St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1891-09-19

the t1blcclOth wouldn't be the e3s.8.
rag. hut s'pose he's Hobson's choice
with yon"
The truth was that she was afraid
her sistcr-in-law might still manage To
retain . place in the household by hook
or BY crook, and she was determined to
provoke an alteration in order to prc.
vent such sequence.
But Miss Ferobia was not to he
drawn into q quarrel
He may be Hobson's choice, but he
is not mine" she returned, coolly.
Nancy. however. was rs persistent rs
gnat or . gadfiy.
don't doubt but what you'd rather
have Felix Byefield." she suggested,
slyly. "but you needn't to count on
gittin' him, fur he's a-keepin' comply
with the Widder Cheeseman, an every
buddy says they're a-goin' to marry
after harvest"
1t was = random shot on Nancy's
part, but her black eyes sparkled with
malicious triumph rs she saw by her
sister-in-law's burning cheeks that the
poisoned arrow had struck home.
Miss Ferobia dcigned no reply, how
ever. but went coolly about prepare
tons for her own departure.
She had rented . small cottage and a
few acres of ground q mile or two
from the old homestead. and Timothy
could do no less than get out the spring
wagon and drive her to the new home.
1t was yet early in the springtime
|
with bloom The tall naples and elms
by the roadside swung their light tas-
sells in the soft breeze and myriads of
buttercups and purple-hued pansies
dotted the grass-grown lanes.
Il dunno what you wanted of SO
much ground round your house." re.
marked Timothy. refectively. as the
wagon rolled easily along. '.Half an
acre would Of been enough, I should
say"
mo. it wouldn't" maintained his
sister, stoutly. I'm a-goin' into the
gardenin' business, to raise truck for
the markets"
Timothy whistled.
you'll make a failure of II, sure as
guns" he declared, ruthle ssly.
But Miss Fcrobia was not to be dis
Outraged.
There's plenty of men make livin' at
it. an why not me!' she asked. I've got
a little money laid by to start on. An
I've got stout pair of arms, an never
was sick day in my life; SO why
should make a failure of it,"
But Timothy only shook his head and
remarked. vaguely, that It was son
practicable. and she would find out, ;"
and declined to commit himself fur
Their. And the conference was cut
short by their arrival at the cottage.
1t was lonely place bat Miss Zero
bia was blessed with strong nerves and
solitude had no terrors for her.
She had accumulated . few odds and
ends of furniture from time to time. the
gifts of various friends and relatives.
which went . good way toward fur
nishing her diminutive dwelling.
And when they were arranged to her
satisfaction and q square Of bright rag
carpet tackled down in the center of the
room Miss Ferobia felt a. happy IS
king.
She was too tired after her DAYS
work to do more than take cup of ten
and retire to rest But comfortable
nights sleep ON the old-fashioned.
bedstcsd restored her
energies, and for the next few days she
was rs busy Is . mailer over her prep
aratiOnS.
Lem Dodson was hired to plow the
ssf v.s,cl, trh - a r~~., ,.r:Ah .
was bargained for and . few fowls of
the Plymouth Rock and Dorl<ing species
were purchased and werc soon sckling
vigorously around their new quarters.
After little more help from neighbor
Doison and = vigorous use of the hoe
on Miss Ferobia's part the ground was
in readiness for planting and the ambi-
tious market gardener sat up till long
past her usual bedtime looking over
her stock of seeds and selecting those
requisite for immediate use.
There might still be late frosts, she
reflected. and such tender plants rs
beans and cucumbers, summer squashcs
and nutmeg melons, would be better
out of the ground than in it for q few
days to come.
But beets and lettuce. spinach and
peas and rutabagas would |
stand anything short Of . regular |
freeze, and might he safely planted at |
once.
And, late though she sat up. the first |
pink flush of early dawn did not find
Miss Fcrobia mapping the next morn |
ing, nor for many mornings to come.
She was mp with the birds. and after |
. basty breakfast out she sailed, and |
hoed and raked. weeded and trans
planted, till her back achcd and her
fingers grew sore and her nose freckled |
md her cheeks tanned. But garden
ny is hard work, ut hest, and though |
Miss Ferobia labored with q will, the |
yrass and weeds woxld creep in here and |
here in spite of her vigilance. The
she called it-and
se-nettles grew faster than her but
er-head lettuce or white spine cucum-
3erS.
Then the weather was not always
,ropitious. and her first planting of
u9ar-corn and early rose potatoes rot
ed in the ground.
But Miss Ferobia, nothing daunted,
eplantcd the vacant rows with later
'aricties, and in due time the seed
prouted and gave every promise of =
uxuriant crop.
But from that time on il was, IS the
title woman declared. . ''tussle" be-
wccn herself and the weeds
While she was hoeing her cabbages
nd kohl robes and wedding her silver
kin onions, the cookie burrs and wild