Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1908-09-23
Rarbara's Petition.
CHAPTER x.

drawn than usual The fears inspired
by the surgeon had taken hold of him.
Before the birth of Eve he had been
an energetic man eager to get all he
could out of the estate, but for seven
teen years an unaecourtable sadness
had hung over him, damping his ar
COR; his thoughts had been carried
sway from his land, whittier no one
mew, though the results were obvious
enough.
With Barbara he had little in COM
mon She was eminently practical.
He was always in a dream. She was
never on an easy footing with her
father, she tried to understand him
and failed, she feared that his brain
was partially disturbed. Perhaps her
efforts to make him out annoyed him;
at any rate he was cold TOWARDS her,
without being Intentionally unkind.
An ever-present restraint was upon
both in each others presence.
At first, after the disappearance OF
Ewes mother, things had gone on upon
the old lines. Christopher Davy ha6
superintended the farm labors, but as
he aged and failed, and Barbara grew
20 see the necessity for supervision,
she took the management of the farm
as well as the maids, to the farmyard
She saw that the men dawled over
their work, and that the condition Of
the estate was going back. The cop
pices had not been shredded in winter
and the oak was grown into tangle.
The rending for bark in spring was
done unsystematically. The hedges
became ragged, the ploughs out of or
der. the thistles were not cut period
cally and prevented from seeding.
There were NOT men sufficient to do
the work that had to be done. She
had not the time to attend to the men
as well as the maids, to the farmyard
as well as the house, She had made
uu her mind that proper bailif must
be secured, with authority to employ
as many laborers as the estate re-
quired Barbara was convinced that
her father, with his lost, dreamy head,
was incapable of managing their pro
perty, even if he had the desire. Now
-
lhat the trusty old Davy was i'll, and
breaking up, she had none to advise
her.
She was reused to anger on Mid
summer-day by discovering that the
hayrick had neyed been matched, and
that it had been exposed to the rain
which had fallen heavily, so that half
4,l-r n
soaked, lest it should catch fire or
blacken. This wa the result OF the
carelessness of the men. She deter
mined to speak to her father at once.
She had good reason for doing so.
She found him in his study arrang-
ing his specimens of mundic and pea
cock copper.
Has anyone come, asking for me-
he said, looking up with fiuttering
face from his work.
No one, father
You startled me, Barbara, coming
on me stealthily from behind. What
90 you want with me? You see l am
engaged, and you know ! hate to be
disturbed
I have something I wish to speak
about
We'll, well, say it and go His
shaking hands resumed their work.
Tt is the old story, dear papa.
want you to engage a steward. 1t is
impossible for us to go on longer in
the way we have. You know how
am kept on the run from morning TO
night. I have to LOOK after all your
helpless men as well as my own nelp-
less maids. When I am in the field,
there is mischief done in the kitchen;
when l am in the house, the men are
smoking and idling on the farm Eve
cannot help me in seeing to domestic
matters. she has not the experience.
Everything devolves on me.
do not grudge doing my utmost, out l
have not the time for everything, and
I am not ubiquitous.
No said Mr.. Jordan, Eve cannot
understand any sort of work That IS
an understanding,
II know it is. If ask her to be sure
and recollect something, she is certain
with the best intentions to forget; she
Is a dear beautiful butterfly not ut to
he barnessed. Her brains are thistle
down. her bones cherry stalks.
Yes. do not crush her spirits with
uncongenial work.
I do not want to. l know as well as
Yourself that l must rely on her for
nothing. But the result is that ! am
overtasked. Now-will you credit it:
The beautiful hay that was like green
tea is spoiled. Those stupid men did
not thatch it, They said they had no
reed. and waited TO comb some TIL the
rain set in. When it did pour, they
were all in the barn talking and max
INC reed. but at the same time the wa
-, u-ss drenehing and spelling the