Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-11-05


ten years later. He had from the time
! of his fathers death been learning
| how to run the farm, though his moth
| err did most of the planning till Josh
] came of age. There Is no better way
| of learning how to do things than do
| ing them, and by the time Josh came
! OF age he was a very good farmer
| His product was milk. and he had
| twenty good Holstein cows. He had
one assistant whom he employed reg
ularly, and at haying time or when he
put the enSilage in the silo he would
temporarily hire more-that is. when
he could get any one, which was not
very often.
Josh's mother kept the house and
the grounds about it looking tidy so
long as she lived. After her death
there very soon came a change in the
appearance of both house and grounds.
The floors were unswept, Josh's bed
was seldom made and papers were
scattered about The chickens overran
the flowers planted in beds on either
side of the front porch, and weeds fill
ed the walks Josh had always left
these things to his mother, devoting
his whole time to the cattle. raising
food for them and delivering the milk.
This took up all his time and attention,
and when his mother left him the 9TH
err matters were bound to be neglect
ed, all except the cooking, which was
absolutely essential. This Josh did as
best he could.
Several dairy farmers living near
Hatfield's farm, including Hatfield
himself, had an agreement by which
one of the number delivered the milk
of all at the railway station several
miles distant. This they did success
sively, each man doing the work for
week. One morning Farmer Clark.
whose turn it was to deliver the milk
for that week, said to his daughter
Amelia:
"MeeIy, go over to Hatfeld's and say
that Pete has gone lame and Bess Is
three-quarters sick. If he'll take my
turn at delivering the milk this week
I'll take his turn next week"
Amelia started out on the errand.
She was a strong girl about nineteen
years old, as straight as an arrow and
tolerably good looking. When she ar
rived Josh was getting his breakfast.
having attended to his morning chores
at the barn. Her summons at the
front door not receiving any attention.
she went around to the side porch. and,
making her way through milk cans
that blocked the way. found the kitch-
en- door open and Josh trying to blow
out a fire of burning fat Without
word, she went in, took the skillet out
of his hand and landed it upside down
in the snow outside.
THANK ye,'' said Josh, 81 wonder
why l didn't think of that"
Reckon men don't know much about
kitchen work Your potatoes will burn
in a minute.
Taking up knife. she ran it through
the potatoes. which sizzled merrily
and began to turn a beautiful brown.
Then she saved some toast from black
ening as the potatoes had threatened to
do. and turned her attention to the cot
fee which was boiling over.
You sit down. Mr.. Hatfield" she
said. land I'll put the breakfast on the
table for you. You might as we'll have
a little comfort in my being here. Fa-
Their sent me to say that there's some
thing the matter with the horses and
to ask you if you won't take his turn
delivering the milk this week. he to
take your turn next week.
"Sure, l wouldn't mind that Bit
Amelia set the breakfast on the ia
BILE and Josh sat down for the meal.
She took a chair opposite him and be-
gan to pour his coffee.
do you take sugar and milk, Mr..
Hatfied?"
Both"
Two lumps?"
That's about right"
The sun shone in at the dining room
window, and there was marked cheer
fitness there. But it could not have
been for the sun alone, for it lighted
the breakfast table most mornings. 1t
seemed that an especial comfort had
come in with Amelia. Somehow the
coffeepot looked brighter, the toast was
certainly better-not dried as usual. but
soft-and Jack wondered how Amelia
had contrived to keep it hot. Then.
too, the coffee tasted a great deal bet
ter than usual. In short. although he
couldn't remember that Amelia had
done anything except saving the break
fast from burning it tasted very much
better than ever before.
1T must be kind of hard for you to ,
do your own cooking" she remarked.
Il don't like it at all. Nothing l do
seems to come out right. I'm always |
breaking the dishes and don't know
how to mend them. If a tooth breaks |
in my pillow l know how to put in an
other. but if my coffeepot leaks I'm /!
lost
why don't you hire somebody TO /
come in and do your homework for |
you:"
~ don't know any one that would |
like the job. All the women about I
here seem to have enough to do in their |
own homes without coming here to do |
my work"
II never Thought o. tnat." replied
Amelia II suppose they can't do two
things at once"