The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-08-29

H,nnHklHa{sgsa8t iz." Consequent.
A.MSasH-/ly he was very
F He badgered
u and bullied all
who came within hearing of his
stentorian voice, from his youngest
daughter, Martha, to his meek, pale
faced old wife.
He found fault with his one hired
man to such an ezoent that the lat
ter quit" leaving the pillow in the
furrow in the back lot, and went in
search of place where, as he ex-
pressed it, he "could chaw his hash
in peace, an not be cussed at wen
ever he went in ear-shot of the
house."
The hired man had not been a rap
i'd worker and as Peter had been
ailing for weeks, his farm work was
in a very backward and chaotic con-
dition.
The blowing was no more than
half done, the potatoes were not
planted, the corn ground was not
fitted" and it was already the mid
die of May.
The farm hands for miles around
had all secured situations and had
been at work for weeks. There was
not one to be had for love or money.
Itlooked as though Peter Cummins
would have to worry through the
season as best he could, without a
hired man.
Under the circumstances Peter did
not improve either in health or tenn
per.
"Drat the rheumatiz!" cried he. eff
could only git about I'd hitch up
ole Jerry an drive till l found a
hired man-an' one good for suthin,
too. But here am tied down-bound
an gagged-with this pesky rheuma-
tiz. Ow, WOW, WOW! wot a twinge
tibet air was"
Although Peter was, in certain
sense, bound to his chair, he was very
far from stating the truth when he
said he was gagged, as his wife, his
daughters and every chance passer-
by could have testified.
Although blowing and planting
was at a standstill on the farm, the
dairy work went on as briskly as
ever, with Miss Susan Cu.nmins as
general manager and Miss Martha
an able assistant.
The seventeen COWS we're MIXED
bright and early every morning; the
milk was ''set" inlarge, shallow pans,
and the cream, at the proper time,
was churned, sailed and worked" in
to the sweetest of golden butter.
This was not considered hard work
by the tall, broad-shouldered, rosy
checked, blue-eyed, flaxen-haired Su-
san, who at 10 years of age was as
strong, healthy and cheerful as a GIRL
we'll could be.
Martha, two years younger, al
though equally as light hearted as
her sister, was different in many
ways. She resembled her mother,
who when "gal," as she often told
her daughters, was considered great
beauty.
Martha had inherited her mothers
coal black hair and eyes, creamy
complexion, and slim slender form.
She was very pretty, and not farm
or boy for miles around but loved
the ground she walked on-especial-
~ when she lightly tripped over a
portion of her fathers fertile soil.
The Cummins homestead would
have been fairly overrun with ad-
mirers of the two girls (for there
were many who liked the robust
Susan's style of beauty )but for one
thing. They one and all had whole
some fear and dread Of Peters rasp-
ing, ear piercing, foghorn voice. He
also, when not down with the ''rheu-
matiz," welded with much dexterity
and accuracy No 10 cow-hide boot.
So, because of the voice and the
boot, the girls, though greatly ad-
mired, had no 'steady company"
The nearest approach to it was the
three calls Hiram Stubbs had made
on Susan.
On his first visit Hiram was very
anxious, apparently, to secure
Peters advice as to what he had
better do with his "nine-acre lot
seed it dowu er plant it agin."
Peter, being in cheerful mood. for
a wonder, expatiated and dwelt on
the delightful subject at such great |
length, and Hiram, to propitiate
him, gave him such marked and un-