The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1896-07-24

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Frarnie, when we're all but starving
But Rachel took hold Of the books
with them, and labored along as near
them as she could follow; and before
the year was out 1t was surprising how
much those lads and the young girl had
nut into their memories. Twice year
Julian and Dan and old Cy and Darius
went off on what their mother called
their wicked and idle shooting, for she
didn't see why their father was willing
to spare them old Cy. But the father
kept the secret. They believed it would
make the mother happy enough by and
by.
Some years later, they set out early
one morning for the orange hummock,
the father having left note for the
mother, saying that he was going with
the boys. and going to take Rachel.
Nobody enjoyed the whole enterprise
more than Rachel, who was a helpful
little body, and knew OF countless
methods Of adding to their comfort on
the way. Her own comfort was secured
by the little donkey that Cy had bor-
rowed Of DR.. Yancey and on which she
rode.
You'll have to be a lot of use, Rachel,
as soon as we get there" said Julian,
land so has Mr.. Father"
But when she did get there. she found
as romantic little hut, made of orange
boughs, with two rooms in it, too, that
the boys had made for her the last time
they were there, as one could have out
Of fairy story; and long before she
reached the place she could have found
the way by the odors blowing towards
her; and when. all at once, the orange
forest-not any orange grove or planta-
ton, but the orange forest-burst upon
her in full gorgeous fruit, she could
have cried with rapture, only she knew
her father liked to have her staid and
quiet. But she knew she had come to
help them gather their fortune, and all
hands began at once.
1--WE made raft, you see, father"
said Julian, 1.-THE last time we were
here, too, and we can float it; and there
is raft tied up under the bushes there,
and that will let us into the water
ways to the ST. Johns. If we sell our
oranges well we'll have better equip
ment next year. After that, patience,
patience, father! When we've RATED
down one lot we'll come back for the
next. When those first old Spanish
colonists 300 years ago brought over a
few orange shoots from Seville, do you
believe it ever once occurred to them
that such forest as this would find
place here?"
1t was as Julian said, and when they
had finished their voyaging and sold the
last orange the boys went back with
their father and made their mother a
visit, and stopped all her reproaches by
telling her their story. Shortly after
that masons and carpenters and gar
deners were at work upon the house
and the grounds; and then the boys
had taken servants and mules with
them and had gone back to Okemol-
kokee hummock, and Racael, with her
mothers consent, had gone along to
keep the mildew off, Dan said, while
they cleared out the hummock farther
along, grating new trees and tending
cid ones, and read their books at night
by the light of burning pitch pine knots
before the little hut in the center of
their orange trees, that seemed to bud
and bloom as if they knew the work
they were doing for the family that
had two such sons and such daughter
rs Rachel in it.
1t was half dozen years later that
met at New Orleans a stately old gen.
tleman dressed faultlessly; on his arm
was a pale and graceful lady whose
face, happy and smiling though it was,
bore traces of old sorrow. There was
n group of young people in the dis
lance, busy over trunks and baskets
and wraps-Frarnie and Rebecca, and
little Rachel. grown as tall and hand
some as they, and their pert and pretty
quadroon waiting maid; and James,
who had grandly thrown up the place
under government, anxiety to keep
which had once nearly worn his life
out; and the two boys, who had for
gotten there was such thing as shop
counter or an oyster scow; and Darius,
grinning like masque; and old Cy,
lowering round Julian and cambridge
as if they were the chief treasures OF
the family, and, losing them. one lost
orange groves and all.
"Yes," said the stately old gentle
man; Eyes, we are on the way to see
the boys off to Europe to give them
the advantages of the best education.
Splendid boys, sir--deserve the best
there is, and 1 am able to give it to
them, and they shall have it.
"Am l still in the cotton business?
Oh, no; the cotton business left me with
the war. 1 am largely interested in