The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-07-12
CHAPTER VII.

farming lands upon the continents
million scrfs.
CHAPTER VII
A LAND FLOWING WITH MILK AND HONEY"
Il 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.
I'm sure fruit and poultry-raisin' is
. heap pleasantcr than raisin' wheat,
and there's more 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. If the rest Of the crop pans out as
well as it has SO fur, we kin build q
new house with verander all around
it next year, and have money left. to
send the girls down to Frisco to
school,"
Yes. we are getting along very NICE
ly," replied his wife," land ought to
be thankful, I'm sure"
AS soon as we git . 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 l s'pose we cant in reason
expect the boy to stay with us always.
Human natur' don't change much, l
reckon; it's the same on the Pacific as
it is on the Atlantic coast, and / hahn Z
forgot that was mighty anxious to get
a place Of my own fore | was as old as
'Rastus is; specially after got &C
quainted with certain girl with cheeks
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,
a-wonderin' whether they was encour-
agin' me, or takin' note of the size Of
my cow-hide boots. whenever they
looked my way.
Not" he continued, las I've no
ticed that 'Rastus seemed particularly
took with any of the girls round here
leastwise them as lives far around
herc,' he added, looking hard at his
wife. rs if endcayoring to read her
thoughts.
II Mrs. Parsons understood what her
husband was thinking Of, she made no
attempt to reply, and after waiting .
second or two. he began again:
II don't see as 'Rastus appears tc
take particular to any of the neighbor.
ing girls, out whether he does or not
whether he takes a wife from close BY
or furder of, its only fair that we heir
him to start. He's been true as steel
and as kind as if he was our own son,
and I'm reckonin' if he and one o
the girls should sometime take q no
ton to hitch up and work in double
harness, there wouldn't be any objec
tons; eh, mother?"
1.-The girls are not old enough to Gel
married. JOHN returned Mrs Par
sons. Jennie is not sixteen yet ane
Lucy is two years younger still. l hope
that neither of them vii. think Of sucl
a thing as marriage for good while
Erastus himself is not quite twenty one
and although many young men MARI,
rs young rs that, l do not think thai
Erastus has any such intentions. MOI
that he has ever said anything to me
but 40 you say have not noticed that
he appeared partial to any of the neigh
boring girls, although he is favorite
with all: and as for Jennie and Lucy,
they probably seem to like him like sis.
tiers; indeed, he seems like son to me,
and whoever he may choose for wife
when he does marry will get an honor.
able man for husband and one who
will be kind and loving, am sure"
That's SO, replied John, 'Rastus
amt fellow that will ever go to knock
in his wife and babies around, if he
ever has any. But 'spose it amt no
use to try to fix things up for the young
folks. Wen have to let 'cm take their
own head, which'll be just rs the heart
directs 'em. reckon. An l wouldn'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, here's 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 be bossin the
hull ranch, though, if his mother and ]
don't look out. afore he's big enough to
hunt hens eggs or tie up grapevine. y
And reaching down he drew upon hi
knee and gave a great hug to sun
tanned, ow-headed boy that had jus,
entered; the child of their old age, borr
the year the shanty had been put up
and the first grape vines planted.
Il is bid 'nough to hunt edds now, y
retorted the little fellow, squirming tc
release himself from his fathers arms
Il did found whole mes full out un
der the roses bush, and you've brok,
'em; see."
And he ran his hand into his poke
and withdrawing it covered with tn,
yolk of the eggs stood holding it up
while the liquid dripped down over hi!
, clothes.
.'You shouldn't have put the eggs il
your pocket said his father, laughing
at the spectacle which he presented
'.You might have known they woulc
have got broken and spoil your new
pants.
whats e use of pantses If 'ou tan,
put edds III g pottits, I'd lite to know, =
replied the yonngster rs he waddled Of
to his mother to be cleaned up and fit
ted for some new adventure. '.Des
tan put edds in my own potts if amt.
to- he added, by way Of clincher, a.
his father playfully stopped to chuck
him with his finger as he passed out te
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
as compared with that marketed earlier.
and it was decided to send the girls
away to school for the winter instead
of waiting until spring. when a new
house was to be begun, and when their
services would be much more needed
by their mother. But instead of going
to San Francisco they would only 60 to
Sacramento, where there was q very
good school under the charge Of Prof.
Cook, and being nearer they could be
the sooner reached in case they should
be taken sick.
a.. y