The Van Buren press., 1899-02-04

IT WAS the ideal place for summer
holiday pleasant old farm with a
Ted roof. where liehens grew in patches
e yellow. and the stoneerop and house
leek in patches Of green; house with
iane. toy rooms, elbow grease. and beds
whose coarse homespun linen sheets
kmeIt Ct lavender.
There were. indeed, two lavender
bushes In The garden, a. well as roses
ard stocks. sweet eloye-pinks and -oid
1Han.- The farm was stocked with IN
fHrssting i've creatures-eoWs. pigs.
chickens, turkeys. and pigeons; there
we're sheep doftIng the downs behind
the house, ard from the front windows,
aeross The orchard. where the apples
we're bzginnIag 70 grow hard and
round. tou could see The long. shining.
hue line G The sea-
Mabel Rosc0mmou liked that sea lire.
rnd she liked The garden, the orchard.
ard The resf q it-aII ont the turkeys.
Ere uas little afraid OF these. because
she uas b profession 3 high school
teacher and had bean taught how to
manage children. b.t not how TO man
age furkeys-sn art. by the way, much
simpler Now she had come 10 the
farm for her summer holidays To be
alone was new to her. for she was one
of large family; and 10 be for whole
weeks in this country was new to her,
too. for she had never before been near
tn 10 fsar L ~
The down country was to her a reve-
laiion.
She had big sitting-room to herself
and shared the simple meals of the
farmer and his wife. The laborers and
the maids ate at the lower end of the
long table. Mabel thought it was such
a nice plan-it reminded her somehow
OF the feudal system. The dignified
simplicity of farm life appealed 10 her.
Gradually a passion Of love awoke in
her for the little. ordinary, useful
everyday things-the needful work re-
psated at The appropriate hour, the
changing magic OF morn and noon and
evening. the restful distances of down
and sea, the intimate fairgrounds Of
hedge and orchard. At first she read
good deal. but gradually more and more
time was spent with Mrs. Fry. Mabel
followed her in and out to the dairy, 10
the kitchen. to feed the pigs. 10 collect
the eggs And the eyes OF the faded
nsiddle-aged woman grew tender,
though her words were always the ex-
planatory commonplace or the mourn
ful biographical.
But one day-it was the day when
Miss R0seommon first churned the but
ter-Mrs. Fry sighed and said:
My little Alice would ha' been about
your age II she'd lived. own should
ha' dearly 10 ha' taught her 10 churn."
II was that night that Mabel kissed
Mrs. Fry when she said goodnight"
and almost wished as she crept be-
tween the cold. lavender sheets. that she
Rad been born a farmers daughter.
She had discovered her vocation. 1t
was not teaching. as she had steadfast-
Is believed. nor literature. as she had
secretly dreamed; her true vocation
WAS the pastoral life-not 10 forget
The great life OF the world the hurry
aud hustle. the cleyerness and bravery.
The wise and the great; not to forget
them-to honor them from afar, but
10 take no further part in the strife ard
struggle Of strenuous life; to watch il
from the safe haven of the little life, the
quiet, ordered, placid life of the farm.
This was her yocation-her fate was
high school teaching.
When Robert Fry CAME home-the
only son Of his mother, The farmers
Nife-Mabel shared in the hustle of
glad preparation that heralded his
coming. He was in business in Lon
don. but be was coming home for his
holiday. bis mother said.
But he hates the business. " she went
or. He got a scholarship to go TO Ok
ford. for he's very clever. my dear; but
Il was not enough 10 keep him there.
anl Il was the year We did so badly
with the wheat, so father couldn't spare
enough 10 let him go; so then Bob gave
in and said: All right, III 20 into
business. for I don't want 10 STAY a:
farming So his uncle took him into
the maniles. where he might be doing
well; but ! wish he'd never goue 10
school. I do. then he'd a-been content
10 stay and help his father about the
old p,aee that's belonged 10 the Frvs
no one knows how long Non eau see
their l-zmes in the ehurchy ard"