The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-03-05

f1aS Kills.
Misses Haskins, set right up to the
table an take a good swig o that tea.
while make y some toast. It's green
tea, an it's good. tell Council as git
older don't seem to enjoy Young Hyson
mr. Gunpowder | want the reel green
tea, Jest as ii comes oH7n the vines. Seems
& have more heart in il some way. Don't
s'pose it has. Council says IT'S all in M
/ eye"
Going on in this easy way, she soon
had the children filed with bread and
milk and the woman thoroughly at
home, eatingsome toass and sweet melon
pickles, and slipping the tea.
q See the little rats" she laughed at the
children They're full as they can
stick now, an they want to 90 to bed.
Now, don't git up, Misses Haskins set
right where you are, a. let me look after
'em. 7 knos all about young ones,
though I'm al alone now. Jane went
and married last fall But, as tell Coun-
Gil, its lucky We keep our health. Set
right there, Misses Haskins; / won't
have you. stir finger"
1t was an unmeasured pleasure to sit
there in the warm, homely kitchen, the
jovial chatter Of the housewife driving
out and holding at bay the growl Of the
impotent, cheated wind.
The little woman's eyes filled with
tears which fell down upon the sleeping
baby in her arms. The world was not
so hopeless, desolate and cold after all
Now, hope Council won't stop out
there and talk politics all night. He's
the greatest man to talk politics and read
the Tribune. How old is it p
She broke off and peered down at the
face Of the babe.
Two months and five days said the
mother, with mothers exactness.
Ye don't say? The dear little pudzy-
wudzy," she went on, stirring it up in
the neighborhood of the ribs with her
fat forefnger.
Pooty tough on you, to go gallivantin'
across lots this way"
Yes, that's so man can't lit
mountain said Council, entering the
door. sarah, this is Mr. Hsskins, from
Kansas. He's been ct up and druv out /
by grasshoppers.'
"Glad to see yeh. Pa, empty that
wash basin and give him chance to
wash
Haskins was tall man, with a thin,
gloomy face. His hair was reddish
brown. like his coat, and seemed equally
faded By the wind and sun And his
sallow face, though hard and set, was
pathetic somehow. You would have
felt that he had suffered much by the
line of his mouth, showing under his
thin, yellow mustsehe
"Hain't Ike got home, Sairy p
Hain't seen i'm"
Waal. set right up, Mr.. Haskius
wade right into what we've got 'tain't
much, but we manage 10 live on it-she
gifts fat on il, laughed Council, pointing
his thumb at his wife.
After supper, while the women put the
hildren ITO bed, Haskins and Council
went on talking, seated near the huge
cooking stove, the steam rising from their
wet clothing. In the westernsfashion,
Council told much of his life as ne drew
from his guest. He asked but few 9ues-
tons but by-and-by the story of Has
kins' terrible struggles and defeat came
out. The story was a terrible one. but
he told it quietly, seated with bis elbows (
on his knees, gazing most of the time at
the hearth.
didn't like the looks Of the country
anyhow" Hsskins said, partly rising and
looking at his wife. Il was used { north
ern Ingyanie, where we have lots o tim
Der n lots O. rail,, an didn't like the
looks o that dry prairie. What CALLED
me the worst was goin' so far away acrost /
so much ane land lawn all through here I
vacant"
And the hoppers eat ye four years {
hand runnin, did they?n
Eat They wiped US out They
chawed everything that was green. They {
Jest Get around waiiin' for US to die to eat
Us, too. NV God2 used to dream of
'em sitfin round on the bedpost, six feet
long, an working their jaws They eat
the fork handles. They got worse and
worse, till they.jest rolled ON one another
piled up like snow in winter Well. tain't
no use if was to talk ali winter /
couldn't tell nothin'. But all the while
I couldn't help thinkin' of all that land :
back here that nobuddy was usin' that
] ought-a had, stead o bein' out there in
that eussed country
Waal. why didn't We stop here and
settler" asked Ike, who had come in and
was eating his supper.
Fer the simple reason that you feilers
wanted ten'r fifteen dollars an acre fer
the bear land, and hadn't no money fer |
that sort O thing.
Vas, do my Own work Mrs. Coan- {
Gil was heard to say in the pause that
followed. I'm gettin' purity heavy ter ;
be on my laigs all day, but We can't af-
ford { hire, SO | keep rackin' round sum I
how, like foundered horse. : lame
tell Council he can't tell how lame / !
am, fer I'm Jest as lame in one lsig as
tother" And the good soul laughed at
the Joke en- herself, as she took handful I
OF -four and busted the biscuit board TO /
keep the dough from sticking.
swell, hain't never been yecy strong" 4
said Mrs. Haskins. Our folks were ,
Canadians. and smaIl-boned, and then
since my last child hain't got up again
fairly. / don't ike TO complain-Tim
has about all he can bear now-b1t they
was days this week when jest wanted
to lay right down and die
"waal now, I'll tell ye,s said Council
from his side of the stove, silencing
everybody with his good-natured roar,
"I'd go down and see Butler, anyway, if
was you. guess he'd let you have bis
place purity cheap; the farms all run
down. He's bin anxious to let TO some
buddy next year. It'nd be good chance
for you. Anyhow, you go to bed and
sleep likea a babe. I've got some plowin'
10 do, anyhow, an I'll see if somethin',I
can't be done about your case. Ike, you