The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1908-01-23
Plucked i'm the
Hop Fields
(Copyrisht b Joseph 3. Bowiss.)
BY a. NJ. PECK

CopyfiGnts ~ Joseph q. 6oW1ooJ
One disaster followed another: our
beautiful home was sold. Faith and
we're left fatherless. motherless and
almost penniless. as we'll as friendless
to all intents and purposes. for our
friends called upon us in our little
apartment once. and none came again.
Our cousins, the Schuylsrs and Van
rassels. 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 will never d." declared one
morning. THE little money we have
will soon be gone then what?
Starvation? Let us go to some small
err city-some manufacturing place
then, perhaps. we can get work. and II
the worst comes. and we are towns
poor. 1t will be among strangers. Mrs.
Schuyler and Mrs. Van Tassel will not
stand by and see us eat our mush and
milk"
Faith approved Of my suggestion.
and by disposing Of few Of the ar.
tcles we had left. obtained money
enough for our journey. The kind
German woman with whom we had
rooms gave US q letter to an acQuaint-
ance who lived in the town where we
had decided to go. Reaching there. We
found we could hire two small rooms
Of her. and she directed US where to
look for employment. We found
good soul taught us how TO put the
garments together. Faith basted
them, 1 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-
ficient 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 we'll 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 theaNiotef.
well remember one hot day.
The sun shone scorchingly, IN 4hefe
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
q severe headache. induced by the
heat and too steady application to her
work. was finishing garments that
were promised that night and thinking
busily. while hand.organ player
ground out the air Of 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 1t is
ut is a myth. an evanescent bub-
BILE; a frail flower that perishes at
the first touch of adversity-it-"
Enough. enough" cried l. II IL
is such flimsy thing as all that,
don't care to know any more about
it"
"Oh, Berry" she said, your head
Is too full of romance; you are too
young to talk. or even thing of love.
| At best. 1t will only bring you mis-
cry"
And she laid her aching head back
on the pillow. while I stitched away
| and thought about handsome Richmond
| Gary. who was forever taking Faith
somewhere and was always at our
house, but who had not been near US
since our misfortunes. Neither had
he written to Faith. My work IN
ished. l laid the cloth for supper.
| Come, Faith. and eat bit of
bread" said.
But she replied that she was not
hungry-neither was l, for bread and
tea, 80 putting away our morsel
went downstairs to sit on the door
step and get 4 breath Of air II DOS
sible. Mrs. Becker. our landlady, was
leaning over the fence. holding ami
mated conversation with a flne-look-
ing. though dusty and travelstained
| young man. l caught the words.
hops. 80 cents, last Of August" and
asked her in pantomime what It all
meant.
He wMts me to go pickin' hops"
| IF he wants you, why doesn't he
want me!" asked, on the impulse Of
the moment.