The Saint Paul globe., 1902-02-01

Copyright, 1902, by Daily Story Pub. Co.
1t was Sunday in Minnesota-a Sun
day afternoon in mid-August. The bright
sunshine glittered upon the waving grain,
the grasses nodded under the soft, amor
Gus kisses of the rowing breeze; the heat
arose in quivering lines from the dust
that lay thick upon the main travelled
road, where a man stood looking over
fence-gaZing meditatively across the
broad acres of ripening grain outstretch-
ed before him.
"All will bane mine SOON day." he
chuckled, mine and Christina 81
Christina! How the name brought the
blush to mis- cheek and the brightness
to his eyes. In fancy he saw her stand
ing on the dock at Stockholm, waving a
farewell to him as the great steamer bore
him away, perhaps forever, from his ma
= tive land.
He had watched her from the deck as
long as he could see the flutter of her
handkerchief. There had been a lump in
his throat and a loneliness in his heart
and he had noticed that her handker-
chief was several times lifted to her
eyes.
At last she had become but an indis-
tinct speck in the blurred distance and
he had turned away with a sigh And
the next day he had gazed resolutely
across the Atlantic, towards that won
derful promised land to which he was
bound-America.
That was six years ago. And he had
improved every golden moment of those
six years. With other emigrants from
his beloved Sweden, he had drifted TO
the Northwest, where the soil was fer
tile and cheap, where crops were large
and prosperity was the rule, and not
the exception.
For two years he had toiled for others
living frugally, saving every cent pos
sible.- And after two years he had leas-
ed small farm, investing his savings
IN live stock and farming machinery.
and he had prospered
He did not mind that his acquafntances
laughed at his rude endeavors and mock
1ngly called him ''Yohn,'' in imitation of
his own attempts to adjust his tongue
to the English language. They were good
neighbors, kind, considerate and accom-
modating, and he never lost his temper,
never showed offense at their apparent
rldicule, but was ever ready to lend a
helping hand when assistance was need
ed
Once, when Sam Jennings, a neighbor,
was severely injured in a runaway, he
had ridden twenty miles for a doctor,
and had spent the remainder of the night
at the unfortunate mans bedside COM
forting the wife and children and doing
all that was possible to relieve the suf-
fering of his neighbor
And, after that, he had assisted Mrs.
Jennings in working the farm until such
time as the husband was able to resume
his work. And when Jennings had Of
fered to pay him for his services he had
refused to accept a cent. 'Ay only do
may duty, Mr.. JENNINGS he said.
To his other neighbors, for miles
around, John Larson had been likewise
kind and helpful. and so it was that,
while they laughed and called him
"Yohn," they respected him most highly.
For three years Larson worked the
rented farm, toiling, saving. denying him
self that some day he might possess land
of his own and have Christina-dear,
true, patient Christina-with him.
Finally he had contracted for farm
of 12O acres. The small cash payment he
was required to make had nearly wiped
| out his savings in the village bank, leav-
| ing but little in the fund which he had
intended to send to Christina to brl- : her
| to America.