Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-06-26

ilOt iittihtu, pub' utlNlup III lhlHtS uuu
upon leagues and leagues of the richest
farming lands upon the continent a
million serfs.
CHAPTER VII.
A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY"
al say, mother it wasn't such bad
thing for us after all that they driv us
off of the Suscol Ranch" said John
Parsons to his wife one morning, as he
came under the rough porch that had
been put up in front of the shanty.
He had just finished helping Erastus
get ready TO start to market with the
usual load of fruit which they were now
selling daily.
~ M sure fruit and poultry-raisin' Is
heap pleasanter than raisin' wheat,
and there's moro money into it, too.
"Only think, we've been here less
than five years now, and we've got all
the fruit CROWN that we kin all of us
tend to, and The money is Just rollin'
in. Ii the rest of the crop pan, ont as
we'll US it has so fur, we kin build
new house with vcrandcr all around
il next yea, and have money. left to
send tho giris down to Frisco to
scho i.
Yes, we are getting along very nice
ly," replied his wife, land ought TO
be thankful. I'm sure"
"As soon as we git u new house
built continued Mr.. Parsons, 1--WE
must begin to save up money TO buy
ranch som'ers nigh about here for
'Rastus, fer s'pose we can't in reason
expect the boy to stay with us always.
Human natur' don't change much, |
reckon; it's the same on the Pacific rs
it is on the Atlant C coast, and l hain't
forgot that was mighty anxious to get
place of my own lore was rs old as
'Rastus is; specially after | got ac-
Gua,nted with certain girl with checks
the color of them there peaches hang
in out there in the sun, and eyes that
sort of made me hot and cold by turns,
wonlerin' whether they was encour-
agin' me, or takin' note of the size of
my cow-hilc boots, whenever they
looked my way.
"Not," hc continued, las I've no.
ticed that 'Rastus seemed particularly
took w th any of the girls round here -
leastwise them as lives far around
here" he adde', looking hard at his
wife. rs if cndcavoring to read her
thoughts.
If Mrs. Parsons underwood what her
husband was thinking of, she made no
attempt TO reply, and a'ter waiting
second or two. he began again:
II don't see as 'Rastus appears to
take part cular to any of the neighbor-
ing girls b 1t whether he does or not.
or Gurder off, it's only fair that we help
/ ., I,,f, Il
and as kind as if he was our own son,
anl I'm reckonin' if he and one of
the girls should sometime take no.
ton to hitch up and work in double
harness, there wouldn't be any objec-
tions; eh, motherp"
"'lhe girls are not old enough to get
married, john" returned Mrs Par
sons. Jennie is not sixteen yet and
Lucy is two years younger still. hope
that neither of them viii think of such
n thing as marriage for good while.
Erastlis himself is not quite twenty-one,
and although many young men marry
rs young as that, l do not think that
Eraslus has any such intentions. Not
that he has ever said anything to me;
but rs you say have not noticed that
he appeared partial to any of the neigh
boring girls, although he is favorite
with ak; and as for Jennie and Lucy,
| they probably seem to like him like sis
ters; indeed, he seems ike son to me,
and whoever he may choose for a wife
when kc does marry will get an honor
abe man for husband and one who
Will be kind and loving, ! am sure"
That's so, replied John, "'Rastus
ain I fellow that will ever 90 to knock
in his wife and babies around, if he
ever has any. But 'spose it amt no
use to try 10 fix things up for the young
own head, which'll be just as the heart
diracts 'em, l reckon. An wouldn't t
want EN- to do no other way, for unless
the heart goes with the hand it amt no
use for to try to pull together. Well,
now, hcce's Il youngster that ain t
bothering his head about the girls, any
way, nor won't be for some years yet,
will you. johnny? He'll lie bossin' tn ,
hull ranch though, ii his mother and |
don't look out, afore he's big enough to
hunt hens eggs or tie up grapevine" )"
And reaching down he drew upon his
knee and gave great hug to sun
tanned. tow-headed boy that had just
entered; the child of their Old age, born
the year the shanty had been put up
and the first grape. vines planted
Il is bid 'nough to hunt edds now, "
retorted the little fellow, sluirming to
release himself from his father arms.
II did found whole ncs 'fuI out un-
der the roses bush, and you've broke
en-; see."
And he ran his hand into his pocket
and withdrawing it covered W tn the
| yolk of the eggs stood hold pg il up,
while the liquid dripped down over his
clothes.
''fou should mt have put the eggs in
your pocket" said his father, laughing
at the spectacle which he presented.
'You mig t have known they would
have got broken and spoil your new
pants"
"Vhat's 'euse of pantses if 'ou tan't
put cdds In e pottts, I'd lite to know"
replied the youngster as he waddlcd on
to his mother to be cleaned up and fit,
ted for some new adventure. 'Des
tan put edds in my own potts if 'ants
to- he added. by way of clincher, as
his father playfully stopped to chuck
him with bis finger as he passed out to
his work.
When the seasons fruit had all been
gathered it was found that the last hall
of the crop had 'panned out all right
rs compared with that marketed earlier,
and it was decided to send the girl:
away to school for the winter instead
OF waiting until spring, when new
house was to be begun, and when theil
services would be much more needec
by Their mother. But instead of going
to San Francisco they would only go tt
Sacramento, where there was a very
good school under the charge of Prof
Cook, and being nearer they could bt
the sooner reached in case they shoulo
be taken sick.
Letting the girls go from her side was
the hardest thing Martha Parsons hao
been called upon to do since she lie
John take her arms from around hi
neck and start on his long iourne,