Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-06-06
Mr.. Perkins Farming.
BY CLARA AUGUSTA.

ffT IFE in the country is a dream of
l. perpetual happiness So read
the newspaper extract that Harry
was so much impressed by it that he
read it aloud to his wife along with
the half column of similar sentiments
which followed it.
Evidently, the writer had become
enamored to farm life, in theory if
not in practice.
Now, Anna" said Mr.. Perkins,
crossing his legs and throwing him
self back in his chair, as he invari-
ably did when he was commencing
an argument, "that sounds promis-
ing! That fellow knows what he is
talking about. And you know how
we have always thought we should
enjoy the country. Fresh milk, that
has not passed through the milkman's
manipulations; butter, golden as but
tercups: Strawberries every morning
for breakfast; chickens of ones own
raising; honey fresh from the comb:
pure air and water; natural society,
no gossip. Anna, the experiment is
worth trying"
But, Henry, you have a good stu
alton. and the children are at school,
and you don't know anything about
farming!"
DO you take me for a fool, Anna
Perkins?" cried her husband, indig-
nantly. "Don't you suppose I have
got brains enough to learn, if indeed
there is anything to learn? Don't
you think / am as bright a man, nat
uraIly, as old Ducy, who brings us
our cabbages, or the red-haired milk
man who brings butter and eggs and
charges five per cent. more for them
because he knows they are fresh?
Humphl freshl IF he knows they are,
it IS more than we know when we
come to use them"
"Oh, of course, Henry: you know
enough in your way" said his wife.
"But it don't to me that you
can know much about farming, hav-
ing never had any experience"
"I can learn. Anybody can learn
in two weeks time as much as any
of those old rural elodhoppers know,
and / have a mind to try it. It would
be good for the children. The change
of air would benefit my lungs, and
you would get fat. Anna, on the new
milk and the good things generally"
Mrs. Perkins shook her head doubt
fully, but Perkins was sanguine, and
that very day he saw a real estate
agent who had for sale a farm so
nearly approaching the condition of
the Garden of Eden, before it be-
came infested with snakes, hat Per-
kins went out t. look at it, and con-
cluded to invest $4,000 in it.
Real estate" said the agent sis by
all means the safest of investments.
Railroad bonds are ticklish, savings
banks are risky because Canada is so
near, and it takes a small fortune to
buy a 500 government bond; and as
for mining stocks-why, a man must
be mad as a March hare to think of
themi But real estate, my dear sir
real estate is right there every time!
It can't be stolen, and you have got
il where you can see it. And farm
ing is the noblest and most independ-
ent life in the world"
Mr.. Perkins became the proprietor
of Walnut Dell farm, and took his
family thither. Why it was called
ssWalnut Dell" it would have puzzled
a philosopher to determine, since the
nearest approach to a walnut tree on
the premises was q horse-chestnut,
which looked as if the 'sere and yell
low leaf had overtaken it in it's
prime. It had a discouraged appear
ance, and so had everything else
about Walnut Dell farm. But this
zoe oyvino Mr. Perkins informed his
wife. to the fact that, since the owner
died two years ago, the place had
been rented: and it was a well-knovvn
truth that nobody eve took much in
terest in a place which was hired.
.4NVe1l soon slick 1t up and make
things boom!" said Perkins, rubbing
his hands. you'll have a flower
Garden on the lawn, Anna, and [
shall raise peas and cueumbers and