San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-09-01

ing him Of her strength In his weakness,
cheering him with her happy smile, that
never failed his return home, though often
the heart behind it was faint for fear.
So now, coming with him to Kensel Point,
she set herself steadily to the same purpose
And now she had lookout ahead, a definite
prospect to hope for and work for. She
thought if they could hold their own these
three years that the mortgage had to run,
laying by something each year, and paying
the interest as it came due, they could then,
having the farm clear, live comfortably and
easily, and give her father the rest which his
broken state required. Calmly and reso-
lutely, she set to work to bring about this
result Grale had come insensibly, in these
troublous times, to think OF Kit
more as stronger friend than as
daughter to be guided and pro-
tected He consulted her constantly, and
would follow her advice, though some of the
neighbors shook their heads sagely some
times. And he seldom suffered by his faith
in Kit, for she had strong sense and keen
mother wit; and, though she knew nothing
of farming at first, she made friends with
the best farmers ON both sides of the harbor,
and found them very willing to impart the
results of their long experience. And though
their opinions differed on many points she
had at once the calm judgment which is
necessary to prefer slow but safe method
to plausible but unsound one, and the dar-
ing which is required to take up a new theory
which, though apparently rash and hazard
Gus, Is in reality an improvement on the
universal practice.
Grale bought team Of cheap horses, a
couple of cows and such other stock and i'm
plements as were actually necessary. A
neghbor had put in the spring crops on
shares spring wheat, vegetables, potatoes
and corn. But there were more weeds now
than corn or potatoes; so Grale went to work
with his pillow, awkwardly enough at first,
and his man Stubs, an uncouth, slow
spoken, tobacco chewing Yankee, with his
hoe
Stubs lived with his wife and numerous
progeny in a very small and tumbledown
cottage on the other side of the orchard. In
the harvest months a greenhorn was i'm
ported from Castle Garden to the assistance
of the venerable Stubs, and astonished Kit
by his unlimited powers of consumption.
A rough, loud voiced, quick tempered, but
honest and faithful Irish girl completed the
household. And, with Bridgets assistance,
Kit put into execution numberless little plans
for saving and increasing the profits of the
place. As soon as money enough could be
;craped together more cows were bought and
poultry. And she was forever busy, keeping
tho house neat and cheerful, kneading bak.
ing, skimming cream, churning, hunting
eggs, setting hens and ducks, tending the
broOds when they hatched, besides sewing,
knitting, and the hundred and one things
which are always doing and waiting to be
lone on farm. They kept small sail boat,
which Kit named the Foam, and in which she
often went round to Hilbury, when any pro-
visions were needed, through the two inlets
md the two long winding harbors.
Grae went about his work steadily and
quietly. 1t was hard work for the old salt at
first, and often, when things went wrong and
worried him, he came home feeling that he
could not go back to the unwonted and dis
tasteful employment. But Kits bright face,
that always had its brightest smile for him,
invariably cheered him, and helped him on
again. He saw her always busy, never show
ing signs of WEAKNESS, always CHEEKY, and
thoughtful of numberless little things that
could add to bis comfort or take any strain
off him upon herself. And, seeing her so, be
was constantly encouraged to hold on. The
neighbors thought him rather strange,
melancholy man. but liked him withal, for his
quiet, peaceable ways, never taking offense,
always ready to oblige. He would constantly
fall into fits of moody thought when not en-
ployed, and in these moods he had trick of
unconsciously muttering to himself, as one
talks in his sleep. Often and often, Kit came
to his side where he sat on the porch, in the
pleasant evenings of those summer months,
and heard him murmuring:
"But promised her I'd try, and, God help
ing me, will!'
Then she would speak to break his gloomy
revery.
"What were you saying, father9 Did you
speak to meF'
And he would always answer, with start
and q dreamy smile, putting his hand vaguely
to his head:
al was thinkin' O. George, Kit girl-think-
ing o George"
Then she would chat to him, with simple
but artful speech, and laugh too, very mer-
rily, often with heart that was anything
but glad, and eyes downcast to hide drops
that would glisten when she glanced at the
broken face, 80 lined with the marks Of lifeS
battle and defeat
Sometimes he would say:
"Come, Kit, put away that work-you're
workin' too much, an next thing you'll be
gettin' pale and thin. Come out an let's go
an get breath of air. I'm choked for a free
blow, Kit, on the blue water
Then they would take the Foam Sad put