The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1911-08-24
HOW MANDY LIFTED THE
MORTGAGE OFF THE FARM
Story of How the Home Was Saved for the Old
Folks by Young Lady.-Good
Profit in Raising Poultry.

Mother, I don't know what we are
going to do. Here's a letter from
Lawyer Hardy, and he says the IN
terest on that mortgage is so long
past due that if we can't pay it he
will have to foreclose and take the
farm" Farmer Eastman looked up
at his wife half heart-broken, after
reading the letter. 1t was a bright
April morning and all nature was
celebrating the beginning of a new
season of life. Even Biddy, the old
hen, the mother Of many a flourish
ing flock of chickens, was adding her
cackle, s announcing the fact that
there was a new egg in one of the
nests in the barn. But Farmer Easi-
man was not in a mood to enjoy
the music Of nature.
'fHe says, mother, that the inter-
est for six months was due the first
of January, and is now three months
past due. He wants the money at
once. He won't wait until July,
when we could sell our wheat; and
he says the crop might be failure,
and there will be another interest
payment due in August anyway. We
can't borrow the money anywhere
and don't see what we can do
1t was sad news indeed for Farm
er Easiman's wife and daughter.
They had become attached to the
place, where they had been living for
ten years. At the thought Of giving
up home which meant so much to
them, Mrs. Eastman burst into tears.
ssOh, John,' she exclaimed, "can't
we persuade him to wait until 1all!
Well surely have the money to pay
the interest,". and we may be able to
make a payment on the principal.
Let me go and see him. We have
had bad luck for so many years that
things must change for the better
soon."
There, there, mother, don't cry
about it. Well see what we can do'
but I don't see much hope for US.
The mortgage has been hanging over
us now for 10 years, ever since we
bought the place. At first, we tried
cotton, but the price was so low we
could barely meet the interest every
year. Then we tried hogs, but every
year that they would sell for a high
price ours got the cholera. Now,
cattle are up, but we only have one
cow"
Farmer Eastman was a typical
easy-going farmer, with a small
place of about so acres. He had
never given a moments thought to
poultry and other branches Of agri-
culture which are adapted to the
small farm, except to begrudge his
daughter Mandy's chickens the corn
they ate. The future seemed to Of
fer but little nope.
Glow much does Lawyer Hardy
want, papa?" asked Mandy, the quiet
but comely daughter of the house,
who had been listening without dar-
ing to offer any suggestions. She
was just seventeen, and seldom took
part in the family councils.
cts only thirty-five dollars" said
her father, 'tbut it might as well be
thirty-five hundred, when we do not
have it"
.sWhy, papa, if that is all, have
the money, which you can use to
pay it,
"You have the money, Mandy!
Why, where did you get thirty-fVe
dollars?" exclaimed Farmer Easl-
man, in surprise.
Don't you remember that on my
fifteenth birthday, mamma gave me
young hen, just beginning to lay
raised a lot of chickens from her
last year, and mamma told me to
keep all the money myself from the
chickens and eggs sold from my
flock, and then if ever got married
would have some money OF my
own to buy things when I started
housekeeping"
.'You are good girl, Mandy, and
am surprised to think you could save
so much money in two years..
'*I'll ;ell you what we can do'
papa; if you will let me keep a large
flock of chickens, 200 or 800 hens,
I will agree to pay the interest on
the mortgage every time it comes
due. I will pay you for the feed that
the chickens eat, and you and NAM
ma just let me manage them and
keep everything myself
"Well, we'll, Mandy; you seem to
have quite head for business her
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