Year: 1879




board and lodging, until such time as
there is vacancy, or / can get work
elsewhere"


This was the gst of what he said,
translated, on the part of the Norwegi-
an, from his imperfect English, and the
farmer told him TO go to work, deciding
in his own mind to see what sort of
metal was in the tall, fair-haired Norwe-
gian.


The days went by in toll and gladness,
and the farmer found that his free
hand" as he called him, was the best
man on the ranch. He was the earliest
at all times, and in no sense an eye
server. Always merry, his folksongs
of home, and his stories of that weird
northern land, grew more interesting as
his knowledge of our language advanced.
Moreover he was no eye-servant, but
gave the working hours of the day to his
employer with rare fidelity.


Two months went by in this sort of
way. The farmer began to feel ashamed
of himself for keeping without wages
the man who was evidently the best
workman in the nelghborhood, and the
most careful of his employers interests.
1t pays to have such man." he said
to himself. "It is absurd to think of
letting him go at any time"


So the farmer paid him fair wages,
dating from the day he stepped ON the
ranch, which was honorable back pay,
and engaged him for one year, the bart'
gain to terminate then unless the same
satisfaction was given


Our Norwegian remained no less than
seven years on this one farm, making
himself more and more necessary to the
operation of agriculture. They ceased
calling him "Gus," he became Mr..
Peterson" in the neighborhood. Other
laborers had come and gone. He was
the sole representative of the men who
were on the ranch when he came there.
The most important gain. perhaps, was
that he had complete and practical
knowledge of farms and farm work, of
our soil, climate, limitations, and
possibilities. Lastly, he had with stern
self denial saved every cent he could,
and it was invested in different ways.


So Mr.. Peterson, after seven years of
vacationless work, took summer trip,
rather unaccountably prolonged, to the
Norwegian settlements of the Western
States, and returned with warm heart
ed, maidenly wife, for whom every one
had pleasant word. Then he went to
the farmer and wanted to buy piece of
land.


CT would rather live near here, and
still work for you at odd times. only
want twenty acres," he said.


Twenty acres seemed SO small tract
to the farmer accustomed to working his
two thousand acres, that. he tried to
persuade him to take more, but Peterson
still clung to the conviction that fruit,
flowers, vegetables, wind mill to lift
water, a few cows, chickens and pigs,
with the close care which he so well
understood, would make twenty acres
bright and self supporting home. Final
ly, upon the farmers earnest, friendly
desire, he took forty acres at fifty dollars
per acre, paying thousand dollars
down, and letting the rest wait at ten
per cent interest


With what earnestnesse and patience
he had begun to toll, having now his
own abode, or how faithfully his wife
seconds his efforts, we have not space to
relate. The goal is reached. The crops
on his forty acres will go far towards
paying off the debt this fall. They
spend little; they live within them
selves; they desire to build up loving
and beautiful home, full of peace, purity,
restfulness. And they have gone about
it in the way open to the mass of hu-
manity-by simple hard work and self
denial.


This sketch Is, except in names used,
a transcription from actual occurrences.
The man of whom we speak is a Nor
wegian, but the lesson is equally full of
encouragement for hundreds of others.
He has won some foothold, and so can
other toilers. Ten years from now, if
we keep track of our hero, we shall
probably find him well known and
respected everywhere, owning a highly
cultivated farm, educating his children
in our schools, taking the best papers,
and in all respects thoroughly inform
ed citizen. SO we cannot help wishing,