A little later the troubled mother walked back to the side porch, where
her husband was enjoying the June twilight while he kept an eye on four
of the younger members of the family as they were quietly engaged in
their Sabbath recreation of piecing together picture puzzles.
"Martin," she said as she sat beside the man, "I've been thinkin' about
our Mart."
"Yes? What?"
"Why, I feel we ain't doin' just right by him. You know he don't like
farmin' at all. He's anxious to get more schoolin' but he ain't
complainin'. He wants to fit himself so he can get in some office or
bank in the city and yet here he works on the farm helpin' us like he
really liked to do that kind of work. Now he's of age, and since Walter
and Joe are big enough to help you good and we're gettin' on our feet a
little since the nine babies are out of the dirt, as they say still,
why don't we give Martin a chance once?"
"Well, why not? I'm agreed, Ma. He's been workin' double, and when I'm
laid up with that old rheumatism he runs things good as I could. We got
the mortgage paid off now. How'd it be if we let him have the tobacco
money? I was thinkin' of puttin' in the electric lights and fixin'
things up a little with it, but if you'd rather give it to Mart--"
"I would. Much rather! I used oil lamps this long and I guess I can
manage with them a while yet."
"All right, but as soon as we can we'll get others. Mart's young and
ought to have his chance, like you say. I don't know what for he'd
rather sit over a lot o' books in some hot little office or stand in a
stuffy bank and count other people's money when he could work on a farm
and be out in the open air, but then we ain't all alike and I guess
it's a good thing we ain't. We'll tell him he dare have time for goin'
to Lancaster to school if he wants. Mebbe he'll be a lawyer or
president some day, ain't, Ma?"
"Ach, Martin, I don't think that would be so much. I'd rather have my
children just plain, common people like we are. Mart's gone up to
Reists' this evening."
"So? To see Amanda, I guess."
"Her or that boarder from Lancaster."
"That ruffly girl we saw this morning?"
"Yes."
"Ach, don't you worry, Ma. Our Mart won't run after that kind of a
girl! Anyhow, not for long."
At that moment the object of their discussion was approaching the Reist
farmhouse. The entire household, Millie included, sat on the big front
porch as the caller came down the road.