Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-05-01
Dorothy's Enterprise.

''No,' said Dorothy Mallard, II won't
run the farm with any man on shares I've
seen enough of that in fathers time. 1t
was always the man that got rich, and
father that lost"
"You won't, eh?" said silas Green, red
dening angrily.
NO" said Dorothy, ~ won't!'
"Then l guess yau and the children
will starve," growled Silas. "Any-
how. l guess nobody'll feel sorry for
you"
Its very well to talk about sympathy
and help, and al that sort of thing,
said Dorothy Mallard "But when
it comes to actual business, I've OBJ
served that every mans hand is for him
self"
''Rut no woman ever yet made farm
pay, said Sias Green, sullenly biting the
end of burnt match.
"Well, anyway, mean to have try at
it, said calm Dorothy.
She was not quite twenty, this positive
young female-a TALL we'll made woman.
with bright, gray-b!ue eyes, healthy
red and-white complexion and very dark
brown hair, brushed straight away from
her smooth forehead.
She was no city damsel whose ideas of
life are limited to six button kid gloves,
opera matinees and walks on the sunny
side of upper Broadway, but straight
forward, business girl, who knew every
detail of farm life, and could tell lust
when rye ought to go in and carrots come
OFT
Her father had been "complain1ng,n
a. al 4
ard now that he was dead, Dorothy felt
a new avalanche of care descending on
her. For there were four wistful-eyed
little girls and one delicate boy to be
provided for.
Silas Green and Dorothy Mallard had
never been regularly engaged, but it was
an understood thing in the little com
munity that they belonged to each
other.
They had except company" ever since
Dorothy put up her hair behind with a
comb. And Silas had perhaps learned
to domineer little in good humored
way. Consequently he did not approve
OF this new outcropplng of Dorothy's in
dependence.
cpd marry her in minute if she'd hear
to my way of doing things" said he "Of
course the little girls are old enough to
be bound out. l know plenty of good,
sensible women who would give 'em
their board and clothes for the work
they would do. And as for the little boy
we would not quarrel about him. There's
lots of odd chores a boy like that would
be useful for"
But Dorothy's eyes had flashed indig-
nation when Silas had limited some such
arrangement
''Do!" she said bitterly "Send little
Abel to the workhouse. That's the way
to manage. And as for the girls, it's a
pity we don't live in Singapore or Bonn
bay, or some of them places where they
fling all the girl-babies into the river be-
fore they are are old enough to be in the
way. / wonder Silas Green, what you
take me for?''
So Dorothy gave up all ideas of mar
ried life, and set herself to work to earn a
livelihood out of the old farm.
SITS no use my thinking of wheat and
rye. and potatoes, ard that sort of thing, "
sad she. ''It would require too much
cal ital ard too many hands. Beside,
father used to say that the market was
o'0iH'oNhou' IL pun VIC VIZ CorH-lotS
into tobacco. That's crop that woman
can hlndle. Old Jubal will help me about
tie curing for mere trihe; and I'll put
some grape vines up the n rocky terraces
by the south woods, and the big straw
berry field is coming into fine bearing
this year. I'm GID set out the young
plants last June, and watered 'cm all
through the d ought. And then there's
the Young chickens. We never did have
such q fine lot before. And Polly, and
Chatty, AMI Bess, and Bell are old
enough to help a deal; and know that
little Abel can at least weed Strawberries
and help pick worms off the tobacco
leaves, child though he is. He'll like to
think he's helping, too. There's deal
of ambition in that lad"
Old Jubal was rheumatic old colored
man who Travelled around the country,
NEEDING tinware and re-caning chairs.
His laziness was proverb through the
whole neighborhood; but, nevertheless,
Dorothy Mallard contrived to get some
good, heavy work cut of him.
eff dar's anything dis chile Understands,
it's de car oh tobacco" said old Jubal