Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1905-11-17

grew to hate Georgia with an intense,
passionate hate when she fancied that
her children were not accorded equal
honor with other children OF her
neighbors. It was all a misfit. Had
the people known her, had she let
them know her as she was, could they
have understood that intense ambi-
ton, that love and pride that drove
her to work in the field beside her.
husband, they might have shuddered,
but they would at least have done her
honor and classed her among the
saints and martyrs. ~ 5..,.4-~z, .;1s II.
And so 1t turned out that one day a
newspaper from "home" came to her
Fand in it an advertisement OF 40.acre
farm for sale. The land was mostly
cleared, the soil was rich, there was
small house upon it and a stable.
There were fences and apple trees.
The price of it was only $1,7O0 and
part of the money could remain for a
long time upon the land.
That farm coming up before their
exiled eyes made them homesick with
an intense longing. Red clover grew
upon that land, and bluegrass, and
apple trees, and what a garden one
could have In Minnesota! And one
could work there without that languor
stealing over him. Well, rightly or
wrongly, they sold, or gave away their
Georgia farm lit was but a small bit
Of land) and put the money in the
farm in Minnesota, their old home
state. But when they had done this
they had no money left with which to
move. Mary skirmished around and
sold part of her furniture to get pas
sage money for her children, herself
and her husband. And in the day
coach they went back to Minnesota,
most Of the children riding free. That
is the one redeeming thing about an
American railway: it carries free the
babies. And sometimes they remain
babies to quite an age, in journeying!
When they at last landed at the
village where near by their farm
should be it was glad moment. The
farm proved all they had hoped The
house was small, and the dooryard
weedy, but the apple trees were there,
and from the looks Of the weeds the
soil must be good 1t was indeed a
good little farm. There was bit of
ravine filed with trees; that meant
fire wood! There was bit of lake;
that meant ice. There were sheltered
slopes, there should be berry planta-
tons. The stable suggested cows.
Full of happy hopes they explored
every nook and corner. And strolling
down the road to the next farm they
found the housewife there raking
leaves from her bit of lawn while her
husband plowed the garden, after sup
per. Ten words proved that they
were truly ''home," among people who
could understand, who had been
reared in the same school of hardship
and endeavor.
Well, what next? You know what
came next. 1t is an old story. John
had to run In debt OF course for a
team, for farm implements, some of
them secondhand. Mary got her COW,
a good one. With keen, prophetic in
sight she viewed the first yellow globe
of butter her strong white arms
worked; 1t was gold! Enough of these
yellow globes would pay the mortgage,
would add to the house, would clothe
the children and school them. John
must get more cows. He did get
them, and Mary made the butter and
raised the calves. Then the berries
came on. My! But 1t was hard
shedding while all these things were
waiting to pay" John wore old
newspapers under his vest in place Of
warmer underwear and Mary. well, she
did not just tell me what shifts she
adopted, but I know she would not
have thanked any one to have In
spected her wardrobe in those days.
But they were all in good health; the
children worked like little beavers In
the truck patch and among the straw.
berries; they were round and rosy
and sun-burned, and there was plenty
Of good bread, for wheat was cheap,
and potatoes grew In abundance, and
buttermilk Of course, and John killed
a pig and Mary helped cure the bacon;
that was SO licking good that think
they added to their smoke-house and
afterward made Peach Farm Home
Cured Hams and Bacon" that they sold
in Minneapolis for a long price.
Well, all that was long ago, as we
reckon time in America. Today the
mortgage is paid. Today the farm Il
larger than It was, and modern, up.
to-date dairy respondent with gleam-
ing whitewash and light from row
Il ~ = IL ~. ~ q