Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1888-01-05
JOHN AND DAISY.
How They Succeeded in Paying
Their Debts.

" ~J N>S - ~ -AS
Their Debts.
John Ramsay was working on his
farm, his careless, loose dress display
ing to advantage his tall, muscular
figure, and broad straw hat shaded a
handsome face, with large dark eyes
set beneath forehead whose breadth
and height indicated y powerful brain.
The hands that guided the pillow were
strong hands, but whittier and more
delicate than such pursuits usually
allow.
Daisy Hale sat watching him. Her
dress was print, but made with
tiounces on the skirt and ruffles on the
waist. Her short golden hair was
curled into fringe carefully over her
forehead, and gathered in longer curls
into comb behind, above which was
very jaunty hat, covered with puffs
of white muslin and bows of blue
ribbon to match the spots upon her
dress.
The face under Daisy's hat was
gloomy, not to say cross. A very
pretty face, but not pleasant, having a
petted, spoiled-child frown. and q
brooding discomfort in the large blue
eyes.
Presently the farmer drew near her,
and taking off his hat, famed himself
with it, stopping his horses while he
leaned indolently against the pillow.
you look deliciously cool under
this great tree" he said. "And-
hem!-very much dressed for nine
O'Clock in the morningr
''ln tivepenny calicor' she said,
contemptuously. "When are you
coming IMP"
''At noon, to dinner"
ut is too absurd" she broke out,
angry tears in her eyes, 'for you to be
blowing, and hoeing, and milking
cows, and doing the work of laboring
man! l thought when you came home
from college you would do something
besides work on a farm"
'And let the farm go to ruin. That
would be poor way to pay my
debts"
"Your debtsr' she said, looking
astonished. do you owe debtsp"
Certainly! You and l are both
very heavily in debt, Daisy. / think
when Aunt Mary took us in, poor little
orphans, l her nephew, you her second
cousin" .
Third cousin" she interrupted,
''since you are so particular! know
what you mean, but | am very sure
that Amt Mary never intended us to
drudge on the horrid old farm!"
''Do you know that all the money
she saved in life of hard work was
spent upon our education? Do you
know that she has nothing now but
the farm, and that to take her away
from it would probably shorten her
lifeP"
"She always has taken care of il
herself.
"Are you blind that you can not see
how the four years she has been alone
here have aged her, how feeble she isl
While we were living at ease at col.
lege and school, she has toiled for us
until she is wearied out. "
''But you could send her money, il
you were in the city in some gentle.
manly occupation.
perhaps so, ten or twelve year.
from now. To-day l propose to work
this farm, and see how many bushel.
of corn can raise on itr'
He took hold of the plow-handles a,
he spoke, started the horses, aud lef
her, her eyes full of angry tears.
'He might as well have said wha
he meant" she thought, springins
down and starting for the house. III,
thinks l ought TO cook, and wash. ant
make butter, and work like servant
girl. when have studied so hard ano
tried to make myself lady. that h
might not be ashamed of me-"
And yet in her heart, she knew tina
he was ashamed of her. and that sh
deserved it. Ashamed that she coul,
sit in her room, selfishly engrossed il
making pretty articles of dress, o
reading, while her cousin, or. as she
too, called her. Aunt Mary, worked il
the kitchen, the dairy. the poultr,
yard, from days dawn till night
She was not all selfshness an,
heartlessness, though there had grow
a thick crust of both over her bette
nature. Her ideas of ladies and gentle
men depended largely upon clOthinI
and pursuit. and she had not yet quit
realized how much more nearly John
standard reached the desired poin
than her own.
I As she drew near the house the stin
I of johns wous=enetrated more an