The state journal., 1884-08-23
TaE OLD CHERRY FARM
BY HELEN WHITNEY CLARE.

senses!'
The Mullord connection, far and near,
were terribly exercised over the fact that
Hazel Heatherton had invested six
hundred dollars for the old Cherry
Farm.
ga worn out old place that amt wuth
shucks" they asserted.
When Uncle Hezekiah Mullnrd died,
leaving a thousand dollars apiece to cach
of his two unmarried nieces the TWO girls
were looked upon as helresscs ey
the numerous kin folk living In and
around the little village OF Dripping
Springs
But when Hazel, in spite of all oppo
sition, persisted in investing 5000 OF her
legacy in the farm, as already stated,
and Invited Aunt Comfort Mulford to
live with her, their discomfort knew no
bounds
"Shc might Of invested her money safe
with me, complained Uncle Zeke, IAN
I'd Of give her five per cent. interest on It,
She could O. lived good ON that; but no,
she must 60 an spend her money fust
thing, fore Uncle Hczekiah was fairly
cold in his grave.
THAT ole place won't grow nothin'
but pusley and cookie burrs," groaned
Luraincy. She'll starve to death on it
shore"
It'll be judgment on her if she
does" declared Uncle Zeke, grimly shak
inc his head as he lighted his cob pipe
with coal from the fire place.
And The rest Of the kin-folks agreed
with him, and prophesicd all manner of
misfortune for Hazel. All, that is with
the exception OF cousin John Mulford and
his wife Arvila.
They upheld her in her unpopular pro
ceeding. Cousin John even went and
mended the roof OF the leaky but pic
turcsque little cottage, which stood on n
grassy hill side, sheltered by the sweep
ing branches Of half dozen or more
black heart cherry trees which had given
the place lis name.
Its pretty place" averrcd cousin
John; 'an' Hazel will have home there
if she amt cot nothin' else. Her an
aunt Comfort i live As happy as cows
in clover field.
But the other relatives shook their
heads and drew long faces oyer Hazels
future prospects.
"She might have bought 2 lot in town,
if she must have property, they grum-
hled.
But Hazel only laughed at their fore
bodings.
Il never had home Of my own, " she
said, ''and | guess the old place will sup
port me and Aunt Comfort as well as
the robins that live UP in the cherry
trees
And when the three tiny rooms Of the
little cottage were secured rs clean as
soap and water could make them, the
walls newly whitencd and the rooms
filled with the pretty household furniture
Hazel had bought and which Cous in
John had brought out with his OK team,
the young mistress of Cherry Farm lelt
n serene content in her possessions that
all the ill-ratured fOrbodings Of the Mul
ford clan failed TO disturb.
''Thar you air, Hazel-snug as bug
in a rugl" said Cousin John, mopping
his face with his red cotton handkerchief
rs he started the numbering oxen on their
homeward way. "An' when you git
your plumber all put to rights, me an
Arvilly' III come and make you visit.
"Be sure you do, " cried Hazel bright
ly. "And when the cherries are ripe,
Aryilla can have all she wants to put
up"
Mezcna Mulforl, Uncle Hezekiahs
other legatee, was no less loud in her de
nunciaton of Hazcl's investment
GLOW does she ever expect TO get mar
ried, I'd like to know, she commented,
away off in that lonely old place, with
nobody but pOky Aunt Comfort for com
pany? But don't care, I'm sure, if she
wants to make an old maid of herself,
Pm goin' to have the good of my money
while I'm young
She accordingly INDUCED herself in
the purchase OF numerous and expensive
dresses and gcw gaWs, banged and
frizzed her hair in the latest style, carried
scarlet parasol in her village walks,
and after enjoying the triumph of eXhib
iting herself and her new possessions to
the inhabitants Of Dripping Springs, she
announced her intention of going 10 the
seashore for the summer.
Going q husband hunting declared
the gossps There amt nobody good
enough for her in Dripping Springsr'
But if Mclzena heard them she paid
no heed to their gossip but packed her
big new Saratoga trunk with her new
finery and set out on her journey.
AS the weeks passed on Hazel and
Aunt Comfort enjoyed themselves in
their new home, in spite Of the evil prog
nostiCatiOns.
And, indeed, though the dissatisfied
kin-folk still shook their heads over
Hazel and her dOings, they were very
well pleased to drive out to the farm N
summer afternoons, and cat their fill Of
the ripe black heart cherries, or drink tea
from Hazel's lowered china teacups; or
10 spend the day, and dine on fried
chicken, green peas, new potatoes and
other early vegetables, raised by the in
dustry Of Hazel and Aunt Comfort, with
little help from Cousin John and his
hired hand Mike
Married? No; nor | don't never
expect to be, solcmnly asserted Mr..
Nicholas Bycroft, as he fastened the
hasp OF his trunk and took down his
brecch- loading rifle TO sec that it was in
order
For Mr.. Nicholas was making final
preparations for his journey to Texas,
where he was going into stock raising
on d cattle ranch of several hundred
acres.
"Get married indeed !" he continued
muttering to himself. "Therc isn't
more,n one girl in a hundred Iii have,
an like MS not that one wouldn't have
me IL there was girl now that thought
0l anything besides a-curling her hair
and dressing herself up in silks an fur
bellows, an had an idea of what home
ought to be, i dun know but might-but,
pshaW II there is any sich girls I've
never run across 'em, an never expect
TO- II DC an old bachelor and live by
myself, like Uncle Tom.'
~ # \
Bless me Hazel, :" cried Aunt Com
fort, one bright summer morning, "heres
your Cousin John an Arvilly a.comin'
out in the spring wagon, an / man With
EN-. Who kin it be? 'Tain't the minis
r l.. e.. L, >