The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-07-05


terest in place which was hired.
''Well soon slick it up and make
things boom!" said Perkins, rubbing
his hands. You'll have a fowe--
garden on the lawn, Anna, and I
shall raise peas and cucumbers and
celery, andy George! We'll send
some in to Brown! Brown has
laughed at the idea of 1Ay turning
farmer, and l shall make him laugh
on the other side of his face!"
1t was early in April when Mr.. Per-
kins took possession of his estate,
and he set at once to work to get
things in trim.
He bought horse and hired an
Irishman, and the two set about
ploughing the ground for the early
vegetables. But the horse did not be.
lieve in early vegetables He pre-
ferred to stand still and chew his bit
and stamp his forefeet viciously and
let the plow rest in the furrow. Per-
kins eXerted his powers of persua-
sion, but all in vain. The horse only
planted his feet more firmly and dc.
L
tried the whip. The Irishman tried
profanity. The animal was proof
against both. Perkins took him by
the bit and offered to help him by
pulling with all his might at his head.
The horse declined the offer with
thanks.
The sun was hot, mosquitoes were
,N1n f,,l otfnn1ol CT inf1 r.
business. The ncighbors gathered TO
see the circus, and brought their dogs
with them. All of them-eXcept the
dogs-gave some advice. A good deal
of it was tried and proved Intellectual,
At last Perkins got mad and indulged
in some forcible remarks. Mrs. Per
kins, with the baby in her arms, ap.
peared on the scene, and asked Per
kins what he thought of himself for
giving way so, and she asked him
where he expected to go when he
died, both of which conundrums
| only made him the madder.
"Prick his hind leg with a penlnife, -
said an old teamster, who was pass
ing by with a load of fence-rails, and
CllHlbeu ONcT tHe lellcc 10 see "ldt
was going on. "Never knowed that
TO fail to start en-"
And Perkins priclied the hind leg
as directed. The effect was electrical
The horse elevated his heels, gave Il
snort. and plunged off down the field
and Perkins went up in the air as il
4 shot from pop-gun, and came down
| in ditch n rod off, and was hauled
out by the crowd. half suffocated with
| the muddy water. The horse kept
| right on till he came to stone wall
| where he left the plow and struck q
/ bec-line for the barn of his former
owner, where he brought up all right
in due time, sweaty, but triumphant.
| Perkins gave his original propr;,
etor $40 to take him back, and hired
/ his plowing done. He considered ii
| cheaper.
/ lie bought some books on farming
| and worked by their instructions. He
/ did not take any stock in the advice
of the old hayseedy fellows who lived
around in that vicinity; he believed
{ in science.
1 lie planted his early beans and peas
and corn. and every day he went to
see if they were coming up. At last
/ he was rewarded by seeing the first
/ green shoots of the peas, and the mex:
day the ground began to crack open
| and rise up, and 10, the beans ap
/ peared
/ But what was Perkins consterna.
| tion TO perceive that the beans them.
selves-the beans he had planted
had come right out of the ground on
/ top of the shoots!
lie told his wife about IL. with grea;
distress of mind.
1T must be that / put too much
blown them right out of the earth
Now. those beans should have stayed
IN the ground for the plants to have
rooted in and got their nourishmen.
from. That's the natural way oi
things. And all can do is TO set EN-
out right side down; but it'll be n
tormented hard iob!"
"ril help you" said the dutifn
/ wife. "Ne'u take il early in tn,
morning. while II is cool, and before
anybody gets around. | wouldn't lei
Patrick know anything about it, II
were you for II might make hin
have hess respect for you. lie would
think that YOU did not know how I,
plant thiags."
So. iu the early morning. MIR. Per
kins and his wife went out into the
iirld and began transplanting tn,
beams and sticking the bean end dowr
into the ground.
Of course. one can never do any
thing privately Il one tries, and olt
Farmer iunes cut across lots. from
driving oxen or 10 pasture, and cam,
doWu upun Perkins and his wife he
fore fhes saw him.
what in natur' are you two ado
ing9F asked b.. turning over his Quif
uEa addinr a fresh morsel Of tobaecs
to h. by way ~ assisting his under
standing
MS my bssns had q little tos
mueh phosphate Be- she hiils,H STAN
uirrsd rsrkins ~sud thry eame a.
vrone end Hrsf. snd Ne thought wc%
so 'en dowu right"
~tand of Ooshent- said Farurl
1onss. "SgrauEe fhat folks can n.
ao t'arnal srcrni Why. BEANS allies,
come up chat waY Whrre have -,
hrcn aii YuuF hfe that you don
know hraua
NJ tvfklns ncver Nkesl to heaF anF
thing airuat hfaHs affrraarfii bat al
fNe f.if 1...z.ls...ra - fhs ft4fs.s.s Ftaf