The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-07-19
The FARM HAND
AND The Maiden
4 Romance of Buttermilk and
Wild Flowers.

II you WOulun lulnu teilIllS me.
he said. u would like to know just
what it was that prompted You to
bring this buttermilk to me-
THE Kindness of my heart l sup
pose"
I've been a farm hand before. but
/ never knew farmers daughter to
take pity on me when reaping. I'm
afraid you haven't given me the true
reason
why did you bring me those wild
fiowers?'
This was a counter question that
shifted him from the offensive to the
defensive
The kindness of my heart, l sup
pose" he said presently.
oh well, if that's all, were even. I
But it doesn't seem to me that the two /
cases are the same. | see you hot and I
tired and think how refreshing a drink /
of buttermilk would be to you. so | +
bring it to you. You see some wild /
flowers. You don't know that Pm es-
pecially fond of flowers-indeed. only /
like them as other people debut you /
gather them for me. you said. and give /
them to me. Suppose / had been some |
one else
Il haven't been used to gathering
wild flowers before for farmers daugh-
tiers where I've worked"
1--WE often brought farm hands but
\ termilk when they We're reaping."
He looked into her face. 1t was as
/ mild as a May morning
Then why did you ask He
4 .I,o 70
ished question herself before he could
finish
Il didn't until you had asked"
lie had returned TO the starting point
He began anew.
Il suppose if any one else had gath
cred flowers for you you would have
liked it just as Well"
u didn't say that"
But you said you had often brought
farm hands buttermiIk"
Il did"
SO there's nothing more about it"
Nothing except that you haven't told
me why you gave me the flowers"
There was a longer pause this time,
He was leaning against the machine;
she was standing on the fallen grain.
" tAEs i dpiA IlittNI lC4A1I- HOhs uE
said. though l don't see any use in
doing so. | was walking in the woods
when l came on the flowers. l was
thinking of you. They looked up at
me innocently and seemed to say,
Take us to her.
Now you've told me that much I'll
tell you what the flowers said to me.
They said. Wasn't it sweet of him to
bring us to YOU? and l said. Why was
it sweet? And they said. Because
because-we don't know Didn't he
tell you why he sent youT | asked.
3 No they said, he didn't Then
said, Why did he send you to me with.
out a reason" and they said, He may
have had reason, but he didn't tell
us what it was 'Ohr said /. and that
was the end of it."
"Ho. there, Jerry, Stop that!"
Hes only kicking the flies You
wouldn't have him suffer their sting
without trying to get rid of them?"
IN tell you what I'll do" he said
without noticing her remark. IF you'll
just forget for awhile that you're my
, employers daughter and some day
, coming into this big farm and the
r stock and the crops and the money in
: bank for many past crops I'll tell you
e why gave You the flowers"
They didn't say that had anything
! to do with it,
That's because they didn't know.
they spring up out of the ground
naturally and remain natural. We
= spring from the same ground, but we
are warped by being civilized"
| But the minister said only last Sun
day in his sermon that until we be
| came civilized we weren't ready to
| receive the New Testament. How
then. can civilization kill within us our
loeeIiest feelings?"
Again he looked at her and won,
dered. How could she by her shrewd
replies continually force him to take
| the aggressive and yet be so simple
| SO innocent?
These are too deep questions for
country folk like US to handle" he
! said. 'Al l know is that / can't speab
all | would speak to your fathers
daughter
They stood both looking on the
ground. Confused sounds came te
them-the lowing of cattle, the rattle
3 Of a distant reaper, the neigh of &
z horse, the bark of dog. the hum OF
!! bees. The horses continued to kicf
= the flies. but there was just now moth
y ing to be gained by reproving them fol
{ doing so. 1t was the girl who broke
5: the deadlock between them
Y Il don't ask" she said. that yor
: speak all you would speak; L only asl
i you one thing
= And that isg'
If why did you send me the flowers 2
2; She came and stood beside him. look
4 ing mp into his eyes with hers. II,
;: struggled hard with himself to avoie
II ~