susan's genial influence, how satisfied he