Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-21
MISS MARTHA's r X

MISS MARTHA's TURKEY.
Miss Martha sat On the back porch
stringing beans; whisht, whisht, from
the pan in her lap, snap, snap, snap into
the pan at her side.
''Oh, Miss Marthy, I know where
your old black turkey hen isl" suddenly
came in a quick, sharp, voice almost at
her elbow. Miss Martha did not start
she was used to it-but eagerly rejoined:
''Is that 50? Where?"O
"Down in IL oat-iield. My John
saw her," answered her neighbor, Mrs.
Baker, as she came around and drew
herself up the steps with that heavy,
tsidewise movement women take when
their dresses are too long in front. ''He
said he knew it was Miss Marthy's hen,
cause she Just run like wild when he
come on her." ~
81 must go right away after her;
she'll have item little turkeys down in.
the hollow. and first thing l know some
varmintll have 'em all. Here, Polly,
take yourself Oft that railing and come
and finish these beans; and hurry up,
TOO; it's time they were on to cook
now" u
Miss Martha snatched her sun-bonnet
from it's nail, and was off through the
orchard without ceremony. Mrs. Baker
merely remarked t o Polly, "When she
starts out after her turkeys there's no
tellin' when she'll get back, so 1 reckon
l might as we'll 90 home," and she
went.
Miss Martha was q practi al farmer.
The few thousands her father had left
her had beer invested in a farm in Cen
trail Missouri, sold for taxes. A negro
family, that is to say, old Polly and her
children, relics of its former slave popu-
lation, still remained. It had never oc-
Cured to her to leave the old place and
providefor herself. When one of it's post
be11um owners left she scratched about
her rags around her and calmly waited
happily for her, never suffered any Sc
rious rebuke. It had been with all much
the same as with Miss Martha. Said
she, Owe got to have some body. so !
might as well keep her." So Polly and
her children. the two elder ones being
able to do a good deal about the farm,
continued to stay and be housed, fed,
clothed. and generally provided for.
Her ''shiftless, Niger ways'' sorefy
vexed Miss Martha, but rs she despair
ingly said, "'Iwas born in the flesh
and bred in the bone, and no amount OF
scolding or coaxing seemed to do any
good" Polly was a fat, Jolly. old soul,
and she dearly loved to come up from
her kitchen-down three steps and
straight out four from the corner Of the
back porch of the "big house"-lean
over the railing and watch Miss Martha
at her work. Many a warning and
friendly piece of advice in regard to her
treatment had Miss Martha received
from Mrs. Baker. Said the latter:
"What do you do this and that kind
of work yourself for? Why don't you
have Polly do it?"
"Well, I'll just tell you, Mrs. Baker,"
answered Miss Martha, ''l'd rather do
it myself than dog around after her"
Miss Martha, as | said before, was a
practical farmer. She kept half a dozen
"hands' more or less, and it was in
strict accordance with her directions
that everything was done. Not fence
corner, not q misplaced tool escaped
the surveillance of her bright black
eyes.
The thing in which she was most
highly interested, however, and to which
she gave her personal care. was the
raising of fowls; chickens, ducks and
turkeys she had in great numbers. The
latter. though dearest to her heart, by
reason of their more rowing disposition
gave her more trouble than all the rest.
She hesitated not to get up at the dead
hour Of night if she heard a note Of
Warning from her flock. No kind OF
weather was bad enough to prevent her
hon hunting up each individual and
seeing him safely cooped at night.
Judge then Of her anxiety when she
had not seen her cherished old black
t~urEey-hen for twenty-four hours.
Down through the orchard went Miss
Martha, through the high clover wei
with the heavy dew. through the pota.
to-patch. i've the rail fence and into
the sunny hlll-lot where honest John
Baker was grading his oats. With
skirts b%edraggled to her knees, topping
damply about her muddy feet, but
nothing daunted. Miss Martha haileC
him
"Mr: John, your mother said yousaw
my old black turkey-hen here some
place; where 'bouts?"
well, Miss M~arthy," sad John
leaning on the handle of his implement,
pushing back his wide-brimmed straw
Vat and drawing his shirt-sleeve ener
getlcaMy across his damp forehead, I'm
powerful glad to see YOU"
where's my turkey-henp"
II was lust thinkip' while 400 tina,