The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-08-15
DRINK OF
BUTTERr1ILK.

tA5 laCuAue SululuS pair OF stout
farm horses and attending to the ma
chine at the same time. The summer
season had settled down from the
hckleness of spring and taken on that
steady warmth which gives life to the
creatures of earth. A thrush was PIP
! Ing in tree, a robin was teaching its
brood to dy. Over blue sky sailed n
white cloud, casting what seemed to
Enoch to be the shadow of a huge
bird. 1t passed, and the sun shone
out seemingly brighter and warmer
than before. The man reined in his
horses at turn for a rest, took of his
straw hat, wiped the sweat from his
brow and'lOoked about him.
From the farmhouse beneath n
clump Of trees on the hill came Mabel
Judd, Enoch's employers daughter
She wore calico dress, cheap apron
and sunbonnet The sun poured its
rays over her and was reflected bright
~ from a tin bucket she carried in her
hand. Her approach brought pleased
look to the young farm hands face.
The girl came on over the field where
John Barleycorn stood in battle array,
emerging where Enoch had left whole
companies and platoons lying slaugh-
tered on the ground. Then she came
to where he sat on his iron seat, and
as she looked up at him and he saw
her pleasant oval face away down in
the shadow cast by her sunbonnet he
gasped with the great joy that was in
him.
Il been churnin, Enoch," she said,
land thought drink O. buttermilk
I'D taste good to you"
She took the cover Off and handed
the bucket TO him.
'Thankee, Miss Mabel" he said and
drank the contents. Its done me
heap o. good.' he added. handing the
bucket back to her. Il don't know but
one thing that's done me more good"
Whats thnt?"
Your bringin' it to me-
"Oh, that wasn't any trouble" she
said, slight red coming into her
cheeks under his gaze
ut isn't the trouble; it's the DISPOSE.
ton TO do it. didn't know you'd keer
SO much"
"Oh, l sor you out mowln in the sun,
and thought 1t 'ud taste good"
There was brief silence, which
Enoch ended.
Il wished owned small farm O.
my own"
Il wished you did. Enoch. for your
sake"
This was not all the truth. She wish
ed for the farm for her own sake as
well as Enoch's. Then she might be
the housewife. Would she be the
housewife? Enoch had never made
love to her. The view Enoch took OF
1t was that she wished it for his sake
alone. He thought he would never
have a farm. and without one he had
no business to make love to a.girl who
would likely some day inherit one. He
gathered up the reins.
'Pm much obliged for the butter
milk" he said.
at wasn't any trouble" she replied
mechanically and, turning, with dis
appointed look on her face. went back
over John Barleycorn's slain soldiers
and through his waving forces that
stood stin defiant Long before she
reached the house she again heard the
monotonous rattle of the moving ma
chine. Somehow the pleasure she had
taken in it had gone out of it. Enoch
had said nothing to warrant this
change of feeling. She had drawn an
inference from his manner.
Enoch finished cutting the. wheat
that day and received his wages. The
next he was gone without bidding Ma
bel goodby.
Ten years passed, and Mabel owned
the farm. She managed it herself,
though she hired the work done for
her. One season there were no hands
to be hired, and when the wheat
~T-ffh m
chine to cut it herself. 1t was just
such a morning as that on which she
had had her last talk with Enoch
Quill A mamie looked like a tramp
-stopped in the road and leaned over
the fence near which she was driving.
.'want any hired help?" he asked.
Mabel drew rein and looked at him
some time before replying. Her fea-
lures were shaded by her sunbonnet.
"Seems to me-" she said that
strong man like you ought to own
farm of his own and not go workin
for other people"
81 tried to git one and failed. l was
cheated. BAD title and bad crops"
These were few words. but they told
story. After pause the woman
nsked:
How much you want"
"Anything you like to pay"
"Well. come in here and take hold"
The man went to work, and the wo-
man went through the wheattield to
the house. After awhile, when the
sun was getting hot and the hired
hand was getting thirsty. he saw her
coming with IL tin bucket
II been churnin'." she said. Would
YOU like some buttermiIk?"
The man raised the bucket to his
lips with trembling hand. Ten
years ago" he said, Il TUX drink o
buttcrmilk. and I've never forgot it."
uAp6 7 oID'+ forgot Civin' 1t to YOU"