The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-03-07
MISS MARTHA,S TURKEY.

MNSS MAn nA'S 1IhALIs
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, M IS Marthy, know where
your old black turkey hen Isl" suddenly
came in quick, sharp, voice almost at
her elbow. NJ SIS Martha d not start
she was used to it-but eagerly rejoined:
..Is that 50? Nhere?" -r
"Down in our oat-feld. Ny John
saw her, answered her neighbor, Mrs.
Baker, as she cane around and drew
herself up the steps with that heavy,
sidewise 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." '.s 8
81 must 60 right away after her;
she'll ha e { EN- little turkeys down in
the hollow, and first thing know some
varminLIl have 'em all. Here, Polly,
take yourself off that railing and come
and finish these bt ans; and hurry up,
too; it's time they were on to cook
now"
Miss Martha snatched her sun-bonnet
from its ma ], and was off through the
orchard without CEREMONY. Mrs. Baker
me ely rema. ked to Polly. when she
starts ont a ter her turkeys there's no
tellin' when she'll get back. SO reckon
/ might as well go home" and she
went.
Miss Martha was a practi al farmer.
The few thousands her father had left
her had been invested in q farm in Gen.
trail Mis- ouri, sold for taxes. A negro
family, that is to say, old Folly and her
Oh ldren, relics of its former slave popu-
lation, still remained. 1t had never oc-
Cured to her to leave the old place and
providefor herself. VIII, n one of its pos
6ettum owners lett she ratched about
and got little something to eat, wrapped
her rags around her and calmly waited
for the next. Her trust to luck had,
b ppily for her. never suffered any Sc
esous rebuke. 1t had been W tn all much
the same as with Miss Martha. said
$ e, 1--we got to have some body. so [
might AS well keep her." So Folly and
her children. the two elder ones Icing
able to do good deal about the farm,
continued to stay and be housed, fed,
clothed. and genera ly provided for.
Her ''shi tless, Niger ways" sorely
veXed Miss Martha, hut as she despair
ingly said, "Iwas bun in the flesh
and bred in the bone, and no amour: of
seeding ar coaNIng seemed to do any
good" Polly was 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 wo.k. Many warning and
friendly piece of advice in regard to her
treatment had Miss Ma tina received
from Mrs. Baker. said the latter:
'sWhat 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, I'D rather do
it myself than dog around after her."
NJ IS Martha, as / said before, was a
pra teal ia mrr. She kept half do en-
..hands more or less, and it was in
str ct accordance with her directions
that eve yth NC was done. Not fence
corne not a misplaced tool escaped
the surveillance of her bright black
eyes. --.-
The thing in which she was most
hi hly interested, however. and to which
she gave her personal care. was the
rails ng of fowls; ch ckens, ducks and
tut keys she Lad in eat numbers. The
latter. though dearest to her heart, by
re son of their more rowing disposition
gave her more trouble than all the rest
La s<,1 a.
hour of n ght she heard a note of
warning rom her flock. No kind of
W ather was bad enough to prevent her
from hunting up each individual and
see ng him safely cooped at night.
Judge then of her anxiety when sire
had MOI seen her cherisheA old black
urhey-hen for twenty four hours.
Down through the orchard W Mt Miss
Mar ha, throu b the high clover wet
with the heavy dew through the pota-
to-patch. over the rail fence and into
the sunny hlll-lot where honest John
Baker was grading his oats. With
skirts bedraggled to her knees. topping
damply about her muddy feet but
nothing daunied. Miss Martha hailed
HIM:
Mr.. John, your mother said YOU saw
my old back tsrkey-hen here some
place where 'bouts?''
swell, Miss Mart v" sad John,
lean NC on the handle of his implement,
pushing back his wide brinmed straw
hat and drawing his shirt leeve ener-
getically a ross his damp forehead, I'm
powerful e a TO see YOU"
- here's my lrkey-hen?"
al was just inkin' VIII lie ago that
asSou hadn't been down TO mothers
for good VIII le-leastway not when
was ound the house-rd just come up
awhile this ey MIN"
NJ IS Martha only pulled her bonnet
further over her lace, tied it tight to-
gether SO that only her eyes were visi-
BILE and rned to move away.
s.h Id on, now. Nj IS Marthy, where
are you goinp" remon 'trated John.
I'm coin to Ut for my turkey-hen,
John Rake, since you won't tell me
where she isl said Miss Martha, in a
severe tone; though if ohm had only
been observant he could have told from
the ght in her eyes there was q smile
on her ps.
:. by y iss Marthy. / never see the
1ikei You don't tax abOut nOthiu' but