Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1892-12-06
FRANKS EXPERIMENT.
BY WILLARD N, JENKINS.

his face after having indulged in what
he termed g fit of the sulks - for nearly
an hour. He was lying on his back
amid the daisies and buttercups, under
an old elm, and when he uncovered his
face, nature met him with burst of
light from the June sky. and with soft,
cool touches of the summer wind.
1t is useless for me to whine to my
self, said the boy slowly. ''The farm is al
ready so heavily nortgaged that tits utter
ly impossible for father to saddle another
one omit and send me to college, as Howard
Fulton's father has done; and shall
have to stay at home, now that I have
finished the High School course, and
help on the farm, rs it is our only hold.
And it's poor hold, too. I'll take look
at it, and see if it has any capabilities be-
yond a miserable existence for the Allen
family"
he sprang to his feet and took his
look. Billows of white and gold met his
not for farmer-bounded by fences
that needed repairing.
Some distance away he could discern
the orchard full of gnarled, mossy trees,
the fruit of which never met with n Gus
toner. Just beyond was the old barn
and the weather beaten farmhouse.
Franks lips closed firmly together. 1t
was a discouraging sight. He hurried
across the field, now and then catching
his foot in wiry vine that was doing its
best to exterminate whatever feeble
grasses the daisies and buttercups might
spare, and at length he reached the past
ure fence.
Well" he said, "there is one thing
certain, and that is, there is good
chance for a little extra work all over
the lot Now, what is the best way to
go about it2 Father thinks he is doing
the best that can be done, and the first
thing l shall know shall be working in
the same old rut.
Frank rested his elbows on the top rail
of the shaky old fence, and dropped his
face into the palms of his hands Finally
he looked up.
" I think know what to do If father
will give me piece of the farm-I don't
care how poor it is-I'll just try my best
to make that piece of land pay. I'll be
careful to ask him for some of his very
poorest land. Now among so much that
is poor what is the poorestP"
Frank studied the question for several
minutes. Suddenly his face lighted up.
81 know-that sandy strip across the
brook"
Swinging himself lightly over the
fence, he took one of the we'll -trodden
COW paths home.
The Allen homestead faced the west.
On the north and south the land gently
sloped away into the level meadows; on
the east the slope was very abrupt, form
ing declivity, at the foot of which ran
a winding brook. Over across this
brook lay Franks choice. 1t was O
sandy piece of land on which nothing
had succeeded in growing Bleak and
bare, it lay under the June sunshine
with nothing to hide its utter forlorn-
ness. On the further side of this was a
broken down boundary wall of stone
But notwithstanding the utterly unpre.
possessing look of it all, Franks eyes
dwelt fondly on that narrow strip of
sand.
After supper, when the chores were
all done, Frank made known to his
father his desire for small portion of
the farm.
Not great deal, father he said,
earnestly, but just small piece that l
can call my very own"
'' can't call any of it my very own,V
said Mr.. Allen, fretfully, " and 1 don't
see how could spare any of it on account
of boys whim. F"
81 don't believe you would miss the
strip of land over the brook, y said Frank,
briefly.
lover the brookl" cried his father in
amazement. 'As worthless a piece of
land as ever the sun shone onl You'll
make good farmer, sir. I'm proud of
your Judgment. Yes, take it. You're
perfectly welcome to it. But you Just
make up your mind, my lad, that you'll
never make farmer"
Thank you, father, for the land, >"
said Frank as heartily as though there
had been no scoffing words in the grant
ing of his request care you going to
use old Silky tomorrow"
No; what do you want nowH" said
Mr.. Allen, gruffly.
I'll use him and the plow, then"
The plowl Frank, what is the mat
ter with your I don't know what to
think. You can't raise anything on
that land"
Perhaps not, father; but 1 am going
70 try an experiment. 1t won't cost you
cent, but am to do as like with my
land ~
ALI right, Frank. Just go ahead the
way you've started, and we'll see how
you'll succeed
But the straight, deep burrows were
not SO bad after all and somehow the
soil that had always lain foot or two
under ground-AIr. Aliens burrows
were never more than six inches in depth
looked better than the sand that had
heretofore been surface soil.
Next, that boundary wall was re-
paired Then, one day, a pile of black
leaf mould made its appearance, then
another and another, till finally the field
across the brook resembled haying field
in which an eccentric farmer had used
black hay caps instead Of white.
The rich forest mould was mixed with
the sand, and then Frank received a
choice lot of strawberry plants from a
grower of small fruits.
.sStrawberry plants. ehf" said Mr..
Allen. " How did you pay for them7"
With the money that I earned by
working for Mr. Afarden, I" was the re-
ply.