The Mena weekly star., 1913-10-09
q Mooest 5urress
Written for Current by Harrington Te Mena Ark

spring. as so many refused to as sume family cares. Then, for help ing a neighbor to cut and fit some spring sewing, 1 had been given a little gilt. The mate to it got into ! my garden and destroyed some cab bage, and so the owner said that 1 might have 1t if 1 would keep it out of mischief. We are now the proud possessors of a start of hogs '; but roses do have thorns. The pigs ate up most of the little chickens, ducks and guineas l did get hatch ed. Thus went my prospects for winter revenue from eggs,
 Harvesting time showed that three reasons existed for making a short crop; the principal one was the ignorance of the farmers, the others were the condition of the soil and the season.
 We held a council, not of war, but of ways and means. We decid- ed that the only thing to do was to Trust in the Lord and keep hust- ling.
 l had been nelpng the neighbors children with their studies, and in this way the parents learned that I was an old teacher. To my sur prise l was asked to teach the win ter term of school. I had been out of the school room for ten years, and the county examination was only two weeks off l attended it, full of Trust in the Lord but with little in myself. 1 came home with flying colors and a first grade cer- ti1icate. So l accepted the little three months school. A house. keeper could not be procured for love or money, and I did not know what we would do with her if we did get one, although husband de- cided that he would take to the
 dog house."
 If we could find a funny side when travelling over the rough places, we laughed; when there was no funny side, we just shut our teeth and took the bumps. We al ways got over them all right at least we did this time. A nearby neighbOr agreed to care for the lit tie ones and give them lunch on school days for a small sum, and I hired my washing and ironing done. By rising at , o'clock and both of us doing a share, I was ready to mount Nellie, my pony. when hus- band led her out saddled for me at little after ' to start on the way to school. He would then take the children to the neighbours. Then he would return to the farm and spend the day at fencing and pre- pairing for the spring work After his lunch he would step over to the neighbOr's to see if the children were all right and rock the two year-old girl to sleep before return ing 10 his work.
 was a teacher and nothing else in school hours. but when the last recitation came, one of my knowing big boys, who saw how my mind wandered hOmeWard, would slip out during the Good Night" song. and have Nellie saddled and at the step as the song was finished Then, with a brisk gallOp, was at home. where the little ones were around the bright fire and the kettle was singing on the cook stove. With the aid of the fruit and vegetables put up during the busy summer, a sub Stantial meal was soon on the ta- bl~. And how we did eat Illus band said: That the best crop we raised was an appetite"
 Was I thinking of dying in the country? I could not had I wanted to-I hadn't the time.
 had cleared about Si00, which paid the bills incurred before the cows became fresh. We bought some needed clothing and had a lit tie cash on hand. Our work was now all up. and so when my hus- bands old employer wanted him to help him for few weeks he would ride the pony to town in the morn- ing and return at night, as we lived only three miles from town. In this way he made another forty dollars. Considering our inexperi- ence, we were doing fairly well, but there was another payment to be made on the farm in the fall Should the season be such that we could raise all that the soil was capable of producing, it would be no more than was needed to feeC our stock through the winter.
 could not teach again, and we hac
 nothing to sell, unless at loss, ex-
 cept the farm. This was placed 1T
 the hands of agents, and many
 came to look, but none to buy.
 As my husband was successful
 with stock raising, he was thinking
 that if he could sell the farm ht
 would put all the available casf
 into young cattle and go over into
 what was the Indian territory anC
 lease Indian lands. We even tool
 a camping trip over there to look over the country. But no enthusi-
 asm came to me. One evening aft
 CT singing baby to sleep with hi!
 favorite lullaby. "Didden Dedy 'Tm Twin easy'O, husband missed me, and on searching, found mounted on a chicken coop dowI
 by the barn a doleful figure witt
 red eyes and an apron full O. , salt water. All the explanation ht , could get was: T was just thinkins what little Indians the childrer would make" That was the last o. ] leasing Indian lands.
 Shortly after this, while hun!ins