The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-07-26

WOrE began.
He was a sturdy fellow and he
worked desperately fast; the shining
tin pail dived deeper into the cold
wheat and dragged heavily on the
woman's tired hands as it came to the
mouth of the sack. The wife trem-
bled with fatigue, but she held on and
dragged the sacks away when filled,
and brought others, till at last Sam
climbed out, putting and wheeling, to
tie them up.
81 guess I'll load 'em in the morn
ing" he said. you needn't wait fer
me I'll tie 'em up"
"Oh, Idon't mind" she replied, feel,
ing a little touched by his unexpected
ly easy acquiescence to her request.
When they went back to the house
the moon had risen. 1t had scarcely
set when then they YER wakened by
the growing BOOSTERS. The man rolled
stimy out of bed and began rattling at
the stove in the dark, cold kitchen.
His wife-arose lamer and sitter than
usual, and began twisting her thin
hair into a knot.
Sam did not stop to wash, but went
out to the barn. The woman, however,
hastily soused her face into the hard
limestone water at the sink, and put
the kettle on. Then she called the
children. She knew it was early and
they would need several calllngs. She
pushed breakfast forward, running
over in her mind the things she must
have: two epools of thread, six yards
of cotton flannel, a can of coffee, and
mittens for Kitty. These she must
have-there were oceans of things she
needed.
The children soon came scudding
down our of the darkness of the up
stairs to dress uumultuously at the
kitcuen sEove. They bumped and shiv-
cred, hoIdI. z up their bare feet from
che cod Fl Dor IKE chickens in new
fallen snow. They were irritable, and
snarled ana snapped and struck like
a q dogs. Mrs. Markham stood it
for awhile with mere commands to
hush up" but at last her patience
gave out, aud she charged down on the
struggling mob and cuff2d them right
and left.
They ate their breakfast by lamp
light, and when Sam went back to his
work around the barnyard it was
scarcely dawn. The children, left
alone with their mother, began to an
noy her to let them go to town also
mo, sir, nobody goes but baby.
Your fathers going to take a load of
wheat"
The wife was weak with the worry
of il when she had sent the older chill
dren away to school and the kitchen
work was finished. She went into the
cold bedroom eff the little sitting room
and put on her best dress It had new
er been a coed f5, and now she was
getting so thin it hung in wrinkled
folds everywhere about the shoulders
and waist. Sac lay down on the bed a
moment to ease that dull pain in her
back. She had q nom 3nG's distaste for
goiDg out at all. The thought of sleep
was more alluring. Then the thought
of the long, long day, and the sicken-
ing sameness of her life, swept over her
again, and she rose and prepared the
baby for the 'urney.
1t was but little after sunrise when
Sam drove out into the road and
started for Ballplain. His wife sat
perched upon the wheat sacks behind
him, holding the baby in her lap, a
cotton quilt under her, and q cotton
horse blanket over her knees.
Sam was disposed to be very good
natured, and he talked back at her oc.
casionally, though she could only un-
derstand him when he turned his face