The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1903-09-24

Grant Of Sentimentality; yet in this
retroSpectiOn his thoughts dwelt with
singular persistence upon certain
morning in having season long ago
when pretty Mary Moore had come to
help his mother cook for the hay hands
He recalled the jealous pang with
which he saw the young minister drive
Mary to the door-for Jason Grant,
hardworhing. ciose-handed. grasping
was never given to sentiment. But
twenty years made 4 difference; and
he had been at that time what most
| Of the other farmer boys were-even
though every one thought him wrapped
up in landgetting and money-making.
How we'll lie remembered that day.
He had made numerous trips, neces-
sary and unnecessary, from hay field
to house, just for word with Mary
Moore. or for glimpse of her plump
form and blooming face. The picture
that rose oftenest before him was that
of Mary, framed by the doorway, smil-
ing upon him as he turned away with
the hammer for which he had made
one Of those unnecessary trips. That
smile had made his heart beat like 4
hammer Of another sort-foolish fel-
low!
All, me! he could see it all in detail
the yellow farmhouse with green shut
ters, the "leanto" for tools, the bench,
the grindstone. the scythe. the garden
rake, the wood-pile with the axe in the
old stump. the well-sweep, beyond the
! stretch of orchard fence, the barn,
fswallow-circled, AMI the fast-multiply.
: ing stacks of emerald hay.
Jason, the only SOD, had inherited
the Grant homestead; and Mary Moore
had been wise, from the worldly point
of view, in accepting his hand, grasp.
! ing though it was, rather than that of
| the young minister. which had been
offered her on that very mornings
drive.
1t was more the spirit of innate CO.
quetry that prompted her to inform the
reticent young farmer Of the honor
proffered her by the minister; though
Jason Grant, during the sober second
thought following the arduous insist
ence Of his own proposal, came to the
conclusion that the information had
been vouchel him in order to bring
him to the point.
His father had for. some time had
his business eye upon a rich bottom
land ranch. all entire section, six hun
dred and forty, goodly acres, wooded,
watered and gently sloping, and lying
in the inevitable path of the much
talked-of branch road from seat to seat
of the adjoining counties. When old
Ranchman Grant came to his last ILL.,
ness, shortly before his sons wedding.
he confded to the prospective bride
groom that the coveted ranch could
be had upon small payment, and by
assuming the heavy, though long-tim
mortgage held by eastern parties; and
that the requirement of it was worth
even the postponement of the we'd
ding.
But love is love; his blundering pro-
posal was made, and the marriage
celebrated shortly after the old father
had been laid to rest. 1t was not un-
til the wedding day that the young
ranchman told his bride of the pro-
posed purchase Of the Lower Ranch.
that it would require all lis ready
money for the first payment, and that
they would have to defer their intend
ed wedding tour to the State capital.
Instead, she might accompany him to
the county seat, where he must 90 to
fix up the transfer of the mortgage.
So Mrs. Jason Grant-how proud
she was Of the new name-informed
her friends and the minister-who had
the grace to hide his disappointment
and oficiate at the wedding-that for
the present "my husband and me-
would journey to the county-seat and
stop at the best hotel till my hus-
bands" business was settled, that of
buying six hundred and forty acres OF
the richest bottom-land in the country;
that later they would build fine
house on their new ranch, and move
there; and that they would go on their
wedding trip in the fall.
Needless to say, that wedding tour
was never taken. So this was the first
Of long series of credits to Mary
Grant in her account with the Lower
Ranch. That fall her health was not
the best; by spring, baby Ruben came,
and the multiplication Of household
cares tied her to the home ranch. But
Mary was young and strong, and like
any other loving woman, centred her
heart in her husband, home and baby,
sang about her work, and laughed
down any mention of a wedding tour.
There were so many other things she
wanted more; a baby-carriage, some
new clothes, and an ingram carpet
for the best room. But her mother-in-
law said she had raised one son and
six daughters without a baby carriage;
that the wedding clothes could be
made over, and that rag-carpets ought
w UC 5SOS CAIouSA Iol AO1 AlCtS "1NSS.
When Mary appealed to her hus-
band, he said gravely that he feared
she'd have to wait awhile. as the semi
annual payment on the Lower Ranch
was about due, and he hardly knew
how he was to meet it without sacri-
fcing some hogs on the then low mar
ket. Then Mary, in burst of gener-
osity, said he must do nothing Of the
sort. He should have her butter and
egg income, which was no little. So
she continued to carry her heavy baby,
made over her meagre wedding outfit,
and spent the evenings tearing and
sewing carpet-rags.
That fall the old mother died, and
the funeral expenses consumed much
of the money saved toward the winter
payment on the Lower Ranch: New
winter clothes were not to be thought
of; the butter and egg income con-
tinued to flow into the Lower Ranch
fund, and by spring Mary was asking
a quarter at time for thread and
other necessities. Still she was proud