Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-05-13
South Branch Farm
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l {rDHE Taneys had lived on the
I'll South Branch Farm since colony
times, and no Taney had ever
cheated man Of a cent. They lent
40 money, and they borrowed none;
they never sat at any mans table, or
asked guest to theirs.
The fancy pew-a front one-was
dlled every Sunday, come rain or
shine. Mrs. Taney, middle-aged
woman, with her gray hair in tight
little knot behind, and wearing the
same rusty black gown and bonnet
for q dozen years, was always, like
the others present But sometimes
she was asleep. For this was the
one hour In the week when she could
sit down on q cushion, and fold her
hands. The air was warm; the music
soft aAd sweet; no wonder she slept.
Sometimes the words that We're read
stirred her soul; it seemed as If her
childhood woke, as If the tears must
come to her long dry eyes. But they
never did. By the time she had walk
cd home with her son William, the
strange story Of Bethlehem, or heav-
snly glory to come, had faded into a
doubtful dream, and all that was real
was the South Branch farm, the price
of pork, or the fall In potatoes. After
church, dinner must be ready, Dipping
hot, too, on account Of the boarder), in
half an hour; then she had the sheep
to look after, and the poultry to feed;
then supper; then milking. The Ia
neys had never kept any "help." Mrs.
fancy had brought up six children,
been sole cook, seamstress, tailor and
dairy maid; yet her husband, old Ben,
always had said:
"Sarahs not a capable woman. No
fancy blood in her."
Ben had been dead five years; but
his wife went on, carrying a growing
load, on the back which lacked bone.
William was a harder task maker than
bis father had been; the very oxen
telt the lash oftener, and their corn
tell off one-half. He sat in the kitch-
en- now, with book before him, while
his mother and youngest sister, Lefty,
were cooking supper.
Take that butter off of the table"
he said suddenly. "Molasses will do.
What are you cooking meat for? It's
not necessary. Put it back in the
cellar"
Yes, William" replied the mother,
submissively. "Only thought the
boarder-"
I'VE can't afford to feed him like
lord You'll have to exercise econo-
my, mother, l can't always be here
to look after things. How can l ever
pay for the meadow lots, If the money
Is thrown about in this way?
Mrs. Taney forgot to eat her bread
DR. drink her milk. The meadow lots!
It was to buy these lots that her hus-
band had made their lives bare, and
bard, and wretched, from their we'd
u1ng-day. The good, wholesome prod
uce of the farm, which should have
Ted the children, had gone to market,
while they ate the refuse; the money,
which should have educated them, had
been put in the bank to buy these lots.
When her baby was ILL., no doctor was
orought, and the child died; the money
saved went to the lots; the mother had
begged for head-stone for the grave.
There was Lefty, growing to be a
woman, half-clothed, without a spar
kle of fun or pleasure to tighten her
young life; while poorer girls dressed
and went out, and had company, and
6n5oyed, as the young should, days
ulIed with comfort and happiness. Ev-
ery penny thus saved, William laid by
tor "the lots" Yes! those twelve
acres had come to be the absolute
God for these people. Not a happy
tife, nor God. nor heaven.
After supper his mother followed
him out.
W1liam," she said, desperately
now many years will It be before you
can buy the lotsr
Yearsi The lotsr" In unfeiRned