342 ATCHISON COUNTY, KANSAS. 



being prepared, tlie seed was dropped by my wife, whose hands 

 were unused to such hibor, while Joe and I covered the corn 

 witli hoes. The corn came up and grew finely. Then was cul- 

 tivating time ! My outfit for this arduous work was a little 

 Spanish mule thirteen bands high, and a shovel plow — a genu- 

 ine Missouri tool. Neither Joe nor I were much used to labor 

 or to a June sun, and as we both had to work against the 

 mule, we entered into a compact. Having erected an umbrella 

 in the corner of the worm fence, we agreed to go a "bout "and 

 rest in turn. This worked to our entire satisfaction, and cer- 

 tainly there was never a better crop of corn raised. 



Soon after this, and just when, we needed agricultural 

 instruction, our friend Lew. Dubois turned his back on Jersey 

 and came to us, bringing with him as a helpmate a little black- 

 eyed Jersey girl. Lew. was a farmer without a fault, while 

 his "Sally" was not a whit behind him. 



From this time Woodland began to blossom. But there 

 was one cloud in the domestic firmament. When we had com- 

 paoy it was sure to rain and soak through the mud roof upon 

 tiie snow-white damask cloth on the table, to the great disgust 

 of the housewife. A new house became therefore a necessity. 

 At that time mechanics could not be had, but Joe was a skilled 

 workman, and with our help, in due time, a one and a half 

 story cottage of some pretensions was erected. 



In this work a very important factor was the wife, cheer- 

 ing us on while we applied the lumber and mortar. When at 

 last it was finished, and the piano rolled into place, Joe was 

 fully compensated for his long hours of toil by the house- 

 wife's cheerful songs. 



After some ten years there came to us one Adoniram Jud- 

 son Haskins, a dyed-in-the-wool Yankee, who, like his illus- 

 trious namesake, concluded that the heathen needed him, and 

 struck for Kansas, There was no romance in his make-up, 

 and no one would have had the audacity to pass " bass-wood 

 haras" or "beech nutmegs" on him! Old Faithful, Honesty 

 and Steady Habits combined, he has become a part and parcel 

 of " Woodland Farm." He is to-day overseer of that farm, 



