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

Finally the road climbed low pass OF
the hills, and dropped into a valley on the
| opposite side. There was but one house in
view-a two-story building of logs and
plaster. with garden and orchard on the
hillside in the rear. A large meadow
stretched in front, and when the whole of
it lay clear before him, as the road issued
from wood, his eye was caught by an un
usual harvest picture.
Directly before him woman, whose face
was concealed by huge, Tapping sun
bonnet, was seated upon moving machine,
guiding a span of horses around the great
tract of thick grass which was still uncut
| A little distance off boy and girl were
raking the drier swarths together, and
hay. cart drawn by oxen and driven by
man, was Just entering the meadow from
the side next the barn.
Jacob hung his bundle upon stake,
/ threw his coat and waistcoat over the rail,
| and, resting his chin ON his shirted arms,
leaned on the fence and watched the hay
makers As the woman came down the
nearer side she appeared to notice him, for
her head was turned from time to time II
his direction. When she had made the
round she stopped the horses at the corner,
sprang lightly from her seat and called to
the man, who, leaving his team, met her
half way. They were nearly a furlong
distant, but Jacob was quite sure that she
pointed to him, and that the man looked in
the same direction. Presently she set off
across the meadow directly toward him.
When within a few PAGES of the fence
she stopped, threw back the flaps of her
sun. bonnet, and said, "Good day to you. ;"
Jacob was SO amazed to see bright,
fresh, girlish face, that he stared at her
with all his eyes, forgetting to drop his
head. Indeed, he could not have done So
for his chin was propped upon the top rail
of the fence.
.You are stranger, see," she added.
eyes, in these parts. he replied.
" Looking for work"
He hardly knew what answer to make,
SO he said at a venture, ''That's as it hap
pens" Then he colored little, for the
words seemed foolish to his ears.
'Time's precious" said the girl, so
I'll tell you at once we want help. Our
hay must be got in while the fine weather
lasts"
"I'll help your Jacob exclaimed, TAX
ing his arms from the rail, and looking as
willing as he felt.
''Tm SO glad But must tell you, at
first that we're not rich, and the hands are
asking great deal now. How much do
you expect"
Whatever you please? ?" said he, climb
ing the fence.
mo, that's not our way of doing bust
ness. What do you say TO dollar day
and found %
"All right !" and with the words he was
already at her side, taking long strides over
the elastic turf.
81 will go on with my moving" said
she, when they reached the horses, "and
you can rake and load with my father
What name shall call you by"
EVERY body calls me Jake
"' Jake Jacob is better. Well,
Jacob, 1 hope you'll give us all the help
you can"
With nod and light laugh she sprang
upon the machine. There was sweet
throb in Jacobs heart, which, if he could
have expressed it, would have been tri
umphant shout of "Pm not afraid of her.
I'm not afraid OF her !"
The farmer was kindly, depressed man,
with whose quiet ways Jacob instantly felt
himself at home. They worked steadily
until sunset, when the girl, detaching her
horses from the machine, mounted one of
them, and led the other to the barn. AT
the supper table the farmers wife said :
"Susan, you must be very tired"
"Not now, mother !" she cheerily
answered. 81 was, / think, but after l
picked up Jacob, felt sure we should get
our hay in"
sit was good thing" said the farmer ;
Jacob don't need to be told how to
work"
Poor Jacob He was SO happy he could
have cried. He sat and listened, and
blushed little, with smile on his face
which it was a pleasure to see. The
honest people did not seem to regard him
in the least as a stranger they discussed
their family interests and troubles and
hopes before him, and in little while it
seemed as if he had known them always.
How faithfully he work. How glad and
tired he felt when night came, and the hay
NOW was filed, and the great stacks grew
beside the barn But all ! the haying came
to an end, and on the last evening, at sup.
per, everybody was constrained and silent.
Even Susan looked grave and thoughtful.
Jacob" said the farmer, finally, II
wish we could keep you until wheat har-
vest; but you know we are poor and can't
afford it. Perhaps you could"
He hesitated but Jacob, catching at the
chance and obeying his own unseifish i'm
pulse, cried "Oh, yes, l can I'll be sat-
isfied with my board, till the wheat's ripe.
Susan looked at him quickly, with a
bright, speaking face.
"It's hardly fair to you" said the
farmer.
but like to be here so much p Jacob
cried. 81 like-all of your
"We do seem to suit, said the farmer,
"hke as one family. And that reminds
me, we've not heard your family name yet.
| Flint"
"Jacob Flint exclaimed the farmers
wife, with sudden agitation.
Jacob was scared and troubled They
had heard of him, he thought, and who
knew what ridiculous stories? Susan no.
ticed an anxiety on his face which she
could not understand, but she unknowingly
came to his relief.
"Why, mother" she asked, do you
know Jacobs family ?"
"No, l think not" said her mother,
"only somebody of the name, long ago."
His offer, however, was gratefully ac-
cepted. The bright, hot summer days
came and went, but no flower of July ever
opened as rapidly and richly and warmly
as his chilled, retarded nature. New
thoughts and instincts came with every
mornings sue, and new conclusions were
reached with every evenings twilight.
Yet as the wheat harvest drew towards
the end. he felt that he must leave the
place. The month of absence had gone
by, he scarce knew how. He was free to
return home, and, though he might offer to
bridge over the gap between wheat and
oats as he had already done between hay
and wheat, he imagined the family might
hesitate to accept such an offer. More
over, this life at Susan's side was fast
growing to be pain. unless he could
assure himself that it would be so for ever.
They were in the wheat field, busy with
the last sheaves, she raking and he bind
ing. The farmer and younger children