The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-09-03

barrow were rather meager. A few
Kitchen utensils and a couple of old
quits and blankets completed the out
nV' out the best part of the load was
you 10 be put onto the wheelbarrow,-
SWEEP laced Melissa and rosy checked
Oaoy Therese. This was the emigrant
party h a appeared an hour later at
Cu0 railway station, Jean grave with
the assumption of new and serious re-
sPohslollltles Melissa coaxing to be set
Gown upon the ground that she might
walk and make the load lighter for
Clred-armed Jean, and baby Therese
perched upon a bundle and laughing
with rapture over such new expert
ences. The wheelbarrow was left for
its owner in a place agreed upon, and
when a down country freight train
stopped at the station a little later it
found the spokesman of the small en-
igrant party all ready to negotiate for
transportation.
Want to help load and unload
freight to pay for passage down to
W." said the freight conductor, as
he looked with interest at the sturdy
little figure before him. "What do
the other babies want to do-help fire
on the engine7" he went on loosely.
but, hold on, he said suddenly you
can handle a bundle of laths can't you?
Yes7 Well, then, 1 guess we can strike
| q trnHn Wn1vn OpNf VOA~cSn %Iro0 LJ7~
dred thousand to load on at different
PLACES down along today. Get your
family into the caboose and then I'll
show you what to do"
That boy is a worker" said the con
duct0r to one of the trainmen as the
train, an hour later, moved away from
a station where a large amount Of
freight had been taken on. An hour
later still he said to himself, Wish I
had a crew that worked with a will
like that little kid" At IL o'clock he
addressed his remarks to the kid in
person:
See here, youngster, you'll work
your arms off if you go on workin'
freight this way. There amt no call
for it. You'll have the road OWN you
wages before we get half way down to
w." But Jean was a worker, and
he paid his little family's way right
royalty until they were set eff at the
tiny Wayside STATEN thenext morning.
Good luck to you" shouted the con
ductor as the train rumbled off, and
the man waved his hat as he disap
peared around a curve.
Nine dollars and fifty cents was the
extent of jeans capital "a five dollar
gold piece an uncle had given him
when he was a baby and fonr dollars
and a half hat he had earned during
the last month.
Country people are kind, and Jean
found no trouble in borrowing a wheel
barrow at one of the three houses near
the station and getting information as
to the Whereabouts Of the farm he was
seeking and the nan who had the rent
ing Of it. 1t was q four mile tramp,
and jeans legs and arms ached smart
~ when the children drew near to the
farmhouse they sought.
BLESS my soul !! said the farmer
when he had heard the boys story.
Want to hire the Bikins place, did
you eay9 Why, you can't live there.
TIE roof leaks and everything is going
to rack and ruin" He didn't know that
Jean and his family e. considerably
! we'll used to rack and ruin"
But come in an get dinner an We'll
talk it lover" said the farmer.
Little Therese fairly won the hearts
Of all the family, as perched in an old
high chair, brought down from the at
tic, she laughed and prattled in high
glee. After dinner Mr.. Bradley and
| Jean went over to the "Bllkins place"
Owners gone to Californy, farms
growed up to bushes, hay don't pay
for cuttin', buildin's all gone to pieces
that's the whole story" said the
farmer as they went along. However,
it looked like a paradise to poor Jean,
and he offered to rem it on the spot.
Rather have somebody live here
than not" said the farmer, but il
you're too independent for that an
want to pay five dollars for six months,
why, it's more'n the place has paid for
ten years, an the owner'n be satisfied"
Jean moved in that night despite the
Invitations to stay at the Bradley farm
over night. He was grateful for kind
ness, but he wanted to be independent,
and would have refused some Of the
few necessary articles Mre. Bradley