The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-12-18
PluCked i'm the
Hop Fields

BY A. NJ. PECK

almost penniless, as well as friendless
to all intents and purposes, for ouI
friends called upon us In our little
Our cousins, the Schuylers and Van
Tassels, came twice, each time with
suggestions for our future occupation
The buoyancy Of my youthful spir.
its lead me to believe that we could
easily win our way to earning new
home. So we advertised. but vainly;
we looked heroically for situations,
only to find that there were more
teachers than pupils,
This viii never do" declared one
morning. "The little money we have
will soon be gone - then what?
Starvation? Let us so to some small
or city--some manufacturing place
then, perhaps, we can get work and If
the worst comes, and we are towns
poor il will be among strangers. Mrs.
Schuyler and Mrs. Van Tassel will not
stand by and see rs eat our mush and
milk
Faith approved Of my suggestion
and by disposing OF few Of the ar
enough for our journey. The kind
German woman with whom we had
rooms gave us letter to an acquaint-
ance who lived In the town where we
had decided to 60. Reaching there we
found VIC could hire two small rooms
Of her, and she directed us whore to
look for employment We found
plenty of shirt-making to do, and the
good soul taught lis how TO put the
garments together Faith basted
them, ! sewed them on the machine we
rented and she finished the work.
After we became accustomed to our
employment, by working steadily, we
managed to pay our rent and get suf-
fieient food. But the hard work soon
began to tell upon Faith, who was
not strong, Then we needed some
thing besides food Our black dresses
were becoming sadly worn and we
had no money with which to replace
them
Everything went fairly well with us
until the hard times commenced and
work became scarce. while we only
received starvation prices for the lit.
tie we succeeded In securing, Then,
in spite of our efforts, we became in
arrears with our rent, with but slight
prospects of being able to pay or OF
being able to earn enough to purchase
necessary clothing for the winter. !
well remember one hot August day.
The sun shone scorchingly, and there
was not tree or shrub to shade the
House; every vehicle that passed
raised cloud of dust that poured in
our windows and stifled us. Faith had
a severe headache. induced by the |
heat and too steady application to her
work. was finishing garments that
We're promised that night and thinking |,
husilw while hand-brgan PLAYER |
ground out the air OF a popular love
song in the hot, dusty street, fol
lowed by dozen dirty urchins.
Faith, what is love?" ! asked.
"Why, Berry" she exclaimed, wear
lily raising her head TO look at me
What put that question into your
mind?"
no matter replied. but tell me
what it is.
ut is a myth. an eyanescent hub
bile; a frail flower that perishes at
the first touch of adyersity-it--"
Enough, enough cried l. If II
is such fiimsy thing as all that, |
don't care TO know any more about
it."
"Oh. Berry" she said, your head
is too fun of romance; you are too
young to talk. or even thing of love.
At best, it will only bring you mis-.
cry"
And she laid her aching head back
on the pillow, while | stitched away
and thought about handsome Richmond
Gary, who was forever taking Faith
and was always at our
house, hut who had not been near us
since our misfortunes. Neither had
he written TO Faith My work fin
ished, laid the cloth for supper.
Come. Faith and eat bit Of
bread | said
But she replied that she was not
was |, for bread and
tea. so putting away our morsel |
went downstairs to itsoh the door
step and get a breath of air II pos
sibe Mrs. Becker. our landlady. was
leaning over the fence. holding ami
mated conversation with a fine-look-
ing. though dusty and travel-stained
Young man. caught the words.
hops. 30 cents, last of August" and
asked her in pantomime what it all
meant
"He wants me TO go pickin hops"
"lf he wants YOU. why doesn't he
want me?'' asked, on the impulse OF
he moment
Il do" he replied IN pleasant
roice. lifting his hat We want
,vcfy body. We must have a hun
,red and fifty pickers from some quar-
er"
How much do you pay a pound for
licking them?" I eagerly asked.
He laughed. showing his fine white
ceth.