Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1921-12-29

All the time she was gathering in her apron
dropped rose leaves and poppy leaves to press be-
tween the leaves of the big Bible.
little down the slope lay the vegetable garden
of my father full of long, beds, all turned
over each year by the spade and the spine. Oh,
Lord but yet 1 have the memory of it in my back.
Why had they not thought of gardens to be fur
rowed by horsepower? But they had not. l think
because they were yet too full of Old England
and a Yankee was after all, the most Initiative
creature in the world. He shook his fist, and
wagged his tongue like the great bell at Moscow
at the world Englishman, but for all that he was
himself English, both in his stomach and in his
head. He not only spaded his gardens but he
took his snuff like an Englishman, and he built
his fence after English pattern. What else
could explain why he had many little yards
about our house, and built our house close down
by the road? AS if we were crowded into little
island, and had not room enough to turn around
in. We more Independent now, and really
are getting some notions of our own But then
house stood only a stones throw from the
highway, and there a little box of a yard in
front, and this full of locust trees and honey
suckes and there at night the honey moths would
come and play highspy in the blossoms. George
Ill great gray cat, would sit down to look
at one that came too near-for what was it?-a
bird or a butterfly? And like all of us, he was
a bit of naturalist. He liked very much to classi-
fly the world but never hestated to put the choic-
est specimens in his stomach, which is, see, the
way with other scientists. They will eat a
megaothoporod quick pig
But you should have seen the "sturtions" as they
grew in rows all about the vegetable beds, for
father also had an eye to beauty. Did he not set
hollyhocks all about his fields? Then when
the great stalks of crimson and gold stood up in
summer and the folk that went by to church
stopped to look with admiration, he said "Truly.
one shall not live by bread alone" And he liked
best those neighbors who looked the longest,
the little mother liked best those who ate most Of
her goodies The saffron, and dill, and the
and rosemary and carraway, and fennel, and the
mnts grew by the brook that down back of
the house and garden and, indeed. there were
also more of these herbs that stood always in the
place of family doctor. Indeed, you may look;
but it was not so bad exchange. And as for
the notions, they may have been no worse than
the guesses of the profession nowadays.
There is no good living where there are no
brooks, and this was brook of the first water.
It bubbled out f a rocky hollow, little secret
cavern, and then it laughed and tumbled for half
a mile before it got it's fun The little mother
in summer would walk with us there and she
would sometimes say, "Now, let go father over
to the glen where the bigger brook is, and the
ferns and the witchhazel and the yellow BIRCH
and the beechdrops." Oh, it was glorious fun !!
But at night, after work, the dear father would
come early from the field, and say, Nov, let us
all go for Strawberries" Then-ah but how can
1 tell you such delicious joys! You know nothing
of wild Strawberries. much less do you know the
delight of creeping about the meadows and down
by the stumps in the pastures, while the bObolink
Whistles and the brooks gurgled, gathered
the long stems that lay lovingly against the grass
Where are we? l had no business out of season
and in midwinter to take you through snow banks
to pick Strawberries But it's such tricks the men,
ory plays We will get at once back to the house.
The front door, as you see, opens just in the mid
die in halves and from that the hall runs back as
straight as a Puritans nose, right through every
thing till it lands in the big kitchen. And the two
halves of the door swing open separately. l know
not why it was, unless 1t were inheritance from
pioneer days, when it was well to be able to look
out and parey little before opening the way for
an Indian rush. So, at any rate, all the doors in
those days were cut across the middle. In the big
ward was the woodshed and that was full of piles
of wood as dry tinder. 1t the comfort of
winter and the very right arm of a successful
home. From the woodshed all went, kicking
first the dirt from boots into the great living
room, where were all together. Over this door
was twined with care great bittersweet and
all over the stone curb Of the well was a wild
white-fowering clematis.
Father" said the little priestess, "'tis as well
to cultivate the beautiful and enjoy it. Why