The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-02-07

the milk W stfNth, NOT, Nktni, enufn OF
make into cheese, and nothing but the
simrlcs, utensils TO do with. A cloth
hold over tho edge vi Tho pail served
for a straincr; tho pals themselves
were heavy wood, the pms old and
some of them lenky, tho holes stopped
Will, bits of rag, often 10 be renewed,
the milk room Was In the shed, built
against tho chimney Tint IL might not
freeze there In tho winter. only aired
by one small Slated window; the cl,urn
was Nh old wooden one with dnsher,
and oven tho "spaddle" with which she
worked her butter was Whitfield out of
maple knot by Amasn himself, nnd
was heavy and rough.
Then belonged To her The feeding of
the pigs--gannt, lean animals with
sharp snents, ridgy backs, long legs
and thin TANKS, aeepsct eyes, thAt
cleaned with malice and never. satisfied
hunger. Wealthy grew almost afraid Of
them when they clamhercd mp ON the
rails Of the pom IN their fury for food.
md ilarrcd their pointed ears at her.
squealing and fighting for the scant fare
she hnd brought. For Amasa underfcd
and overwork,d everything that bc.
longed to him.
Then there were hens to look after
tho old.fashioned harn.door "crccpcrs,
who wanted food, too, and vet catered
for themselves in great measure. and
made free with barn and woodshed for
want Of their own quarters. and were
doc mated every season by hawks, owls,
skunks, weasels and foxes, to say moth
ing Of the little chickens on which
crews and cats worked their will il they
dared 10 stray beyond tho ruinous old
coop contrived for them by Amasa's in.
ventiye genius out Of sticks and stones.
Add to all this the cooking. washing.
baking and sewing, the insufficient sup.
ply Of pork, potatoes and tough pies,
the "hiled dinners" whose strength lay
in the vegetables rather than the small
square ef fat pork cooked with them.
II which Amasa invariably took the
lions share; these accommodating and
never ecasing labors all wore day by
day on the vitality II Mrs. Tucker. AMI
when to these were added an annual
baby, life became terror and u burden
10 the poor woman.
sWN Wu0S 0lu sAulNSN VatSs AAc lio
worked "from sun IN sun.
He farmea in the hard old fashion,
with rude implements AMI no knowl.
edge, but
My father done il atorc me, SO am
agoin' t. do il now. no use talkM'." !"
One hv one the wailmg pnny children
were laid away in the little yard on top
of tho sandhlll, where the old fuckers
and their half-dosen infants lay already !:
| rough mclesure. full III mulleins, bur.
docks and thistlcs, overrnn with low
blackberry vines and surrounded hy a
rail fence, II had hccn much handler
for the fuckers to have a graveyard
close hy than to travel tivc miles 10 the
Mills With every funerals and they were
driven hy public opinion in regard 10
monan,,ntss they all lay there like the
hearts that perish. with but enc slant
gray stone to tell where tho tirSt occu.
pant left his tired homes. Two children
Of Nealthss survived, .Amasa and l.n-
rama, the oldest aud Youngest Of seven.
AMa>a, 4 aeonsiierate. Intelligent boy,
who thought much and said little. aud
lnrana or lury' As her name was
generally given, n,ischievons. self
wlllea little imp, the delight and tor
Ment of her little wosn-out mother.
Young Amasa Wa> hos quite beyond
his fathers understanding. ~ soon a.
he VAS old enough he began to help his
mother in every way he could devise.
ana when his term Al the village school
was over. u his fathers great disgust,
he trapped squirrels and gathered nuts
enough h earn him money and sub
scribe for an agricultural paper, which
| he studied every week till its contents
were thoroughly stored in his head.
Then began that noble discomfort"
which the philosophers praise.
| The elder man hal no peace in his
old world wasss the sloppy waste ..
the lsrnsasi was an escsarc to this
~h,ek.leasncl fcller." as his father ic.
ri>isesv called him, Aud tho ashes ci
tho Moed tire were saved AMI sheltered
like prccioas dust. instead III heing
thrown in a hig heap H. e,iiis the wan.
asing hens, The desolate garden vas
Irlewel, fertllis>l and set in erler Al
last, and the great ragged orchard
wannrs~t. the apple trees thmned and
trimmed, and ashes soWn thick ever the
old Masss sod. Now these things were
nos done in day or year, hut as the
hoy grew elder ami more able h cope
With his tathea's self.coaceit more was
done annually, not without much opro.
sstlon and many hard words. hut still
done,
Then came heavy blow. l.urana. a
girl of Il. fresh and pretty rs wild
nese, and tsrei OF the rinching econ.
cns, the moaotonous work, and grind.
ing life of the farm, ram away with 4
tin peldler and broke her mothers
heart not in the physical sense that
hearts are sometimes broken. hut ths
weary woman's soul VAS set on this
bright, Minseme child. and her life lost
all its scant saver when the brigat face
and clear Young Vol . left her fore yer
Il don't blame her none, Amasv." sh.
sehhei out 10 her boy. now stout fel
low Of -. raging a, his sisters folly
L cant feel To blame her. l know
stis more'n q girl ean bear to live thi.
Way. I've he'll Ia. hut it's been dread
full hant-sirealfnl hard. I've wished
mor.'n once could ha' laid down alons
WITH TUT fAtAft AaAk&tS tu& There Oh tEis
hill, SOS tn rest spell: but there wa,
.ou and Lary wanted me, and so m,
time hadn't eame
"amasy. son,se man grown now
AMI if You should get married. and
suppose YOU will. men folks seem I,
think lis needful, whether or no, Id
kinder make IL easy for her. poo
sretur. TO I grind her down 10 skin
aud hone. Ike me, der: ta'nt jus
right. I'm sure ont. never to make NOR.
OF woman tLan ef she was a horne.
eritfer: don't do it. +"
Mother, 1 never will" answered th.
son, as en.rgetieails and solemnls~as i
he We're taking his oath.
But Wealthy was nearer 10 her res
than she knew: tie enemy that lurk,
IN dart, neglect, poor food, eonstan
dradgesy, aud the want Of every whole
some and pleasarable excitement /.
: mimi Ia featlg aaaI when Least asnaafa.