Gilpin observer., 1915-01-28
DIGGING OUT A FOX
How a GirkFound a Man to Love
and One to Love Her.
By BRYANT c. ROGERS.

Farmer David Brandon had worked
hard all day, and now that evening
had come and the cows had been
MIXED, the hogs fed, the hens shut
up. and the kitchen wood-box filled up
with dry maple wood. he pulled off his
boots, with grunt for each boot, aud
sat silent.
David had been silent for long Ten
minutes when his wife looked Ut from
her knitting and asked: Tired, pa?"
Not uncommon" was tb. reply.
Amt you goin' to read:"
I'm a-thinkin'."
Bout Jessie comm home tomor-
rer?"
Yes"
And you don't seem a bit glad
You haven't appeared to take a mite
of interest in her for the last month.
l want you to tell me what the matter
is. I've been wanting to talk with
you"
THE matter is,' slowly replied the
husband, that we've been wrong all
through this thing"
You mean with Jessie?"
Yes"
How have we been wrong?"
I'VE are farmer folks. We begun
that way. and we shall die that way.
We don't aim to put on any style We
can read, write and cipher We have
a daughter Jessie. She went to dis
trict school and got better education
than either of u.s."
"Well?" queried the wife.
That wasn't 'nuff. You got the idea
that we must send her off to boardin
school and learn her lots more. She
must have heap of good clothes and
other things, and it has been tight
squeeze to keep her goin' She's
learned music with the rest of it, and
now we must have a pianer for her to
play on. 1t stands there in the par
lor, and how many bushels of wheat is
it goin' to take to pay for it, and what
real good will it ever be to anybody?
AS farmers daughter, Jessie ought
to marry farmer. She will have
work 70 do as farmers wife. There
will be precious little time to thump
on the pianer. There will be precious
little use for this education that has
cost US so much money. Them are
the things that have been thinkin of,
and l tell you, ma, we have made
big mistake
Has any one been talkin' to you,
pa?"
Well, the tin peddler and the chick
en- buyer have had something to say"
'Then let US start right there. Are
either one of them educated mem"
NO"
That's just why the one is a ped
dler and the other chicken buyer.
Miss Walters. the school teacher. is
getting $50 month and free board.
amt she?"
Yes
And what is Hoyt's gal. Thomp-
sons gal, Ridgeway's gal. getting?
They are hired gals at s12 month.
Why? Because they are not educated,
Hasn't it occurred to you that Jessie
might become a school teacher. and if
she does and goes to some village she
can earn her $50 month"
"Mebbe she can," grudgingly ad-
mitted the husband.
And why do farmers daughters
generally marry farmers sons? It's
because they haven't a chance to mar
ry In another class. The farmer amt
lcokin' for an educated wife. An edu-
Gated man amt lookin' for an ignor-
ant one. Neither a farmers son nor
daughter has much of a chance to pick
and choose"
There was a silence lasting three or
four minutes.
We owed it to Jessie, pave owed
IL to her. Neither of us had the
chance to get an education, and we
have had to suffer for it. We don't
know much more about the world than
two wooden posts. We've had to work
hard and scrimp and save to give Jes.
sic show, but it will come out all
right. and you take my word for 1t.
Don't ever let her know that you
sorter begrudged her an edecation."
The morrow came and Jessie came
with it. She was glad to be home,
and her parents were glad to have her.
She went about singing. and 1t was
soon shown that education had not
spoiled her for housework. She was
also busy with the roses and vines and
seeds and cuFrant bushes. There was
much done to make the old farmhouse
look as II new family had moved in.
and she did 1t. People drove slowly
past that they might see the improve.
ments. and the mother said to the ia
ther:
1t comes Of education, pa. Weeds
and burdocks looked all right to us,
but see what change Jessie has
made!"
But what about her getting mar.
ried?" he grumbled.
As II in answer, three or four young
men from the village drove out on
fictitious errands that they might get
a sight of and few words with the
college girl" as they called her.