Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1908-04-04
The eh esc
Mushroom
Farm BY }. LuDLuM
80 q We LEE.
Copyright, 1907. by p. c. Eastmcnt.

meeting. Clara CarrutherS was curled
up on the window ledge, Myrtle Reed
had stretched herself comfortably OH
the lounge, lIary Sands was pcrched
OH the side of table swinging her
feet, while two or three other girls
were comfortably seated in armchars.
Myrtle Reed was reading the Goshen
Leader, tie principal local paper
Girls, it ought to be stopped. Here
she is advertising for a man to fix the
roof of that old stable Yesterday she
wanted man to fix the furnace, and
the day before it was a boy she want
ed to water the mushroom beds. Her
! family are poor cnOHg'l without en-
couraging Florence Weiss in any more
of her foolish fads. Why doesn't she
marry, as the rest of us have done?"
THAT'S what | asked Jack the other
night" chimed in Mary Sands But
she says she hates the men and wants
to raise mushrooms and make a for
tune of he" own. Her grandmother
left her 5000, you know. and that is
what she invested in the mushroom
fad"
Lets go down in a body and apply
for the job" suggested Clara. 1T is
a glorious day, and the walk will do us
! good"
In the mcautime Florence Weiss was
unlocking the door of the old stable
. Dressed in Il short walking skirt and
scarlet sweater with an old tam-o'-
shantcr on her golden hair. she made
! picture most unfarmcr-liIe. Her blue
. eyes sparkled with anticipation as she
entered the cellar of the stable to view
her precious mushrooms. Florence had
IDEAS and ideals, and she meant to live
up to both. If the family expected her
to marry Just to replctc their purse
they would be sadly disappointed Wo-
mcl were born for nObler things. she
argued. ana she would go forth and
make money with her own hands and
brains an not tie herself to any man
She knclt down by the side of one
of the beds and with spoon cut off a
tiny mushroom sprung up overnight.
She examined the spawn in another
led. felt the temperature of a third
| and then went to the door to call Mala-
] WI. lllt boN W Iplll size tlllllIpNtu W tb
chores.
"Malach, Maachi!' she called out,
but Malachi did not appear. so she
went out to look for him Behind the
stable on the side hill she found him
covered with tar and heating Il fire.
"MaIach. what is all this" she de-
/ mIndcd.
Yes. ma'am--you see. ma a'am-O
/ Lord. miss. I've set fire to the tar" he
walled You see. miss. was gettn'
ready for the man to fix the roof an
oHrn"d the barrel of tar, an it
wouldn't run, so | thought, you see,
ma'am. thought Id melt it-yes,
ma'am."
well, Malachi, you're an idiot. that's
| what you are. and never want to SEQ
/ your face again. You've melted it all
right, and I'll have to buy more tar at
$S Il barrel"
Malachi was discharged, and the
man who applied to put on Il new roof
was installed i'll his Place
"Clean up the place" said Florence
when asked what he should do until
more tar arrived for the roof
Florence started for town and so
missed the call that the girls paid.
She was back the next morning, how
ever, to see her new man started on
| his work
Get some of that fertilizer. Joseph,
! am hrin: it to me. This bed is in very
! poor coniiiion and will never yield
! "r.:Hi, . CuleSS we work on it,"
| 4, I.
"Fertilizer. ma'am," he sail. is it
| that pile of rotten stur that was lynn
! out yonder what you're speakin' off,"
Yes, yes." answered Florence.
Right there at the si!c door"
well. I'm after du:npin it in the
brook, ma'am," he announced You
told me to clean up the place and
| done it, ma'am to the best of my abil-
| ity." And he Strengthened up his some
what bent shoulders as if to emphasize
| his brilliant stroke of work.
1t was too much added to the loss of
| the barrel of tar. ana Florence sat
| down on the damp cellar floor and
| cried, but not for long. She soon dried
I the tears on her old apron and vented
/ her bitter anger on the head of Joseph.
| He stood for moment listening, then
| turned and went out. muttcring:
Il thought it was Il lady. but |
might of knowed diggin' in the dirt
never made Il lady yet" And Joseph
was Il thing of the past.
Florence sat upon the stone wall to
think it over. Eight dollars for the tar
of yesterday. S12 for the fertilizer Of
| today. Ideas were not always prac-
tical, and ideals did not mntcrialiZe as
| they might Fight as she would against
! them. the tears would come again.
/ The sound of wheels on the road near
| at hand reused Florence. She turned
/ to see the express wagon from the gen.
craI store about to deliver the barrel
of tar, She jumped down from the
| fence and hurried to the gate which
led to the old stable,
"Why. Mr.. Rivers. what are you do
| ing? Driving the express wagOn?" she
| exclaimed aS she recognized in the
| driver one Of Goshen's leading young
men.
Hello, Flor he cried as he tied the
/ old horse to the gatepoSt ITS me,
all right. Just loafng around for a
, few days finishing up a business trip.
, store, and | said I'd deliver it and kill
two birds with one throw | was COM
ing up to see the wonderful muSh-