Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-08-13
JAKE, THE FARMERS BOY.

| Helu. III was BlOIlOuS VNC"'"H III
September-seeding time. Such
an autumny evening as could only
be found among the hills Of Ohio.
The sun had sunk below the hOrl'
zon, but with his expiring rays had
beautifully decorated the heavens
with blended shades OF purple and
gold. Jake sat astride Of his old
gray mare contented and happy
"The field will be ready for the har-
row day after tomorrow" he solll'
oquized, "then the next day | will
commence drilling, and finish it
Saturday. WhOop lay Again the
whistling mingled merrily with the
iingling of the chains attached to
the plow harness.
Jake's blue shirt was soiled with
perspirstion and dust. A portion
of the crown of his hat was gone,
making an aperture through which
peeped his-I wish l could say
blonde hair, but it was sandy, very
sandy. His hands and face were
sun.burned and rough, while his
feet hanging at the sides Of the
old mare we're bare and dirty, but
all this did not interfere in the least
with his peace of mind until upon
turning fork in the road he found
himself by the side of Farmer An
derson's daughter, who was walk
ing home from Squire Ford's, where
she had been invited to tea. She
reioiced in the name of Rosa, this
girl of II, with pink cheeks and
sky.blue.eyes. Very pretty and in
nocent she looked in her white dress
and floating rlODons.
How.da-do Jake 7" she said,
with a careless toss of her head
Jske's greeting was inaudible be-
cause of q choking sensation in his
throat. Somehow of late he had
very peculiar feelings whenever he
was with Miss Rosa-such a queer
commingling of pain and JOY. lie
could not have told for his life which
predominated or which he prefer
red. His pain was so e1quisite,and
the JOY so excruciating.
He slipped down from the mare
and started the team ahead. He
had a vague impression that his
feet would be less conspicuous on
the ground than dangling in the
air in close proximity to Rosa's
nose. He wished in a confused and
dazed sort of way, for he had lost
all control of his thinking powers,
that they were not so large or so
dirty. He would have bartered his
hopes of eternal life Just then for a
pair of shoes. The odor from his
sweat.soaked clothes had suddenly
become very app aren't and offensive
to him. She appeared so dainty
and pure in contrast. Heavens !!
how the blood surged to his heart
as he stumbled awkwardly along
by her side, trying to think ofsome-
thing to say.
"Of coufse you're going to the
fair, Rosa n he finally asked, timid-
ly, at the same time breaking of
the top of a tall weed that he might
have it to carry-his hands seemed
so swollen in size and 80 much in
the way.
"Oh, yes" she answered, "every-
body is going, guess" She did
not manifest any interest as to
whether, he would be there. He
wished she would.
"Harry Ford will enter his brown
colt-the one he rides, you know.
| hope it will take the premium,
don't you ~ Then without waiting
for answer she launched into a
lengthy description Of what per-
fectly lovely time she had been
having at the Fords' that evening,
and wound up with asking, "Don't
you think they are such a nice fam
lily ~
An entirely new feeling crept in
to Jake's heart. He and Harry
Ford had always been good friends,
but all at once he found himself be-
lieving that an opportunity to
throttle Harry would afford him
supreme delight, AS they were
now at the gate that led into his
fathers barn.yard, Jake did not
feel obliged to answer Rosa's ques-
ton, but hastily bidding her good
bye, followed his horses to the wa
tering.trough. Rosa kept on down
the road toward her home. "HOw
awful Jake Bsily looked this even
ing,r she said to herself. "You
don't catch Harry Ford in such a
plight" Harry, knowing that they
had company invited, came in early
| from work. Slipping up the back
stairs to his room, he arrayed him
self in his Sunday clothes, and came
down to tea looking like a gentle
man. "Jake thinks lots of me."-
She fingered tenderly over tht
thought for a moment. "But mer
cyl could never marry man
who went barefooted and wore
such a horrid dirty shirt" Now
Harry-she then went off into ;
pleasant little reverie, in which
Harry was the central figure. Thu
a little incident will sometimeI
shape q whole after life. II Ros'
had not happened to see Jake will
bare feet and dressed in his work