The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-11-01
BEGINNING OVER
BY ANDREW PHELPS,

tween Ned Richards and Dorothy
White. Ned was a bookkeeper and
twenty years old, and Dorothy was
twenty-five and "just girl" living at
home. Once year Ned had a vaca-
ton, but he generally spent it at the
seashore. What he didn't know about
the country and agriculture would
have filed a big book. What he knew
about bookkeeping would have filed
another.
As for Miss Dorothy, she knew that
hay came from grass, and that milk
came from COWS, but those facts had
never interested her much and she had
never gone beyond them.
They loved. It doesn't make any
difference whether they fell in love at
first sight, or waited for three months,
and when Miss Dorothy had promised
to be Ned's wife, they talked. En-.
gagged couples generally talk, but very
few of them talk as Ned and Dorothy
did. There should be lawn in front
Of the cottage. There should be room
for dig garden behind it. They
should keep hens; they should keep
at least two pigs; they should raise
their own vegetables, and you know
what else is needed to complete the
happy plans.
By and by, Ned and Dorothy were
married and after q brief wedding
tour, they returned home to look for
the cottage. They found 1t. It was
just the cottage they had pictured a
thousand times over. They had re-
pairs made and moved in.
That lawn! It was lawn, or their
landlord said It was, but the grass was
foot high and was matted together
like a fish net. It must be moved,
however, and It was in this moving
that the first shadow fell.
Ned knew how to buy a lawnmow.
er and to ride home proudly in the
wagon with it, but he did not know
how the thing worked. He was drag
ging it after him instead Of pushing 1t
in front, when Dorothy came to the
door and laughed, to his humiliation.
They were to keep chickens. Ned
got half day off and went to see q
farmer to buy some fowls. A car
penter came with lumber and nails
and made chicken house.
They had planned to keep pigs, and
Ned bought couple. The carpenter
came again and a pen was built, and
the grunts Of the pigs sounded home
like.
It was in July and far past planting
time, but Ned arose with daylight and
planted corn and potatoes and the
seeds Of many vegetables. He limped
around with lame back as a conse-
quence, but he looked forward to a
bountiful harvest. Half dozen doves
came and sat on the roof tree, and
cooed, and all would have been happi-
ness had either of the couple known
as much about agriculture as they did
about moving pictures. Everything
the wife undertook brought q protest
from her husband, and vice versa.
When the hens were brought home
there was no food and water for them,
and they began to die off. It was only
when neighbor told them that fowls
must be fed and watered that they
gave them care.
"You ought to have known BETTER"
reproachfully said the wife.
$50 had you," was the reply.
And when the pigs had been three
days without care and were giving
vent to their disgust at such careless
ness the bride suddenly remembered
that pigs wanted care the same as
fowls, and she hurried to heat some
water and to carry out some fish
bones. When Ned was told of this in
cident he replied that anybody would
have known better.
The potatoes did not sprout and the
corn showed never stalk, and each
said the other ought to have known
better than to plant two months too
late. A few cucumber seeds sprout-
ed and few vines wandered over the
ground, but they died from despair
after few weeks. Never an egg did
/ the hens lay; never an ounce Of fat
did those pigs take on.
OHe Jay MISS DOrOtny went nome I'D
her mother, and she cried and told her
all about 1t. One day Ned went to see
his father, and he looked very solemn
as he told his story. Dorothy told her
mother that she and Ned must separ-
ate. Ned told his father that he could
not stand this thing longer. The result
was that Dorothy's mother and Ned's
father made visit to the woodbine
cottage that evening.
'"There will be no separation" said
Ned's father, when all particulars had
been related. "Even an idiot can fall
in love. but you have got to have COM
mon sense to retain that love-"
"But, Ned says I never do anything
right" protested Dorothy.
"And she says the same thing about
mel" retorted Ned.
You had the good sense to marry
each other, but you didn't have the
sense to make farm Of this place"
said the father. ''You let the failure
irritate you, and your Irritation caused
you to blame each other. Stop 1t
right here! Ned. you love your wife
dearly, don't your