The Connecticut labor press., 1920-12-11
By ROBERT J. C. STEAD
Assfhov of "Ths C01s, Plsnck1er " Efc.


 peculiarity of the agricuIturist that, among all professions, he holds his own in the worst repute. In later years has come gradually broaden ing conception that farming, after all, calls for brain as well as muscle, and that the man who can wrestle sue cessful living from nature has as much right to hold up his head in the world as the experimenter in medicine or the lawyer playing hide-and-seek with justice through the cracks in the crim- inal code. Herein is a germ of the cityward migration: the farmer him. self Is looking for something betters for his children.
 Jim was a good man," persisted his wife. Don't you think you were well, perhaps, little hasty with him?"
 Harris sat back. It was his wife's business to agree. For twenty years and more she had been faithful in the discharge of that duty. That she should suggest an opinion out of har- mony with his indicated a. lack of dit- cipline. not very serious, perhaps, but seed which, if permitted to flourish. might develop to dangerous propor- tions.
 ''So you're goin' to take his part, too? It's a strange thing if I can't handle my hired help without advice from the house."
 Mary flushed at the remark. Any open quarrel with her husband, espe- cially before the children-for she still thought of the man and woman to her left and right as "the children" was more painful to her than any submission could have been. It would be so much easier to change the sub ject, to follow the line of least resist ance, and forgot the incident as quick ly as possible. But of late the convic- tion had been coming home to her that some time, somewhere, she must. make stand. And, quite unbidden. strange surge of defiance welled in her when her husband so frankly told her to mind her own business.
 1T was under the impression we were managing this farm together, you and I, John," she said, very calm ly, but with strange ring in her voice. When we came West I under stood it was to build our home. I didn't know it was just to be your home"
 The look of surprise with which Harris greeted her words was abso- 1utely genuine. A hot, stinging retort 1sprang to his lips, but by a sudden effort he suppressed it. We will talk about that some other time, Mary" he said. ''If Jim had answered my ques- tion fairly. as he had right to, in- stead of beatin' around the bush. might we let him off. But when I wanted to know what kept him he simply parried me, maxim a fool of me and rubin it in with that infer nal smile of his"
 sSo that's what started it!~ ex- claimed Beu1ah. Well. I'll tell you what kept him, if he wouldn't. The cattle got into the oats through a break in the fence and I couldn't get them out. and the dog went ki-yi-ing over the prairie after a rabbit, and just as was beginning to-to-con- dense over it Jim came up and saved the situation. What if he did keep your old engine waiting? There are more important things than blowing"
 "Aha i' said Harris, knowingly. "Well. I guess it's just as well it hap pened as it did. Jim was gettin' al- together too good at runnin' at your heels."
 That's all the thanks he gets for Iofo and oarIu liIxo no ofhor- hired man in the district All right. You and Allan can milk the cows to- night, for I won't-seeT'