The rustler., 1891-07-31

sAtf AAE AAH many AAAFaAaNe " AAAAH
She was up with the birds. and after
= hasty breakfast out she sailed. aud
hocd and raled. weeded and trans
planted. til her back ached and her
hngrrs grew sore and her nose frcckled
and her checks tanned. Hut garden
ing Il hard work. NJ best. and though
Miss Ferohia laborcd with a will the
grass and weeds eouid creep IN here and
there In spite OF her vigilance. The
purSlane-''pusly' she called it-and
horse-nettles grew faster than her but
ter-head lettuce or white spine cucum-
bcrs.
Then the weather was not always
propitious. and her first planting Of
sugar-corn and early rose potatoes rot
ted in the ground
hut Miss Fcrobia. nothing daunted.
replantcd the vacant rows with later
varieties. and in due time the seed
sprouted and gave every promise Of
luxuriant crop.
But from that time on II was, rs the
little woman declared. n ''tusslcn be-
tween herself and the weeds
While she was hoeing her cabbages
and kohl robies and wedding her silver
skin onions the cookie burrs and wild
morning glories were fiourishing among
her sweet corn and potatoes.
She worked early and late, however.
20 eradicate the tenacious interlopers,
and finally succeeded In accomplishing
her task. When 10. one unlucxy night
Farmer Nubbin's pigs forced their way
through broken panel Of the fence,
and played havoc among the growing
crops.
Small wonder. indeed. IL our heroine
lost her temper ut last and pelted those
pigs with clods or whatever came
handiest, and even whaclSed one of
them across the snout with the hoe
handle.
But with all her efforts II was late in
the day when the last one of the ma
rauders was disposed of. and the fence
patched up after n fashion.
Miss Ferobia's workmanship. IL not
exactly artistic, was sufficiently in
genious 10 prevent further inroads in
that direction.
But for some reason from that time
on the fates seemed to turn cold
shoulder to her efforts.
The rabbits feasted on her early
York cabbages and marrowfat pease,
the striped bugs worked destruction ON
her cucum bcrs and Cassava melons, the
Colorado beetle devastated her pota-
toes, and the squash bugs ate up her
Boston marrows and patty
squashes. The foxes, minks, owls and
hawks, TO say nothing of opossums and
weascls thnncd the ranks of her
young DorlSings and Plymouth Rocks;
and. TO make matters worse, her COW
turned out TO be Jumper and
brought disgrace on herself and trouble
to her mistress by daily raids ON Farm
er Nubbins corn field.
This was the last straw, and, like the
mythical camel, Miss Ferobia broke
down under IL
There amt no use a.tryin'. as
, see." She lamented, dolefully, as she
set out her one cup and saucer in readi-
ness for her tea. "A lone woman don't
have no chance at all.
"An' here I've spent all my money
an my garden amt wuth shuclSs And
Timothy, he'll say he told me how
'twould be, and that I'd better q mar
/ ried Jason Smallwced And almost
t b'lieve-I-would- No, | wouldn't
; either. | won't take up with u crook
+ ed stick, If be nearly through the
, woods"
"Evenin, Miss Feroby," interrupt
el CHEEKY voice, and there, framed
: in the doorway, stood Felix Byefeld, d
smile Frightening his honest, sun.
: Drowned face.
| Miss Ferobih shook hands with her
visitor, and drew forth chair for him
with secret fluttering at her heart a'
| she remembered her sister-in-law's in,
sinuation.
But Felix was evidently bent on max,
ing himself agreeable
: "An' so you've struck out for your
self" he observed. "Gittin' along first
rate, opine. You must show me your
garden"
IL haven't got any garden, and you
! shan see it" declared Miss Ferobia
inconsistently. Its all choked NJ
with weeds couldn't keep them out
: An what with the bugs, an the rab
. bits an pigs, l amt gotta cabbage-head
left, skeercely."
: "Sho', now, you don't say! Why, II
a that amt too bad" responded Felix
!. sympathetically.
AN the varmints has took all my
, young Chickens" continued Miss
. Ferobia. "An' Farmer Nubbins il
: a-goin' to shoot my COW, an, an"
: The thought of her woes was toe
: much for her, and she began to sol
hysterically.
r Don't cry, Miss Feroby; please don't,