The herald., 1898-01-16
Bertie and the Baby
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The thrashers were coming, and BERTHE
was jubilant. Before mamma died, on
their own farm, BERTHE and his little sister
had great sport when the thrashers came.
riding on the straw loads, carrying water
to the hands," and even sometimes being
allowed to sit on the drivers platform on
the 'horse-p power" BERTHE would miss his
little sister, to be sure. and he cried for
her when he went to bed that night. Little
Lollie was two thousand miles away, with
her aunty., and the big sister and the
brothers were all away with other rela-
tives, while papa had gone back to town
TO practice medicine again, where. in his
grief for his lost wife, he read his Bible
more than his medical books. and allowed
younger men to get most Of the practice.
BERTHE. aged ten. was working for his board
on farm, and walked seven miles and
back every Sunday to go to church with
papa, carrying his Sunday suit and chang
ing II half-mile from town, leaving his
old ones hidden In a slough.
At o'clock Saturday morning Farmer
Thompson yelled harshly up stairs, and
Berthe got up drowsily, but. hustled into
his dus when he thought of the thrash
ers II s'pose I'll have to work perty hard.
1 wisht he'd let me cut bands. I'm gone
t ask him to-
The pigs were fed, the cows MIXED and
driven to the hill to Craze on stubble.
Gaunt, horny-handed, grisly Farmer
Thompson watched BERTHE In amazement.
That boy never showed no life bout his
work b'fore," he said to his buxom wife.
Hes the uselessest boy I ever see in
my life," said the wife, testify. ITS nothin'
but books an play. an moonin' along look
in at birds an flowers. He's got gun,
but he can't even shoot straight. He's
got to take care O. baby today. l got
more'n 1 en- ten to. gittin' dinner fer all
them thrashers."
The thrashers had come and staked their
machinery; the neighbors began to arrive
with the teams. BERTHE went in to break
fast, but he was all excitement. listening
to every sound from the barnyard. He was
just about to prefer his request for the
position of "band cutter" when the farm
er showed back his wooden chair on the
board floor (mamma had carpets on her
floors), and said, with grin: you'll hafto
take keer O. the baby. boy; wife's got a
lot o. work today"
"Yes; an you want to keep away from
the thrashin' machine, too" said Mrs.
Thompson. 'I4oretty's got to be KEEP in
the shade, an out O. the dirt. Now mind!"
Loretty. sitting strapped in chair, rub
bed the bottoms of her feet together in
fiendish glee, showing off beautifully the
parenthetcal bow in her chubby legs.
Now don't go gittin' sullen," said the
mother, as Bertie's face heightened.
The boy got up slowly, thinking of his
beautiful little sister, and looked at the
young one" disgustedly. What did its
eyes want to pug out for like that, any
how? And those legs! Well. they needn't
think he'd go AROUND where the men could
see him with that baby He took Loretty
in his arms gingerly. Now do look out
what you're a doin'. Here, take this sugar.
tit, an don't let the little dear cry. NOW
git out O. my way
The horses started. BERTHE heard the
whips crack, the men shout and laugh.
The machinery began a low rumble, In
creasing gradually to a high-keyed hum.
The man on the stack threw down couple
of bundles, the band cutter made couple
of dabs at them, the feeder grabbed them
and scattering the grain, fed the heads
slowly into the whirling jaws OF the
"thrashin' machine" And BERTHE wasn't
there. He was out behind the house, with
a pop-eyed, bow-leggsd baby-a LOST soul
just without the gates OF paradise. HOW
that forenoon passed BERTHE never couid
remember. When he tried to, there was
only a confusion of bow legs, pop eyes
and saualls voices of men joking and
ouarreiing, dogs coming up to snin at him,
the rattle and smell Of cookery, and, per.
meating all, the vocal sing-song hum OF
the thrashing machine.
Dinner time came at last and Bertie
hoyered watchfully out of sight as the
men trooped up to the house. But, horrors,
there was Caudle Haskins, q town boy,
coming this side of the house. Hello,
Bud, what chuh doin-tendin' baby?