Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1884-06-05
MEADOW FARM.
BY HELEN GRAVES.

factory upon that April evening
with light, quick step. The sky wes
IN tender glow; the frogs were croak-
ing IN the swamps; the naples were
crlmsoned with their earliest banners
OF blossom; and as she tripped along,
mary found tuft of viotets, half hid
uen unoer drift of dead leaves-pale.
purple, scentless blooms! !-'The first
Molets always bring good luck with
1nem,- she whispered to herself, as she
pinned them into the bosom of her
blue flannel dress.
Home" was scarcely the ideal reali-
zatlon OF that poetic word to our factory
girl. She and, her mother lived in the
upper half Of shabby, unpainted
wooden house, with the blacksmith's
scoldlng wife and seven riotous chill
dren down stairs, and one-half of a
trampled back yard by way of a garden.
where nothing ever grew but bu-docks,
nettles, and Mrs. Mugg's long-legged
fowls.-But Mrs. Miller, who had been
school-teacher once, and still retained
somewhat of the herefnement of her early
education, had the tea ready, with a
shaded lamp and o bunch of maple
blossoms on the table, ready for Mary
TO come home.-"Good news, mother,'
the girl cried lightly. aThe Meadow
farm is to letl Mother, we must take
it,"
Mrs. Miller looked obviously at the
eager, bright face, wish its gray eyes
and waves Of yellow hair.-"Can we af-
ford 1t, daughter?" she said, slowly. ga
whole house, and farm of forty-three
acres p"-"It isn't such 10 very large
honse, MOTHER" pleaded Mary, rs she
laid the bunchSof yiolets in her mothers
lap.-"Nor SO many more rooms than
we hare here. And we could keep two
cows, and could sell milk and butter,
and spring chickens and eggs; and
am almost sure that Will Davidge would
work the farm on shares. And only
think, mother, how delightful it would
be to have home all to ourselves,
where We couldn't here Mrs Muges
boxing Bobby's ears, or Helen shrek
ing with the toothachel And little
garden, mother, where we could have
peonies and holly hooks, and all those
lovely, old.fashioned flowers that your
soul delights in
Mrs., Mller's face soitened. "It
would be great temptation, Molly
she said "It is month since old Mrs,
Dabney died, said Mary. "And they
say that her daughteh in the city, and
her son in California despise the old
farm, with its one story house and its
old red barn. So it is to be letl And
SO cheap too! Only $3.50 a year
Mother, we must take It'll III leave the
factory and turn dairymaid. I've saved
enough, you know, to buy the two COWS
and some real plymouth Rock fowls
tosbegin with, and oh, it will be such q
happiness! 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 old Dabney house, and
became co.sovereigns of the realm Of
Meadow farm. It was their first night
there. Overhead the young May moon
shone through veil of purple mist. A
solitary owl booted in chestnut-wood
back of the house, for Meadow farm was
situated on lonely mountain side
where no one came except on special
business.
The Plymouth Rock chickens were
safely shut up where foxes could not
reach them nor 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 handful
of cedar sticks on the hearth, where
their scented blaze illuminated the old
kitchen with a leaping brightness beau.
tiful to see.
Because it's just possible that the
house may be damp" she said, "afte1
being uninhabited SO long. There
mother, isn't that cheerful? And isn'i
it nice our old rag carpet should
chance to ft cur floor SO exactly p
with satisfied, downward glance
And do you see those tiger ilies2 ]
found them down by the garden wall
oh, such red wilderness of them
Old Mrs. Dabney set them out her.
self, they say. 1t seems only yester.
day." she added thoughtfully, athat
came past here and saw old Mrs. Dab.
ney sitting in the big chair by the fire
lust where" Mrs. Miller uttered 6
little shrek, and grasped her daugh
ter's arm at this moment. Mary stopped
short, with an ashy pallor overspread
ing her cheek. For as she spoke, the
door opened, and very little old wo
man, silver-haired and shriveled like {
mummy, came in, and walking across
the floor seated herself in Mrs. Dab
ney's very corner. An old woman
dressed in the snuff-colored gowr
which Mrs. Dabney had worn, san6
wearing snuff silk cap, while a bae
depended from her arm.
"It's cold, ladies' she said, LOOKING
around with deprecating air. "Cole
for the season OF the year. And the,
don't keep fires at Tewkstown r. Moth
OF" said Mary, recovering herself Will
an hysterical gasp of relief, "it ISM
old Mrs. Dabney's ghost at all. It's ole
Miss jAbbycome back from the Tewks
town poor-house." y You don't mea1
began the mild widow. aThat Mrs
Daniel Dabney and Mrs. Evarard Elber
son let their old aunt go to the poor
house?s said Mary Miller. "Yes, it i,
quite true. Mrs. Daniel leads societ,
9 in San Fran cisco, / am told, and Mrs
Elberson is grand lady in Bridgeport
with 4 reception day and servants il
livery. What could they do with hal
crazy old aunt, who takes snuff ant
talks rtain grammar? Poor Mis-
Abbyl She has wandered back to he,
old home. She was eighty her las
birthday, and things are all misty ant
vague to her.'-aWhat shall we do?'
said Mrs. Miller, in accents of porplexi
ty. "A crazy woman here--it dom
seem right, Molly, does It'll tax,
her back after she has rested q little
and had q cup OF tea" said Mary cheer
fully.-"Bu perhaps she won't go.a
aOh, yes, she will" said Mary. "Pool
Miss Abbyl She is as gentle as &