The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-09-25

any, OF The ,ncigiborne farmers wives had han.
pened INTO Alice l9ndon's kitchen that bright MAY
morning. tncy you'd would have remarked with amiabc
before She She usually laughed 6rst sSa1d aHd
spoke acrwaTd, The young JOY of life touched bcT
radisnty; she responded like child TO the thrill Of
the untTanslated emotion, and interpreted it later
[ 6G1 inc wl''e farmhouse at tho end of the line of
and no was likely TO discover her houtcecnoS
Yagaries. II had been such good norrncl She
smiled little dimplng smile She poured tho sc7ld-
ing water from ono milk can to another with dcft
turn while the rising cloud of dainpencd tho ten
drills of blonde hair blown about her forcbc7d h., h
breeze from tho open door y 'e
Robert had done tho churnng out on the broad back
poon oeiorG he went to the field. lie would never let
enough year ago, when She had FIRST entered mon
her new existence farmers wife tho n,ctamor-
phoS,S OF can OF cream into of crumbling vel
10" butter had been interesting the point of excite
mcnt Robert had wanted TO sell two Of tho cows but
she had begged TO keep them Why could not she learn
to make butcrf He could take II to AIiburn and the
would buy.
"A regular little farmer" Robert had laughnply
called her saying that he believed she liked the counry
all the better for having always lived i'll town or
course she did; she had known it would be that
Wy. She h9d added that she would have liked South
Africa or AaSka-but he had not let her finish the
sentence.
So this morning she had chosen to work her butter
out on the porch, packing 1t away, and firm in the
.tue brown Jars %hic the morning GOODNESS still
in the air AS she patted and squeezed hc golden mass
tne breeze came speed with the blosomng plum trees
and the smell of the feshcnin6 earth The tangled net
work of the grapevine that grew the end of the porch
dotted with buds of misty grccn tipped and yened
futtcrng eathccd ball of oy and had taken her into
his confidence with gush OF song, then flown away
help his mate who was busilv filling the pump with
twigs Foolish little things They should have better
place to build She could get the butter out of
the Although she couldnot have put into words
she felt herself at with all pes-buildng creatures
She part of this vibrating harmony of color and
perfume and song.
When she went down into tho cool gloom of the eel
Jar with the butter jars she rup1maecd ont old starch
box from pile provided for future needs, and with
saw and hammer borrowed from the barn. set to work
TO make II habitable She not Sliful carpenter,
and the nails came through unexpected places in
decd OF them only went in half their length and
then turned over; but they held rather better that way
so did not matter. She surveyed tho result with
air OF amused satisfaction; and whcn standing
chair to reach she had nailed the box TO a limb of the
old apple tree, she thought it looked quito homcke,
branch Of blossoms droopng the front hid all
defects Robert would laugh when he saw it
The wrens were still fitting in and out of the pump
with misdreoed zeal; so she stuffed cloth into the
seductive spout while the birds chattcrcd madly weak
little creatures sometimes will when higher intelligence
is steering them away from danger And then the apple
blossoms had been pink and white and dewy that She
had broken OFF great armiu and crowded them into
Jar in corner OF the dinng-room just where Robert
could see them while he ate lis dinner.
All this had made the dishwashing late AS she set
the milk the porch shining TOW III tho sun, she
thcn-smal and slight. with quick ways ard bright
brown eyes. She gave little nod OF satisfaction when
Sic that the birds were investigating the possibilities
OF the starch box One OF them pcTchcd the top and
trilcd his brief burst of melody with remuous wings
Alice regarded him with soft eyes lie knew what hope
was and companionship and tic making OF home
octhcr She looked at the pump with wisp OF cloth
trailing from its spout at vanqushed destroyer OF
domestic felicity, ard went back to her dishes. When
they were finished she glanced at the clock; the mail
carrier must have passed by this time
1t made of the events of her day to go down the
long lane under the naples and unlock the msiboN on
thc post OF the big red gate She ran part OF the way
her pink nutterng about her ankles but she
back slowly her head bent letter tho swiftly al
tcrnatug and shadow passing like ripPes over her
IS she slipped the letter back into It's envelope she
stood still moment, looking out over the plowcd heldS
where the warm brown Garth lay meowing IN tho sun
Then she gave little decisive skip and running along
the soft scan grass the side Of tho lane, she entered
her Kitchen flushed and brcathless
When the team, their heavy harness creakng and INC
lines thrown over tho hamcS camc poddlne across iic
pasture to the wacring-trough by the barn. Aicc stood
in ihc door dinner ready Robert, following some
distance behind the horses. waved his broad straw hat
and then strodc on. swinging II BY ms SIDE How tau
and strong he was She could the crisp curve OF his
black hair and the whtcncSs OF s forehead above the
line Of tan
She set tine dinner on the table then out TO meet
6b 5 S Ro5ep SSe the ncest hing she cried catching
his hand and trying suit her step 10 hs lons stride
OF course YOU arc.
No, I'm not-l mean. know am but tncrc arc
more nice things Oh look a MY bird house!
Robert stopped short in the path and surveyed It
critically Sticks projected from the opening at al
aueles tho wrens ,ghsked in and OUT they had already
Birds seem to like it, guess that's all that's neoes-
ssr," remarked Robert But as Tor Il BEN te
incest thing His gray eyes were teasing
You s6au't know about 1t until yoIre ready Tor
dinner It's all settled. anyway and The small PlnS
hgurc ran ahead OF him and disappeared through INC
dning-r room door. When Robert eanic III SIC was
pouring TIC coffee.
Wbewl he the spreading branches ct apple IG
blossoms: regular little orchard ~ here AMI they
pretty; l believe they're fuller this year than COM
mon'
What do they remind YOU of? Alice asked as she
gave him his coffee
Apple pic nc answered senicpiiouSy, with Just Inc
hint OF a quycr At the corner of his mouth
Robert" Alice tried to look severe HaNe yoi
forgotten what day It next Thursday Us enr aiu
vorsary. have been wondering wila We coha Do
want 70 be different from any other DAY aS-"''Ss'''
different g..
Robert lcared back his chair, Smiling ~ her h'