River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-05-09

took lest as good care as common
Of the farm fowls-the partnership
ones yes, more than common. an it
seemed as if they never done so well.
There wuz plenty of eggs fur the gro
Gerry bill an lots Of chickens.
! he'd good luck all the season. an
the turkeys an chickens in the or
chard wuz somethin' to be proud Of.
Thanksgivin' time | he'd lot of tur-
keys an big ROSTERS to sell. Elna-
than wanted to take them TO town
fur me, but l telled him 1 would take
them myself. Then he said:
On go with you, Sarah Ann, cause
I want the money fur the next paw
ment on Bakers land"
"Where's the cattle an hogs YOU
was goin' to sell?" | axed.
"Oh, Pm not quite ready to sell. an
when / am, that kin go in the bank
toward what 1 am layin' by fur a
rainy day"
The time he'd come. The clock Of
Destiny he'd struck, an l struck, too.
| wuz calm outside, fur ] wuz battlin'
fur duty an justice-duty to Malvinv,
an my own rights to my own airniu s.,
As / said, l wuz calm outside, out
inside I wuz worked up to the pint
that / felt l could be eloquent an
convincin. Leastways, l wuz deter
mined that afore [ got through Elna-
than Jacobs should be convinced that
nF III
ness.
He wuz a settin' in his roclzin' cheer,
with the hen-feather cushion in II he
likes so well, while I lowered over
him in my consciousness of right
am mejum tall.
"Elnathan," says l, them turkeys
an chickens in the orchard are mine.
You amt got a lean-to on 'em at all.
Did you make the bread that Armed
the money that bought the eggs?
Wuz it your back that ached a knead-
in it, when you wuz all wore out
with your own home work? Wuz it
your hands that turned it out of the
oven, light an white, an sweet
smellin'? No, sir! did it all myself.
an whatever comes from that work is
goin' down into my pocket!
Elnathan hedn't never seen me so
cantankerous. In a soft meachin'
tone, coaxin' like, he said:
why, Sary Ann, amt this farm
our'n? Amt your name onto the deed
as well as mine? Didn't we arm it to-
gether?"
yes" 1 said in a tone that made
him scringe, eve did airn it together.
1t wuz my hard work along with
your hard work that bought 1t. But
you alters talk of my farm my cat
tie my hogs If l ak you for cent
over what win keep us barely decent,
or make home pleasant and conven-
lent, you say you can't afford to give
it to me. But you kin afford ma
chimes fur maxim your part of the
work easy, you kin afford fine cattle
an hogs. You see this house IS mine
as we'll as your'n. The money, the
crops and stock brings is mine as
web as your'n, but you keep back my
share. Partnership means both sides.
Where is the COW and the six hogs
my father gave me on our weddin'
day? The calves an pigs hev never
brought me a cent to use as I please.
You claimed them all, an the money
went where you chose to hev 1t go"
Elnathan opened his mouth in sur
prise. I couldn't help thinkin' of
b9ry +ba p.;4;elare ,,,,,r4 -. fa14 =
the Declaration of Independence. I
knew very we'll how the colonies felt.
But mine wuz just bein' declared, an
l proceeded to go on.
This house mine as we'll as
yourn accordin' to your own tellin'
is goin' to be fixed up pleasant an
comfortable. These turkeys an chick
ems will do part OF the fiXin' up.
When you sell your cattle an hogs,
the price of the best steer an six
hogs is comm to me. After this. I
will hey a share in the profits or know
the reason why"
! stood there, calm as an iceberg,
an determined as an iron wedge. Ny
eye pierced Elnathan, fur he wriggled
uneasily. My marble look impressed
him, as I meant it should.
"Hain't I bin a good wife," l went
on. "Hain't l done my share? Look
at these hands, all rough, an brown,
an horny. A woman works more
hours in a day than man. Hasn't
she a right to a fair share Of what
she airns?"
wuz gettin' sorry fur Elnathan.
He looked as if an airthquake he'd
skaired him an shull him all to pieces.
But l dissent give in till I he'd won
the battle. I waited a minute or two
an then axed in solemn tones
"Elnathan Jacobs, air them turkeys
an chickens mine-or your'n?"
1t wus powerful hard fur him to
give up. But my eye wuz on him, an
the hole it made in his feelin's kept
gittin' bigger an bigger. l stood ST.
lent. lettin' the idee work in his mind.
The stiffness worried him. fur he
wriggled wus than ever an the clock
licked so loud it seemed to be sayin':
"Mine-your'n! Mine your'n."
At last he stopped wrigglin', an
a pleasant look stole into his face.