The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-05-04
REUBEN COLES CHANGE.

"And roses, Reuben?' Leah Cole
said, quietly.
The seed catalogue lay open, and she
could see the bunch of thrifty onions
on the open page. Reuben most always
ended his list with onions. There
wasn't time to wait any longer.
"And roses, Reuben? -
Reuben Cole bent over his laboring
pen, apparently deaf TO the gentle,
wistful voice. His hand was painfully
eramped, and the parallel lines indent-
ed between his eyebrows told of his
mental toiling. Flowing half day,
steady, on the windy side of Stone
Scrabble Hill was nothing to this.
Leah could have helped him if she
had only dared to suggest it; but to
her simple vision there was something
majestic and unapproachable about
Reuben with pen gripped in his fin
gers. 1t required all her courage to
mention her hearts desire-the roses
"But Pm bound l WILL" she COM
muned with herself, stoutly. "I'll do
my part; an that's all the Angel Cab
riel could do if he wanted Reuben to
put roses onto his list.
But her heart failed her as she watch
ed Reuben's slow pen trace 1.-TWO pack
ages of best onion seed, !" and then sign
"Renben Cole" in great quivery let
ters. 1t did not write 'roses," and Le-
ah Ccle's plaintive face fell.
Reuben Cole was not deaf. None of
the Coles had ever been, even in their
eighties. 1t was matter of pride with
them all
He had heard Leah's gentle reminder
about the roses-oh, yes, but he had let
it pass unheeded, just as be had the
year before and the year before that.
Leah always put in her oar for some
foolishness like that every time he sent
off his order for seeds and berry canes.
One year it was Towering almonds an
some kind of Tartar honeysuckles. If
he got 'em once he'd have to again, and
wasn't il all he could do to manage the
garden sauce? They'd got to have that,
but they didn't got TO have a whole
mess o. bushes an Hover beds littering
up the front yard. Leah was real Gu
rious about that
The Cole farm was a prosperous one.
According TO its place in the taxgath-
erer's books, it ranked as one of the
thriftiesl in the township. There were
always the newest varieties of small
fruits in its berry patch, and the new
est kind of garden sauce in its garden.
Its field crops were fine-its level now
ing fields wonderfully productive. The
neighbors averred that they never did
see greener, heavier grass than grew in
Reuben Coles meadows, and his loads
o. hay at haying time were sights TO
behold.
But the front yard at the Coles was
barren and dismal. To be sure. there
were Leah's beds of old-fashioned flow
ers that she spaded and tended herself
with patience; but they had discourage
ed look, in spite of her care. The little
old-tine posies refused to blossom thrift
ily in such barren, undressed soil, and
r .uben could not spare any dressing
for it.
But the grass-oh, that was the worst!
Il tormented poor Leah's beauty loving
eyes summer after summer. She did so
long TO see it brilliant and carpety, like
other peoples front yard grass. Across
the street little way down the hill,
and Hobbs grass was 50 green. You
could feast your eyes on it an bury
your feet in its luxuriatin' tEiekness-
an they always kept it moved.
Leah Cole did her own front-yard
moving It was not very successful.
The day after the seed list was sent
of, Leah took her sewing out into the
yard. 1t was one of those surprisingly
warm, summery days that come some
times in early spring, and she could not
resist the temptation of IL. But she did
not sew much. She wandered wist-
fully around the big, bare enclosure,
girl in by its unkept fence. 1t took all
Reuben's time to keep the pasture
fences trim.
ITS nice shaped yard. " murmurtd d
Leah. ''It's got the possibilities in it.
Mowin' an dressin' an fixin up the
bushes an things Hand alive wonldn'I
they make it Bice7 IA like TO see il
jest once before die ?,
She went aboat picking out her