St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1902-12-06

o'"A AnohinS VIc BIdAueSt pocIIy
that ever was written. It's a cruel
shame of ma to keep me shut up
here doing a thing l despise."
| And now another burden was adj
ded to poor Mary Lizzie's weight of
woe. Plum time was drawing near.
With wistful eyes and longing heart
the miserable girl watched from her
window the luscious fruit slowly
ripen, and thought lovingly of their
preserving in the way her father pre-
ferred.
ut would never do to let ma touch
Them" said Mary Lizzie to herself.
"Ma would just dump them into the
kettle-leaves, stems and all-and
chance it with the sugaring and the
stewing. I just can't bear to have
anybody touch those plums but my
self"
She mentioned the matter to her
mother in her timid way, only to be
silenced by fierce: Don't You
bother your head about those plums,
Mary Lizzie! I'm not going to have
your career as a poutry-writer
blighted for all the plums in Chris
tendom! If 1 can't find time to do
them myself, I'll trade them off at
the store for goods
Trade off those precious plums
that her father loved, for kerosene,
and bars of soap, and maybe store
jam! The thought sent poor Mary
Lizzie back to her miserable task of
poetry writing, choking with tears.
ooh, let me give it up, ma! can't
write poetry!" YEARLY sighed Mary
Lizzie in reply to her mothers con-
tinual question of, ''How are you get
ting on with your poutry-writing,
Mary Lizzie?"
cts the heat" said the mother
finally, when August closed with
nothing to show for Mary Lizzie's
seclusion, except that the girl daily
looked more wilted and hopeless.
"As soon as this hot spell is over
you'll smarter right enough
"It's the noise,' said the kindly
old minister, who, during parochial
call on the Walters family had been
obliged to lift his voice above the
:: din of the baby pounding on metal
: tray with tin spoon, and the bois-
:: ferrous shouts of two small boys run
ming races over the uncarpeted floor
OF the passage-way.
: "I've been thinking of what the
minister said about your needing
quiet,'' was the mothers greeting,
when Mary Lizzie appeared in the
kitchen next morning, 80 I've had
your pa clean out the old summer
house It's dry as finder this
weather and there's no fear of any
body disturbing you out there"
So after breakfast Mary Lizzie,
with her mothers help, was installed
in the ramshackle old pavilion that
stood between the orchard and the
hayfeld. Close at hand was the
| barnyard where pa was burning a
heap of stubble.
AS soon as her mother had gone
Mary Lizzie set herself bravely to
work, as she had been doing all sum.
, mer, to make ooh, murmuring
brooks! Oh, warbling birds!" rhyme
according to the rules of poetry.
II can't do it! I can't think OF
anything but those plums!" wailec
poor Mary Lizzie, letting the pencil
drop from her weary fingers. III
another week they'll be too ripe t.
preserve, and ma will be sure tt
, trade them for store goods. Oh
why did that little baby die! Why
did I ever write that In Memoriam!
And dropping her head upon the
table, Mary Lizzie sobbed out the
aching of her troubled heart.
ooh, Mary Lizzie!" called an agi
tated voice. And into the summer
T. house burst Mary Lizzie's mother
who was painting in one excited
breath:
"Here's your Grandma Walter:
gone and scalded her foot putting
up the plums" 1 sent her last week
and she's had to take to her bed will
the stuff boiling itself all over the
place, and your Aunt Elmiry gone
to town for the day, and between M
pain in her foot and fear of losing
the plums, your Grandma Walter:
is working herself into fever, 81
YOUR Uncle Silas has driven over tt
fetch you to finish the preserving
It's dreadful, Mary Lizzie, to taxi
you away from your poutry-writing
but I can't go myself with the bah.
sick and that great stack of ironing
to finish.'
ooh, I'll go, maj" Mary Lizzie ex
r claimed, jumping up with an alacrit,
. she hadn't shown for many day
. "I'n be glad to help Grandma Wal
tiers. The change at her place w.
do me world Of good"
f "Good-by, Mary Lizzie!" called he
: father, waving his rake to the smi1
r ing figure seated by Uncle Silas
side, as the wagon drove past tn
1 barnyard gate. 'Id have come t.
l see you off, but I dasn't leave thi
e fire. Everything's so peshy dry thi
weather"
e Mary Lizzie drove back with he
uncle in the cool of, that same after
e noon. That one day of the dear, ia
3 miliar, delightful work she loved hat
t wonderfully refreshed and strength
e ened her, and the homely face undo
the little round hat was shining witt
t the light of a great resolution.
r II am going to do those plums!
Mary Lizzie was saying to herself
o with an emphasis that would hav'
a surprised her best friends. 'The.
- shall never be traded off for stor
t goods and pa shall not be cheated on
t of his favorite jam. I'll go back t.
, 49,. ,oo+,,.u-r;+;nn ,fterxpard If mi