Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1899-08-17

She worked early and late, however,
to eradicate the tenacious interlopers,
and finally succeeded in accomplishing
her task. When 10! one unlucky night
Farmer NubSins' pigs forced their
way through broken panel of the
fence and played havoc among the
growing crops.
Small wonder, indeed, if our heroine
lost her temper at last and pelted
those pigs with clods, or whatever
came handiest, and even whacked one
of them acI oss the snout with the
hoe handle.
But with all her efforts it was late
in the day when the last one of the
marauders was disposed of and the
fence patched up, after fashion,
will say here, in parenthesis, that
do believe woman could vote, and
even make laws, and execute them,
too, as we'll as a man, under some cir
cumstances. When say ''under some
circumstances" mean if she were
not hampered by prejudiced and un-
reasonable colleagues. But when it
comes to patching rail-fences. the
least said about woman's capabilities
the better).
However, Miss Ferobia's workman
ship, if not exactly artistic, was suffi-
GENTLY ingenious to prevent further
inroads in that direction.
But for some reason, from that
time on the Fates seemed to turn a
cold shoulder on her efforts.
The rabbits feasted on her early
York cabbages and marrowfat peas, the
her cucumbers and Cassava melons,
the Colorado beetle devastated her
potatoes, and the squash bugs ate up
her Boston marrows and ratty-pan
squashes. The foxes, minks, owls
and hawks, to say nothing of opossums
and weasels, thinned the ranks of her
young Dorkings and Plymouth Rocks;
and, to make matters worse, her COW
TUNED out to be Jumper" and
trouble on her mistress by daily raids
ON Farmer Nubbins' cornfeld.
This was the last straw, and, like
the mythical camel, Miss Ferobia
broke down under it.
"Ihere amt no use a-tryin', as I
see," she lamented dolefully as she
set out her one cup and saucer, in
readiness for her tea. "a lone
woman don't have no chance at all.
An here I've spent all my money, an
my garden amt wuth shucks. And
Timothy, he'll say he told me how
'twould be, and that I'd better o. mar
ried Jason Smallweed. And / almost
b'lieve-I-would- No, 1 wouldn't,
either. I won't take up with a crooked
stick, if 1 be nearly through the
woods"
"Evenin', Miss Feroby, interrupted
CHEEKY voice, and there, framed in
the doorway, stood Felix Byetield, a
smile Frightening his honest, sun
Drowned face.
Miss Ferobia shook hands with her
visitor, and drew forth chair for
him, with secret fluttering at her
heart as she remembered her sister-in-
laws insinuation.
But Felix was evidently bent on
making himself agreeable.
can SO you've struck out for your
SELF" he observed. "Gittin' along
first rate, opine. You must show
me your garden.
81 haven't got no garden, an you
sha'n't see it," declared Miss Ferob:a,
inconsistently. 'It's all choked up
with weeds-I couldn't keep 'em out.
An what with the bugs, an the rab-
bits an pigs, I amt got cabbage
head left skeercely."
''Sho' now, you don't say! Why. if
that amt too bad" responded Felix,
sympathetically.
San the varmints has took all my
young chickens, continued Miss Fero-
bia. "An' Farmer Nubbins is a-goin'
to shoot my COW, an am"
The thought of all her woes was too
much for her, and she began to sob
hysterically.
"Don't cry, Miss Feroby; please
don't" urged Felix. "He shan't
shoot your COW, promise you"
But Miss Ferobia shook her head
and dried her eyes on the corner of
her apron.
"I'll sell the cow" she declared, So
berly. San Til go an hire out
somewhere. can cook if 1 can't
make garden"
"Nc need to hire OUT" put in Felix,
eagerly. 'I-want somebody to cook
fur me. Say you'll marry me, Fero-
by"
But Miss Ferobia in her surprise
stared at him, then hung her head,
blushing like girl.
cts so-sudden, she whispered.
sWhat's the odds?" asked Felix,
boldly. 81 wanted you long ago, only
I couldn't somehow git the courage to
ask you. Say yes, won't you, Feroby?"
And after little more urging Miss
Ferobia did say yes, and felt very we'll
contented with her future prospects, in
spite of her weedy garden.
Timothy will say the truck bust
ness was failure after ALL" she re-
fected, as she washed up her supper
dishes az night, with very light