Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-04-29
Reuben Coles Change.
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said, quietly.
The seed catalogue lay open, and
she could see the bunch OF thrifty
onions on tho open page. Reuben
most always ended his list with onions!
There wasn't time to wait any longer
it WAS now or never.
"And roses, Reuben?'
Reuben Cole bent over his laboring
pen, apparently deaf to the gentle,
wistful voice. His hand was painfully
cramped, aud the parallel lines in-
deuted between his eyebrows told Of
his mental toiling. Flowing half n
day, steady, on the windy side OF
Stone Scrabble hill was nothing TO
this.
Leah could have helped him il she
had only dared to suggest it; but to
her simple vision there was something
majestic and unapproachable about
Reuben with pom gripped in his fin
gers. 1t required all her courage to
mention her hearts desire - tho
roses.
"But I'm bound I will, she com
muned with herself, stoutly. "I'll do
my part, an that's all the Angel Ga
briel could do il he wanted Reuben to
put roses onto his list"
But her heart failed her as she
watched Reuben's slow pen trace
'two packages of best onion seed"
and then sigu "Reuben Cole" in great
quivery letters. 1t did not write
Crosses" aud Leah Coles plaintlve
face fell.
Reuben Cole was not deaf None
of the Coles had ever been, even in
their eighties. 1t was matter Of
family pride with them all.
He had heard Lelh's gentle re.
minder about the roses--oh, yes, but
he had let it pass uuhecded, just as he
had the year before aud the year be-
fore that. Leah always put in her
oar TO- some foolishncss like that
every time he sent of his order for
seeds and berry caues. One year il
was towering almonds an some kind
Of Tartar honeysuckles. II he got EN-
once he'd have to again, and wasn't it
about oil he could do 10 manage the
gardea sauce? They'd got to have
that, but they hadn't got to have
mess o. bushes an flower bets litter
ing up the front yard. Leah was real
curious about that.
The Cole farm was n prosperous
one. According to its place in the
taxgather's books, it rankel as one Of
the thriftiest in the town. There
were always the newest varieties OF
small fruits in its berry patch and the
newest kind of garden sauce III its
garden. It's field crops were fine its
level moving fields wonderfully pro-
ductive. The neighbors averred that
they never did see greeuer. heavier
grass than g,ew in Reubea Coles
meadows, and his loads o. hay at hay
ing time were sights 10 behold.
But the front yard at the Coles was
barren and dismal. To be sure, there
were Lesh's beds of old-fashioned
flowers that she spaded and tended
herself with steady patience; but they
had a discouraged look Ia spite Of
hor care. The little old-time posies
refused to blossom thriftily iu such
barren, undressed soil, and Reuben
could not spare any dressing for it.
Bat the grass-oh, that was the
worst 1t tormented poor Leah's
beauty loving eyes summer after sum
mer. She did 50 long to see it bril-
liantly green and carpety, like other
peoples front yard grass. Across
the street, little way down the hill,
the Hobbs grass was so green. You
could feast your eyes on it an bury
your feet in its luxuriatin' thickness
an they always kept it moved.
Leah Cole did her own front-yard
moving. 1t was no: very successful.
The day after the seed list was sent
off, Leah took her sewing ont into the
yard. II was one Of those surprising.
" warm, summary days that come
sometimes in early spring, and she
could not resist the temptation of its
But she did not sew much. She wan
dered wistfully round tile big, bare
enclosure, girt in 10y it's unkempt
fence. 1t took all Reuben's time TO
keep the pasture fences trim.
SITS nice-shaped yard" muir.
INJURED Leah. "lt's got the 'possibles'
In il. Mowin' an dressin' an fiyin'
MP the bushes an things-land alive!
wouldn't they make it nice? I'd like
20 see il Jest once before der
She went about picking ont her
"sites," as she called them-this cor
ncr where she wanted Tar,nrian
honeysuckle. like Amanda Hobbs
this little longish place where she
wanted row O. rosebushes this shell
tered spot for the towering almond.
There were q good maay sites.