The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-11-28
THE AMATEUR HARYESTERS.

Merchant Traveller.
THE AMATEUR HARVESTERS.
Maine Press.
I was late in September. At Hill
Farm all the harvesting was done, ex-
cept the family vegetable garden, and
if Mr.. Elisha Patten had not fallen
down the corn chamber stairs and brok-
en- his arm, the products of this garden
would probably have been gathered in
orthodox fashion, and this story would
never have been written.
But here was the catastrophe, o set
tied fact; no help to be had for miles
around, and Mr.. Elisha Patten, inclined
by nature and habit to take Time by
the forelock," and to have everything
done IL little in advance of others, in a
condition verglng on complete despair.
In the face of this emergency the
girls undertook to harvest the garden.
"The girls" in this instance were two
lively maidens of eighteen and twenty
years, nieces of good Mrs. Patten, and
adopted daughters of the household,
which was completed by a small
boy of nine, a more recently adopted
charge.
The sun shone brightly forth, with
the fervor of summer in his beams, on
the morning when this amateur band
of reapers went forth to reap" Helen
and Christina led the procession, little
Carl followed with implements, while
Victor and Rupert, two young and sport
i've dogs, gaily brought up the rear.
The sweet corr stiffly waved its dry
and yellow pennons, the string beans
displayed their ripe and bursting pods,
and golden pumpkins crowned the
withered vines, whick trailed over de-
serted hills where early potatoes had
once reposed. With their beauty We'd
that of the more aristocratic, but no
more valued, squash; the delicate melon
nestled among its scalloped leaves, and
the modest cabbage lifted its head
with hesitation among the prouder veg
etables.
It is not my purpose to follow the
details of their harvesting. 1t pro-
crossed from day, to day slowly indeed,
but no less surely. Much freely offered,
but less freely accepted. advice was re-
ceived from the masculine member of
the party, who, though young in years,
considered himself old in wisdom, and
1o-. a1.a,1r ,>,.al, - /, ,1.ton -.
which Children of an older growth"
sometimes manifest, looked with uncon-
cealed contempt upon the femme efforts
and methods of his co-]aborers.
1t may be that these efforts were es-
sentially feminine. Does hat change
their value? If obstinate stalks of corn
which refused to be quietly cut, were
pulled up by the roots; if potato hills
were excavated to such q deoth, IN the
fear of not finding Ill the potatoes.
that the e%1cavators felt obliged to
fill them up again, lest Us Christina SOL
EMMY remarked, "some one should fall
in and break o limb, and 1 be RESPONSE
ble;" if, as before said, the methods
followed were not the strictly scientific
ones accepted by generations of mascu-
liH workers, it has been said by a dis
tinguished writer that the truly great
work not by rules" and in this work, at
least, ought not the end to be acknowl-
edged as "justifying the means?"
On q golden October day the lahors
of my heroines were drawing to o close.
They had been arduous. 1t must be
confessed that blistered fingers and
aching limbs had often been their nc
compartments; yet WHO shall say that
the work had been without it's pleasures,
too? For these were maidens who knew
face of Nature at all times. but best of
all when she donned her autumn robes.
and under skies SO blue they FASH .
held through field and wood high festi-
val.
The apple trees in the orchard were
dropping under their weight of fruit,
the meadow slope was bright with as
ter flowers and frost-tinted ferns, while
further still lay woodlands in all their
autumn colors, and a llne of purple
hills circled the horizon. On the edge
Of the garden, against this fair back
ground, a pretty tableau was displayed.
Helen's hat had fallen back upon her
shoulders, and her golden hair half es-
clped its fastenings. She had raised
two portly pumpkins, while Christina,
with an armful of cornstalks, stood like
the goddess of Autumn, if that deity
can be imagined posing in print gown,
gloves and sun-hat. Little Carl was
busily engaged in transferring a heap
of patotoes from the grass ton diminu-
tive wheel barrow.
1t was a pretty tableau, rs / said; but
its tranquility was suddenly disturbed
by q sight which caused Helen to drop
her shining burdens, Carl to stand in
open mouthed wonder, and both at
tendant dogs to bark violently.
In a corner of the stone wall which
adjoined the high road, a Young man
apparently an artist, was discovered
with open sketch hook, evidently occu-
pied in sketching the scene before him.
On perceiving that he was observed
he approached the group, with apollo
gies: II am sure / must be trespasslng
but as l passed along the road, / was SC
charmed with this mountain view that ]
could not resist the temptation of max
ing a sketch" he said.
Helen, having with some difficulty
succeeded in quoting the excited ca
mines, politely assured him that he was
very pardonable. "Pray finish your
sketch, If you like" she added.
The ARTIST replied with thanks that
it was already finished; bowed himself
away and disappeared-not without
many a backward glance.
Christina emerged from behind bel
cornstalks, whittier she had retired il
confusion, and the conversation which