The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1884-01-31
EBENEZER GRATH'S WIFE
By "a COUNTRY PARsoN."

this morning." Ebenezer was spriuk.
ling his potatoes in the patch near the
house. The bugs were accomplishing
their destroying work, and nothing but
The Paris green would discourage them:
1t was little old house, innocent of
paint, story and half with a leaneto,
agrest brilliant tree overshadowing the
roof. and the ground in front sharply
descending to the road. It was a side
bill farm facing the east. 1t would seem
tough tussle with nature to get living
out OF this rocky soil, to say nothing Of
the luxuries Of life. Why the very
weeds looked stunted and rocks, rocks,
abounded everywhere. Even Grath
said: "lt seemed as if the Almighty left
what few He had over in Jordan. 1t
was mighty hard road to travel any.
how" Although Ebenezsr Grath had
never vexed his soul about it, he
would sit in the doorway with his
stump OF pipe, looking of on the mead
ows and stream that neighbor Jackson
owned, hour after hour, wondering 'wby
It was always his frisky luck to be poor"
The said Jackson in the mean til9e was
breaking up a piece of muck which he
had drained, and was going to plant
With Strawberries. "Waste of time,"
E6en said, 'iddiin' round in an old
muck hole" But Jackson cleared three
hundred dollars the second year by his
industry. Eben Grath was "shiftless,"
there is no better word; good natured
but with no gilt. He was like the rock
down in the east pasture, crumbIes, no
stability to it. He lacked the fixedness
Of the granite about him, his backbone
needed stiftening, he was spoiled in the
making up. He would tramp all day
fishing without a murmur, but it made
bis back ache to dig potatoes. He kali
Hated he had no call that way" There
were four young Graths. Likely chill.
dren they were, healthy, we'll formed
and full Of vitality. They had managed
to live SO far on 4 iifty.acre farm, the
last payment on the mortgage just met,
and at last out OF debt.
Ebenezer Grath had a wife, and that
was an important fact to him. She had
faculty." a knack for affairs, an indom-
liable push. She was type Of a GER
tain class of New England women who
make a place tor themselves by the very
aggressive pluck that will not be daunt-
ed. She had = good common school
education; farmers daughter, she
knew how to work, and liked. to. Ebe-
nezer Grath was good-looking young
man with some money and she married
him; the only poor bargain she had
ever made. but this was serious enough.
The problem OF lite faced her very soon
She had got to meet it, and with charac.
teristic energy she would not allow fate
to scof her. II you know anything
about this strain OF blood, you will un'
derstand that this woman would not lei
go her grip on lie without struggle. II
she died, she woold die in honorable
warfare. She never would strike he
colors. But what call it was for pa
tience, heroism, an iron will. To work
Ebenezer work was quite another. Ever
her heart failed her almost, but she
never let it be known. She had put bel
band to the plough of her life, she woulc
not loo back. And so she cast about K
see what could be done with scrubby
farm for the support of an increasing
family. The children came along fas
enough, and they brought care, worry
and pain; but this woman had an irol
constitution. She went to deaths doc
more than once, but she would not die
One day she went to the village, tax
ing her baby with her. She was quit,
depressed: Ebsnezer grew more shift
less; she 2as not strong. The interes
on the mortgage would soon be due. ant
where was the money coming from? A
old White logged on she glanced at tn,
agricultural department of the week.,
market gardening and the profit of a lit
tie land we'll cultivated. She read
with a new interest. So occupied wa
she that Deighbor passed her in hi
wagon and she knew nothing about it
Why could she not do something in this
line? Since the coming Of summe
boarders to the region there was a mar
ket for such things. She would think i
over. She had been married ten YEAR
and the fourth baby sat beside her. l
had been ten years of worry and strug
gle. They had picked berries in sum
mer and braided hats and seated chair
in the winter. They had done any
thing that would bring in an honest dol
lar. She had always been interested il
chemistry from school girl. She had
cultural chemistry was somewhat dis
cussed in the papers; she had ono
heard q lecture in the village on tn
subject. This woman was quick t
catch hints and follow out a line Q
thought to it's practical results. Whe
she preached the subject t
Eben, he said, "Blazes, Jane
what won't We think of; can We contriv
aplan to raise vegetables without work?
s'You can't raise them on this farr
without brains?'' she replied, and fe
into brown study. A day or two ate
she announced to Eben she had lease
for five years five acres of land on tn
fiat grown up to trash. "Haint We q
laud enough" he asked in amazement
'"l'll be switched if don't believe 20
daft; Jane Grath." 1T be you'll pa
the doctor" she replied griml!
AMI Ebenezer Grsth found he must he'll
ifhe wanted peace. When Jane ha
that set to her jaw he knew there W.
no call to argue, and so, with nelghbc
and much grumblng, he set about it.
was big chore, but Ebenezer Grath
wife was relentless, and it was accom-
plished. And then she had it drained
borrowing the money to have it don,
"What on arth is the use of plantin
these plaguey things in this swamp
hole? believe you'll bring me to til
poor house." ~ have kept you out of
for ten year D." she eaid sharply.
She got the land TO twenty five dollar
year, it brought in nothing to it's owl
er before; he was glad enough to realiz
anything from it. The dr. .iu pipes CO!
her thirty.five dollars. The first yes
land was broken up and she planted pt
tatoes, and she realized three hundre
and fifty bushels. The market was shor
She had an extra fine crop. and Ebe1
ezer peddled them out. He was cap
tai hand at this, he enjoyed it all an
was good salesman. Eoenezer Grath
wife found she had made $3.50 out of hi
potato patch. They were about to bull
new barn Tor the hotel down at tn
village. The soil was rich loan, an
in excavatine for the cellar this must
removed. Ebenez " Grath's wife note
this one day and she pought it for q tr
tle and had it transported to her fiv
rcre lot. Then she bought up the ashe
In the neighborhood. People sai
she was sinking her brains in TIL
slou9h hole" she was. but it was =
fool.hardy undertaking. Her crop
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