The Tupelo journal., 1905-09-01
MELISSA'S
STRANGE CROP
By A. r. CALDWELL.


A DENSE bank of clouds lay slug
n gishly, th~reateningly along the
whole horizon. The air felt damp and
heavy; it would storm before morn
ing.
Melissa Noble, tired and anxious,
refined in her jaded horse before the
door of the struggling barn that ap-
pealed so %eloquently through its gap
ing gables and tapping shingles for
much-needed repairs. Melissa had
been c%ultivating the irregular rows of
| corn and vegetables down on the
meadow patch-about the only part OF
the rocky, u~nproductive farm capable
of response to pillow and hoe.
"Tired?" stroking the horse, as she
| passed him to swing open the creak-
ing door. SOS your mistress! It's
hard doing the work OF a man and
boy and two horses-iust you and l.;
but" she gave the thick neck another
encouraging stroke. 81 guess we can
| get along somehow. I'm glad we didn't
sell-for her sake, aren't you?" and
the girl hung up the harness on the
unprotecting wooden peg, with a
sprightliness that belied the long
hours of toll she had endured since
early morning.
I'm afraid" Melissa had finished
the chores at the barn and was put
ting the prop in place against the door
for the night, its going to be another
long storm-it feels like it. II it
rains much MORE" in evident discour-
agement, "the plants will be ruined;
they're half buried in mud now-what
haven't been drowned out! Only two
pleasant days since we've had a whole
weeks rain, and the atmosphere again
has exactly the same feeling" and she
looked anxiously toward the west
through the gathering dusk.
1t was the first year of Melissa's
managing the little farm alone. Her
older brother had given up in despair
of ever being able to make more than
both ends meet, and the fall before had
left his grandmother and sister that,
as he said, he might somewhere else
ODtdlu DtILCt lVuiA 10 " ~ Oubput
of strength.
Twice during the winter he had
written Melissa, advising her to sell
the stone heap" and go to Auburn,
where she could find plenty Of en-
ployment; that he should never return
to a struggle that paid only in aches
and poverty, with no hope of success.
Thomas Peace wants the place,
and he'll pay mae'n the old shack's
worth-I've written and asked him.
He says he'll turn it into his sheep
pasture; it's good for nothing else
save that little strip of meadow. and
one can't live on that"
Thomas Peace had called and urged
the sale, at the same time pretending
it to be a great condescension on his
part, "just a neighborly interest-for
your good" And, in fact, be it said
to his credit, he wouldn't have made
the offer, though he could use the land
at good advantage for pasturage, had
it not been suggested to him by Has
kell Noble.
At first Melissa was half inclined
to sell; no one knew better than she
what it meant-the toll, deprivation
and worry-just to make a living there
from the stony soil, and a scanty one
at that!
"What do you think, grandmother"
seriously, after their neighbours propo-
sition. Hadn't we better accept his
-n~.O ,S r~l Madison roCfn1 hnr o1hOuy
on the window sill and looked out
across the hills.
Grandmother Noble was silent; she
was thinking.
"Sell-the home; my home = the
only one / eve had! To go where?
Among strangers; but if Melissa
wished"-her mind was working
slowly.
Melissa turned uneasily from the
window.
"You don't want 1t done, do you?
I'll not leave it for you to decide
it's your home; I'll not be SO cruel!"
The old woman closed her eyes;
twas her way OF being thankful.
mo; we've decided-it's better not
to SELL" and Thomas Peace left the
house without In attempt at argu-
ment.
Shes goin' to find it harder'n she
realizes; running things-alone and q
| girl! Her brother couldn't make a go
| of it-and live! She'll be better salts
fed, though, to try" with a backward
| glance as he drove away.
Twas hard, but Melissa ~persevered.
| She had done the greater part OF the
| spring work without help and had
| planted more than had before been at
| tempted since her fathers death. Had
1t beer a dry season, it would have
been much easier; as it was. it seemed
| she must watch her chance to get in
q stroke Of work between the rainy
weather.
Il think, grandmother" and Melissa
| stopped to unlace her muddy shoes,
WE'RE to have another rain. The air
is dense and damp, and don't
know"
Perhaps not, dear"