The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1915-05-06
CHAPTER xI.
Hayinq Time.

wood, AIillikens Mills. Spruce
IL Swamp, Duck Pond and Mod
Grafton was "haying" There
was perfect frenzy of haying, for II
was the Monday after the Fourth. the
precise date in July when the Maine
farmer said goodby to repose and
"hayed' desperately and increasingly
until every spear of green in his sec
ton was moved down and safely I'M
der cover
IL man had grass of his own he
cut it, and II he had none he assisted
in cutting that of some other man. for
TO hay" although an unconventional
verb. was, and still is. very active
one and In common circulation, al
though not used by the grammarians.
Whatever your trade and whatever
your profession. it counted as naught
In good weather. The fish man stop
ped selling fish. the meat man ceased
to bring meat, the cobbler as well as
the judge forsook the bench, and even
the doctor made fewer visits than
usual. The wage for work in the hay
" 40 MS Vbt. anu tNtIl
boy and horse in a village was pressed
into service.
When Ivory Boynton had finished
with his own small crop he commonly
went at once TO Lawyer Wilson. who
had the largest acreage of hay land In
the township. Ivory was always in
great demand for he was a mighty
worker In the field and very giant at
pitching" being able to pick up a
fair sized haycock at one stroke OF
the fork and fling IL on to the cart as
IL it were feather.
lawyer Wilson always took a hand
himself II signs OF rain appeared. and
Mark occasionally visited the scene OF
action when a crowd in the field made
general jolliication or when there
was an impending thunderstorm.
In Ich cases even women and girls
Joined the workers and all hands bent
together to the task OF getting load
into the barn and covering the rest.
Deacon Baxter was wont to call
Mark Wilson worthless, whey faced,
lily handed whelp," but the descrip-
ton, though picturesque, was decided
ly exaggerated. Mark disliked manual
labor; but, having imbibed enough
knowledge of law in his fathers Office
to be an excellent clerk. he much pre-.
ferred travelling about, settling the de-
tails OF small cases, collecting rents
and bad bills, to any form of work on
q farm. This sort of life, on stage
coaches and railway trains or on long
driving trips with his own fast "trot-
ter" suited his adventurous DISPOSE
ton and gave him a sense Of impor-
lance that was very necessary TO his
peace of mind. He was not especially
intimate with Ivory Boynton, who
studied law with his father during all
vacations and in every available hour
OF leisure during term time. as did
many another young New England
schoolmaster. q
Marks fathers praise OF Ivory's
legal ability was a little too warm TO
please his son, as was the cOmmenda-
ton of one of the county court judges
on lvory's preparation of a brief in a
certain case In the Wilson office.
Ivory had drawn 1t up at Mr.. Wilson's
request merely to show how far he UNI
derstood the books and cases he was
studying, and he had no idea that It
differed In any way from the work of
any other student. All the same,
Marks own efforts In a like direction
had never received any special men,
tion.
/ When he was In the bayfield, he also
kept as far as possible from Ivory, be-
cause there, too, he felt a superiority
that made him for the moment a tribe
disconnected. Ii was no particular
pleasure for him TO see Ivory plunge
his fork deep into the heart of hay
cock, take a firm grasp OF the handle,
thrust forward his foot to steady him
self and then raise the great fragrant
heap slowly and swing 1t up TO the
waiting hay cart amid the applause OF
the crowd.
Rodman would be there, too, helping
the man on top OF the load and getting
nearly buried each time as the mass
descended upon him. but doing his
slender best TO distribute and tread II .
down properly, while his young heart ,
glowed with pride at Cousin lvory's |
prowess.
Independence day had passed. with
its usual gayeties for the young peo-
pie, in none OF which the Baxter fam
lily had Joined. and now, at II o'clock
ON this burning July morning, Wait
still was driving the old mare past the