St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-05-02
A COLD WAVE.
~ MARTHA s. prLLsnUKv.

NJ 0ARTHA q. PILLSRCRY,
As TWO o clock in the afternoon the
.mometer registered 81 degrees of
ceat IN the shadow of our little veran-
oAn. where Gene sat tanning herself
@i.sr putting away lunch.
Mat. l am glad mother didn't come
uOWn 10 Florida this winter" she said
20 me through the open window. Il
uone believe such hot weather as this
February, would agree with her.
siser spending 81 winters in Yer
mont"
But it will be necessary for her to
come some time if we stay" 1 replied;
and since father left his property in
sested here, we are obliged to stay,
even If we do not ike il"
Oh. well, 1 do like it. suppose"
said Gene, rcflectively. But 1 should
like to see just one good old snow-driit
and hear sleigh bells Jingle once this
winter"
'Oh, you are a born northerner.
Gene. But for one. am glad poor
father had the resolution to leave that
rocky old Vermont fsrm," said /.
All, but think of the maple sirup we
would make up there this spring!"
cried Gene.
But think of the 'cukcs,' tomatoes,
oranges and plneappics we shall have
here" I exclaimed, mot 10 mention
strawberries. .ggplants, stringbeans,
green peas, mangoes, new potatoes.
beets and corn! Thirty acres Of them,
worth $4,000! More than we could
grub from that oil Vermont farm with
ten years Of hal d work."
whats that about ten years of hard
work?' said Ruel, coming around
the corner with n phosphate bucket
ON his arm, bringing CHASTITY odor OF
1t with him. "Yes, it is hard work seed
ing and wedding such weather as this.
Ny, but .sn't it hot, thought" he
groaned, throwing himself on the floor
Of the veranda.
II cannot work half an hour without
telling weariet;." he went on. Il sup
pose it's those Vermont winters thaw
Ing out of my blood. But it is great
weather to make things grow! / can
zee those long rows of string-beans
breaking ground! Fact, girls! Tho
ground over those bean-heads is hop
ping all along the rows, like little
toads!
ssBut talk Of work." Ruel continued.
Fl shall need four hands to help me
within three weeks. When i. comes to
picking and shipping, you girls viii.
have to pack the tomatoes, cucumbers
and eggpplants. Won't your fingers
have to iiy2 But there's money in it.
It looks as though We could get rich
here In ten years"
'sBut Gene wants maple-sirup," said
], mischicvously.
s.Oh, wel;," exclaimed Ruel. I'VE can
aend up 10 Vermont for couple OF
gallons-if she must have some"
Florida was new country to all
three Of us, for although my father had
bought hundred acres here, and had
the cottage built and orange-groves
planted seven or eight years before.
We young people had not gone south
with him, and had now been there but
ten weeks. Busy weeks they had been,
seeding. ''fertilizing" and preparing
our first crop of garden vegetables for
shipment north.
Our orange and grapefruit trees were
not yet bearing, and, In fact, had been
nippcd hard by the December frost the
week before we came; but the weather
had been so warm after our arrival that
we found it difficult to believe that
really cold night was possible in Flor
lda.
Yet even as we sat there tanning our
selves . negro, known a. "Dandy"
0reen. who works little patch" Of
HI own "a the pine woods, half . mile
beyond our place, came clattering.
muleback, along the road that leads to
Citrus park. Seeing my brother on
he veranda, Dandy pulled up and
ehouted:
ssDe's . cole wabe comm! Look out
ler yer. cukes!"
Rad laughed outright. It sounded
Me- Joke.
s>oh, Use a-tellin' you de troof, Cap'n
Bool!n Dandy cried. ''She's comm
Ter shot"
aBring on your cold wave," Ruel re-
marked, laughing. "Just come out
into the field, girls, and see those beam
heods poke mp the dirtl" he continued.
Dwin9ing to his feet We all followed
Mn. bat had scarcely turned the corner
when felt a cool puff Of wind from
the northwest.
~Ah. doesn't that feel refreshing?'
Gene exclaimed.
sYes: fetch on the cole wabe,' said
Ruel, and he stopped to take a good
leag breath. We then noticed that the
!. sky In the northwest had turned a dull,
6ark c6lof.
sWell, that's queer!" Ruel said, look
M along the bean-rows. They've
stopped hopping. But don't the rows
q whitish-green bean-heads look odd,
3ust coming out of the ground: What
would they think of this in old Yer
nont for the eth day of February?
You must write mother about it. Mat"
While we stood there for less than
IN minutes, looking at the beans, the
srky dafkened so rapidly that the sun
nhlne faded out, and scattered drops OF
rim fell. Such cool puffs of wind
enne that quite suddenly Gene turned
: ~ The collar Of her thin shirt-waist.
sYousre not cold!" Ruel said.
mo; but it is really great deal
eoolor," she replied.
Gene and went back to the house,
snd 81 ten minutes more we were clos
- the windows. The wind blew in
o,,gts, aud the whole sky had turned
dark.
Ruel came in and put on L,s Sweat
-. then wheeled out his bicycle.
vim going up to the Park Station"
- said to us.
The Distance is three miles, and he
.~vas gone about 40 minutes. should
s4Aink: but before he came back.
q3ene and had kindled fire and put
- our wool dresses.