The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-09

well as a master to her. Her gold trimmed glasses were lodged within half-an-inch of the tip of a rather long, fieshy nose. She always look ed over their rims, except when she was reading her Bible-her only lit erary recreation-and her eyes were round and blue and gentle, and who'll ly in keeping with her round, ami aable person.
 Mot yet, master. heard dher stirring. You see, it isn't her time yet. I ha'n't made the coffee clar. ' She shuffled round the room, noting the details of the breakfast setting It was her boast that she knew the wishes of her master and mistress in the culinary department, and never forgot anything. This was the third time she had come in to make a final inspection, an inspection inspired by the sound of her masters footstep ou the stoop.
 While Elwood flung himself into Q
 
 three times and made the total diff ferent at each count. Finaly he abandoned SO elusive a mathematical problem.
 Has she calved yet?" she asked abruptly.
 "Eh?" Ferman looked up with something like start.
 Why, that Rosie COW. It's nigh her time. I thought, seeing you've been up half the night"
 "No, not yet. Saturdag says to- morrow"
 Ferman smiled and relapsed into silence. Tanta Shepherd had seen him out with the Kaff1r boys at day light, and knew he had been up even earlier. She swept an imaginary speck from the white table-cloth with her fat hand.
 'It ha'n't good for her to be doing nothing" she said, intent on follow ing her own train of thought, and quite unconscious of the confusing manner in which she switched from subject to another. She was speak ing of Mary now, her affection for whom was hardly less than her af- lection for her master, the one shade of difference being, perhaps, slight natural favouring of the opposite sex.
 "You don't approve of idleness Tanta?" Ferman smiled. He was al all times ready to listen to this good creature.
 "No more'n you do, master" was her prompt retort. She was not sure he was not laughing at her. If il were so she calculated to nip it in the bud.
 "Go ahead; what is it you've gpt on your mind?" he asked as she paused and gazed out through the open doorway at the water-carriers stringing their way up from the riv- CT. It was a solemn procession o1 Kafi1r vrouws bearing calabashes or their heads. She counted audibl. as they passed up the incline. Hel active disposition permitted nc shirking. They were all present. and she turned to answer her master: question.
 likeness makes healthy folks sick it makes fools of busy folks, and TO gues of lazy folks. Nothing ever come of idleness but what's bad. And the Book makes that plain as the nose on your face. Now you are keeping that gal idle, which is fool ishness, seeing it isn't her nature Why, says? She's got all a gooi woman in her, and she ha'n't go nothing to fill her mind or keep hel hands busy with. She's drove to s' still and think; an Africa's no plac, to think in. It's too still an quiet it's too hot. Sides there's nothing tt think except back or forward, whicf is bad-in Africa. She isn't the ga you first brought to the farm. To, can see it in them grey eyes of hers in her cheeks, in her quiet,fady man ner, if your eyes aren't blind. Tn: suns baking her cheeks brown, btu her colours gone, and," she went or stepping close to the mans chair an, bending forward and lowering he voice to add impressiveness to he l words, "and she don't even read tn, Book, or take no interest in what i says"
 | The tolerant smile had faded froli ! Ferman's plain face. There was ; quicker of perplexity between hi brows, and the dawn of anxiety in ht steady eyes.
 "I hadn't noticed" he said slow ly. ''she hasn't complained Hasn't complained?" Tanta wa quick to take him up, and the scorn full raising of her tone was unmis takabIe. "Of course she hasn't com plained. It's not her way. It's he whole body that's complaining. / woman that complains hadn't neve got much to complain of. It's then as says nothing that's hit the hardest Mo-" she went on, shaking her hea, until the projecting awning of he white sunbonnet flapped about he ! f.k 4I, rI1