The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-01
A CORNFlELD lDYL.
by strickland GilIilan.

eyes gazed away across the pasture fields.
The heat arising from the stone heaps made
the woody horizon waver and dance. A
quivering buzzard hung over a group of
black pines on a distant cliff crowned hill.
Slowly ard with apparent effort the boy
removed his eyes from the fascinating dis
lance and resumed his dual occupation
thinking and crumbling dry clods upon the
drops of dew he emptied on his bare feet
from the suckers" pulled from the lusty
cornstalks that lowered above his shoulders
as he sat. The thinking process was con-
Quoted in audible tones. and one hidden be-
hind a convenient corn row might have
heard this:
Les see. This Is a-Saturday an must be
bout nine o'clock. Anyhow, the freight train
jist went out. They's jist twenty-nine more
rows o. this stuff I do. an they's only one
little clean spot in it all. Scads o. pursley
in all the rows only at yon end. an in tn
third row up tn hill firm this'n they's a
oak stump list slithered tn sprouts. The
rows is shortenin' now bout two lengths o
tn hoe handle, an that makes four hoe
bout four-six more rounds-no. mebby
eight, fore dinner, an that'l leave bout
thirteen more rows. Them'l be short uns
an not very dirty. 1 en- finish EN- by half
past 1, an'-m-ml Elmer said ed waid
down by tn big sycamore"
Rising as briskly as possible with the aid
Of the hoe, he brushed the clods from his
trousers, Wake to the fence corner, took
up the e~x-paint bucket full Of lukewarm
spring water, refreshed himself with a
quart or so and vigorously resumed his
work. Below him on the steep hillside lay
the bulk of a ten-acre field of magnificent
corn that fairly rioted in the black stony
loan. But corn was not the only sort OF
vegetation that rioted there. Pursley, crab
grass, rag weeds and horse sorrel, TO say
nothing of the sprouts from various kinds
Of live tree stumps, simply reveled. For
more than a week all the spare force on the
rocky southern Ohio farm had been work
ing way on that magnificent but weed
~beleaguered field. The weed army, whose
forces were unable to rally again beneath
a scorching sun, now lay withered and dis
mantled up and down the corn-covered
slope. The corn itself was vertically romp-
ing up through the hot air. Steamy nights,
when human comfort was out of the ques-
ton, gave way to cooking s%unrises in which
enervated man was expected to eat a break
fast sufficiently large to last him through
the six hours labor until nOontime, and
found the corn grown almost out of recogni-
ton since the preceding sunset. And the
big black-green blades smiled and pushed
each other aside and chuckled in a lusty
expression of their gratitude for the very
kind of weather that suited them best.
The boy did not waste any considerable
amount of time philosophizing on the beau
ties of the field. To him it was a place of
punishment. So long as his father and
II 49, IL. 4@"lI
cut off a pursley belt six rows wide at each
round trip across the field it had not been
quite so bad, even if it had been at the
widest part OF the triangular area; but for
the last two days he had toiled alone. while
the others sharpened and repaired wheat
cradles and rakes and got ready for har-
vest. The job had appeared interminable
to him when he had stood near the chestnut
tree where the big rock jutted out. He had
leaned on his hoe handle and looked dis
consolately at the fifty or sixty rows be-
tween him and the narrow bordered rail
fence that formed his horizon a few rods
away. But often some hours spent in cal
culation and more hours spent in a vigor-
Gus welding of the hoe the goal appeared
much nearer-but yet so far. Now, how
ever, he had decided upon the exact hour
when he would finish and that made mat
tiers easier, the mental part having been
disposed of and only the physical effort re-
naming; besides, he had promised himself
q treat when the work should be finished.
Then he decided that he would further
surprise himself by finishing the work far
within the limit he had set-his physical
part should fool his mental part. Laughing
g~leefully TO himself he made his hoe fly
faster and faster. On past the bunch of
sprouts that he moved down with his
strong, stained fingers; on through the
patch of horse sorrel that delayed him ag-
gravatingly; on, on, at a furious rate, until
a hoarse whistle in the distance told him
that the IL o'clock Ohio Southern mail was
stopping at the water tank two miles away
and that he had but a short while more TO
work before dinner time. He would hoe
one more round, though. That would leave
only eight-nine rows to finish after din
ner and they were short, almost to insig-
nificance.
A still holder coup suggested itself. He
would stay here and finish the field and
have to be called to dinner, thus breaking
his field record in a manner that would
cover him with a cloak of glory sufficiently
thick TO hide a multitude of past sins. OF
course the fact that he would thus get to
go swimming sooner was hardly a secon-
dairy consideration. On, on he worked until
his shadow was so short that he could
step beyond its limit, and the palsied heat
shook upward toward the pale blue, cloud
dotted sky, on until but two short rows
separated him from the shackly fence. Then,
as he started for the last round, he heard
g shrek from the summit of the BUSH
crowned hillock that lay between him and
the house. The Shrek took on a semblance
to his name and as he glanced up he saw
a calico-clad figure under a summer bon
ct turned in his direction. He replied with
a whoop and again came the shrek:
Dinner! We've been waitin' it for half
an houri'
We'll, go head an eat. I'm not comm
now tn I'm done. TIL only be a few min
utes."
Then. with a boyish sanguineness that
believes no one penetrates a double pur-
pose, the lad attacked furiously the rem
nant of his stint.
In an almost incredibly short time he fin
ished, gave a triumphant yell that could
have been heard far across the high-walled
valley and along the ribbon-like dust
streaks that pass Tor roads in that section,
got his water vessel from the fence corner
and started for home. Glad as he was to
leave the field he could not resist the temp
tation to stop for a moment and gloat over
the yanQuished field. where the victorious