The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-06-27
MEADOW FARM.

1nesky was All u uqu Blo"j VHO
frogs were croaking in the stumps; the
naples were crimsoned with their
earliest banners of blossoms; and, as
she tripped along, Mary found a tuft
of v~iolets, half hidden under a drift of
dead leaves-pale, purple, scentless
blooms!
"The first violets always bring good
luck with them" she whispered to her
self as she pinned them into the bosom
of her blue flannel dress,
Home" was scarcely heideal ~realiza-
ton of that poetic word to II factory
girl. She and her mother lived in the
upper half of a shabby, unpainted
wooden house, with the blacksmith's
scol ding wife and seven riotous chill
dreu down stairs, and one-half of a tram
pied back yard by way of a garden,
where nothing ever grew but burdocks,
nettles and Mrs. Mugg's long-legged
fowls.
But Mrs. Miller, who had been a
school-teacher once, and still retained
some of the refinement of her early
education, had the tea ready, with a
shaded lamp and a bunch of maple
blossoms on the table ready for Mary
to come home. .
"Good news, mother!" the girl cried
lightly. "The meadow farm is to be let
Mother, we must take it."
Mrs. Miller looked obviously at the
eager, bright face, with its blue-gray
eyes and fringes of yellow hair.
Scan we afford it daughter she
said slowly. "A whole house and farm
of forty-three acres?"
cit isn't such a very large house,
mother!n pleaded Mary as she laid the
bunch of violets in her mothers lap,
nor so many more rooms than we have
here. And we could keep two cows,
and / could sell milk and butter, and
spring chickens and eggs; and / am al
most sure that Will Davidge would work
the farm on shares. And only think,
mother, how delightful it would be to
have a home all to ourselves, where we
couldn't hear Mrs. Mugs boxing Bob
by's ears, OF Helen shrieking with the
toothachel And a little garden, mother,
where we could have peonies and holly
hooks, and all those lovely, old fashioned
flowers that your soul delights in
Mrs. Miller's face softened.
1T would be d great temptation, Moi
ly," she said.
"Its a month since old Mrs. Dabney
died, {" said Mary. "And they say that
her daughter In the city and her son in
California despise the old farm, with it's
one-story house and it's old red barn.
Sol is TO be let. And so cheap, tool
Only a hundred and fifth dollar'sa year.
Mother, we mnst take It'll I'll leave the
factory and turn dairy maid. I've saved
enough, you know, to buy the two cows
and some real Plymouth Rock fowls to
begin with, and oh, it will be such hap
pinessl Say yes, mother--do say yes =
When Mary Miller pleaded like this
the gentle widow never knew how to
refuse; and the upshot OF it was that
they leased the Dabney house, and be-
came co-sovereigns of the realms of
Meadow farm.
1t was their first night there. Over
head the young May moon shone
through q veil of purple mist. a soli-
tary owl hooted In the chestnut wood
back of the house, for Meadow farm was
situated on a lonely mountain side,
where no one ever came except on spe-
cial business.
The Plymouth Rock chickens were
safely shut up where foxes conld not
reach them b minks steal in to bleed
their young lives away the cows-two
fine young Alderneys-were chewing
their cuds back of the old red barn, and
Mary Miller had flung a handful Of ce-
dar sticks on the hearth, where their
scented blaze illuminated the old
kitchen with a ieaping brightness beau
tiful to see.
Because it's just possible that the
house may be damp" she said, latter
being u~ninllabited SO long. There,
mother, isn't that cheerful? And isn't
it nice our old rag carpet should fl this
floor so exactly? 2" with q satisfied down
ward glance. "And do you see those
tiger Allies? Ifound.the,pdown by the
garden wall-oh, such a red wilderness
of theml Old Mrs. Dabney set them
out herself, they saw. Ii seems only yes
terday,n she added thougbtfully that /
came past here and saw old Mrs. Dab
ney sitting in the big chair by the fire,
Just where
Mrs. Miller uttered d little shrek and
graspcd her daughters arm at this mo-
ment, Mary topped short, with an
pshy pallor overspreading her cheek.
For as she spoke tile door opposite
ihad opened, and q very little old wom-