The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-11-29

ran TO the table.
Two for me- she cried This j.
from mamma and this is from Lilly
Grey, l know And what pretty en-
velope you have there, John-the GOD
dess Pomona. is it not, amongst her
fruits?''
"A notice from the managers of the
Agricultural Fair said John. Father
got the prize for pears last year We
generally get prizes"
He handed the document to his wife,
who perused it carefully, and the little
Tiff was over.
Still life was not what it used to be
In the old farmhouse You can i'm
agine ii all. The detail of DAYS of
chilly GOODNESS, of evenings once spent
in the general sitting-room passed in
upstairs bedrooms, of formal meals
and naughty politeness. John often
thought that a regular quarrel, like
those that took place in the cabin of
Mike Granburg, On the railroad bor-
ders, where plates and glasses and
ehair-legs few about, would be pre-
ierablc- He went out as much as pos
sible. And Rosa had asked him for
little piece of ground for a garden of
her own. He had given it to her. of
course, and she spent much time there,
but she never asked him to look at it.
His sisters avoided it carefully. The
spot chosen was an out-of-the-way one
heyond the corn-fe:d. They worked
in their own as usl'al; and even over
lowers these gir.s did not meet on
friendly terms.
his mother rather ostentatiously
read the more severe of the religious
works in the library in her armchair
on the porch. His father talked of his
time being nearly over. His aunt
>nltted as sternly as though she were
one of the Fates in charge of the web
OF destiny; and nobody called him Jack
any more.
He was aware that the ladies spoke
OF Rosa 5 remote little garden as the
open air conservatory Or the Gar
den OF Eden" and once when he asked
them why they did not go and look at
it, Edna replied:
''Oh, our chances might blight it."
And Ruth added:
ut is too too utterly, ] presume
We country girls could not appreciate
it,
Whereupon he called them ill
natured idiots. and they began to sob
violently, and alluded to him as "a
brute" And really Rosa did carry
herself in stately fashion, and met
their Roland with an Oliver, as far as
GOODNESS went.
1t was not pleasant August, and
it was a more unpleasant Septe1n Der.
His only comfort was in his grape
vine. He hoped TO get the prize foi
grapes at the Agricultural Fair. His
father was doing all he could with his
pears for the same purpose. They
would have other exhibits, also and
;he Parma lees h: d never f:ilegl 1c &c,
"A prize of somc sort vet
The evening OF the third day OF The
fair came at last The Paf1na ea
we're all going-1he family in the CAR
rage, John and his wife in the little
vehicle of his own. She looked very
beautiful, and her dress was perfect
Her sisters-in-law had not disdaine1 tc
make sort of rival toilet and Mrs
Parmalee was very grand, but Johs
felt that he was left out in the colo.
and Rosa Was rather pale and silent
but they all warmed up little whea
they entered the hall
A sort of proscenium surrounded the
,lage at the end of the great room.
Vines clambered over ii, water played
amongst rock work, and pots and tubs
Of rare plants filed in the foreground.
A miracle OF the scene painters arr
arose at the back of the stage, where
he sun was setting over distant mount
aims, and in the midst stood Pomona
amidst a wealth of the fruits of all
countries, while at her feet lay Yam
kee pumpkin-a veritable miracle-so
large, so fawless, so golden, so perfect,
hat ii was the object on which all eyes
fingered. II dwarfed every other pump
Kin ever seen by the Oldest farmer
present
All the tables were loaded down.
however, and the Parmalee exhibit
looked well People walked and
talked. and tn band played. and at last
ppeared upon the stage the figures OF
three sages who were to bestow the
| prizes
Smiths aid Joneses, Williamses and
Browns, in turn grew happy. The
| Widow Watkins almost tainted when
she received the first prize for onions.
and the new member, who was a wild
over, whispered words of comfort.
Farmer Pagindarm thought the COM
.nittee unjust because they overlooked
the merits of his Jackson-whites,' .
but Mr.. Parmalee received honors for
his Katharine pears with calmness-
he was used to it.
Johns grapes were ouly third best.
His mother felt it to be a judgment
and was proud that her tea roses were
successful
One after another the names of the
successful were called, but as yet no
mention was made of the great pump
kin. Whose was it? There was q
:-ause. the band played Yankee
-oodle;- calcium light was turned
on the pumpkin; the orator waved his
hand toward it; ali were attentive.
Next to pork and beans" began
the speaker, .'our National dish Is
pumpkin pie Isuppose nobody here