Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1901-10-24
LISBON HOLLOW.
BY Ethel Harrington.
Nooosoocsoaooooooosoo

hWHl, Liphe, you've made a mis-
Wy take way back in the yer,
beginning. Here il is. Fifteen an,
seven aren't twenty-one. are they2'
Il don't know, Livy, I'm sure. Ii
you tell me they're ninety-one II
take your word for it. I haven't any
brains of my own tonight. I'm too
tired"
"Oh, well, III help you. then. Let's
do 1t over together. Come. let me
take your pencil"
Il can't do any mere tonight, Livy;
l can't"
Livy Lanham looked up startled.
for 'Liphe's voice was not quite
steady.
Are you sick?" she asked. anx-
iously. He shook his head.
NO; only tired. 1 guess it's no use.
Livy; l guess you'll have to give me
up"
But | WON'T" she exclaimed.
You'll have to, il give up myself.
It's more than can do, working and
studying both. / shall be down sick
II 1 go on; I'm all used up now: I'm
not myself 1 feel like a girl be-
heve could put my head on a cush-
Ion and cry, if l hadn't sense enough
left TO be ashamed. l must drop one
thing or the other, and the farm
can't be dropped. So" He broke
on. and they were both silent.
The farm could not be dropped, in
deed. 1t was the poorest farm in Nor
ley, but what came from il, together
with Joseph Lanham's meager pen
sion, was all the little family of
three had TO live upon. The father.
sickly and slightly crippled. did the
cooking and what odd jobs he could
within doors and without; Livv. a
slim, brown girl of sixteen, sewed and
attended TO other household matters:
and upon 'Liphe, sturdy youth not
quite two years older, fell the main
burden of labor on the farm.
He was a strong, steady, intelligent
young fellow, who worked hard and
managed better than could have
been expected at his age. He was
sweet-tempered and patient, too. and
made few complaints of the hard lot
TO which he felt that honor and duty
held him. One thing only had dis
tressed him-the interruption of his
education.
he had been a good student, but
two years before he had had 10 leave
school 10 take the place at home of
an elder brother who died, and there
seemed no chance of his ever being {
able 10 return. But Livy had kept
on going 10 school, for she was 10 :
be teacher when she was old
enough. and this year, her own learn I
ing having reached point at which I
Liphe's had been broken OFF. she I
had taken him for her first pupil. and /
taught him in the evening what she '
herself learned in the daytime.
This she had faithfully done during d
he fall and winter. tired as she often /
vas after her two miles tramp TO b
chool and back over the snowy coun- I
ry roads. But now April had come. I
with it an illness of several h
weeks for the father. who was ALWAYS h
Hing in the spring, and under the a
ripple burden of trying TO be at once &
tudent, farmer and nurse, Iiphe s.
cit himself breaking down. As
either the farm nor his father could q
e neglected, he must give up his C
tudies.
Livy was the first to speak: eff we d
ould only hire a man." II
II know. But we can't" 10
NO" she assented sorrowfullv. / a.
he added, with a burst of indignant nj
espair, THAT horrid, horrid earth NJ
nake! Why couldn't il have spoiled an
'mebody else's property and swaI- fo
WED some othG potato patch a 81
indred years ago? Then we'd have 81
Id farm worth having! Great as
'an'ther Lanham had six men 10 ey
lip with il, and we can't even have an
lie! Oh, dear!" of
She took her candle and went IN
owly TO her room, with a plying ~
he in her heart. 1t was so hard pr
r Liphe. IL had been some COM wi
ri hitherto 10 feel that she was co
lping him. but now she could not he
en- do that Her pillow was damp wa
fore she fell asleep ad
The next day was "A holiday on ac- sci
int OF teachers meeting; and in ~
, morning early Liyy was on her
y 10 the Whispering Rock, with JOY
eel OF books in her hand II sta
threatened rain the day before if