Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-04-09
A Farmers Wife.

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sz7 IL the girls declared Marion
IN would be married before any Of
the rest. But Marion only
laughed and said nonsense" Was she
not welded to her art? And did she
not scorn the masculine sex, indiyid-
hally. collectively and In the abstract?
What possible else could girl with
ideals. with an object in life, have for
. mani A life of dependence for her,
Ter world to be bounded by four
square walls? Never!
So she went on her way rejoicing,
young, beautiful and heart-whole; re-
fused the men who were unfortunate
enough to love her, laughed in their
faces. not that she was cruel by ma
ture, but their ardor amused her-she
could not understand 1t.
When June came, and the girls talk
ed over their vacations. she astonlshed
them all by quietly remarking that she
guessed she would go down to Ray
mond.
What, that pokey old placer. ex-
claimed Anna. what in the world
will you do there? Four miles from
nowhere. Why, wouldn't spend "A
week in that tumbled-down old farm
house. And then it's SO dismal, that
pine grove is enough to give one the
shudders. oh. don't go there. Marion,
come with me-"
But Marion remained firm. To Ray
mond she went. The quaint. charming
little town Of Raymond. Nesting at the
foot Of the green hills close to the bor-
ders of the beautiful Sebago Lake.
and there she met her fate. 1t ap-
peared suddenly and unexpectedly one
June morning, In the shape OF man,
overalls and a basket of setting hens.
Now II there was one thing more
than another Marion detested 1t was a
hen. and next to that farmer and far
above both she abominated overalls.
She always associated them with the
street department.
But this glorious summer morning,
as she was wheeling down a steep hill,
taking the narrow path, and keeping
well to the side Of the road to avoid the
mud. around q sharp bend she ran
bump into her fate-farmer. overalls,
setting hens, basket, wheel. and girl.
all scattered and mingled in the dust
She. woman-like. was the first to re-
cover her voice. Good gracious!
hope haven't killed you." she gasped,
rs she sat up and wiped a splotch of
mud on her nose.
He picked himself up out of the de-
bris, surveyed the wreck about him,
the wheel standing on its handle bars
in raspberry bush, the hens squawk-
Ing and futtering on the ground, the
girls sweet, flushed face beside him,
and then he threw his head back and
laughed-a deep. ringing laugh, that
floated out on the still morning air,
over the quiet waters of the lake and
took the girls heart with it. She loved
him from that moment. One swift,
furtive glance into that frank, hand
some face, and the girl knew by an
unerring instinct that he was a gen
tleman.
KILLED me. oh no. just temporarily
noorcd me. that's all. l hope you are
not hurt
81 am awfully sorry, really" Marion
began to hide her confusion. II beg a
thousand pardons"
By this time he had gotten her wheel
right side up. and without another
glance, she mounted 1t and disappeared
around the bend.
That night at the supper table when
she recounted her adventure she learn
ed who he was. Harold Martin. a
young man who had lately taken the
Martin place." n beautiful farm two
miles from Raymond. After that she
often met him and the acquaintance
90 abruptly begun ripened into friend
ship.
It was strange how the enchanting
allurements Of art and a life Of indie
pendence faded Into oblivion, how
when love and art were weighed in
the balance how much more avoirdu-
pois love seemed to have. And life on
a farm with the man you loved wasn't
half bad after all.
So one qdiet evening In September,
just as the sun was setting over Mt.
Washington, turning the silver of the
lake into flaming red and throwing a.
halo OF glowing light and color about
them. they stood together on the brow
of the hill, watching the sun set.
Marion" said Harold, suddenly,
''don't you think you could stand the
farm? / love you with all my heart
and soul, and I'll prove It to you If you
will only let me-
Maroin's eyes wandered out over the
glittering sunlit waters. out beyond the
dark purple mountains. till they rested
upon tiny star that cleaned just
where moment before the sun had
been.
Art beckoned to her with her white,
shapely hand. Just then a demure
brown biddy. scurrying homeward,
clucking to her belated brood, brushed
against her dress. With happy little
laugh, Marion stopped down and caught
up one Of the soft down little chicks.
"Oh! I don't know" she said as she
held 1t in both hands pressed against
her cheek. II might"
The last two words were SO low Har-
old had to stoop down to catch them.
Now she's farmers wife, and all
the girls are wondering what Marion
will do next.
OLD AND YOUNG.
Members of the Senate Classified Ac-
cordinK to Age.
ts,k