The valley people

Chapter I

The Woman’s Home Missionary Societies of the different churches have established industrial schools in different parts of our country where the need for them is great. The girls who attend these schools are taught Home Economics, music and agriculture, when their homes are in the country, and last and most important of all the religion of Jesus Christ. The far-reaching results of this work with limited means is almost unbelievable. These could never be attained if it were not for the blessing of the Master upon the fragments that are left from the loaves and fishes after the multitudes have been fed. These crumbs from the tables are the Bread of Life as well as food and raiment. How many more fragments they would receive if those who are wasting them thought of the good they would do if given to the Master for His use.

Come with me far enough south to be called in the Southland, to a valley settled by people whose intelligence and ambitions were as great as that of our northern ancestors. The descendants of these people went backward instead of advancing with the rest of the nation, because they had spent their little all jn coming to new homes in this country. Slavery was king of the South. Slaveholders would not give these white settlers any work. They could not live near them, but were driven back from these wealthy settlers into the highlands and valleys remote from other settlements. They could not buy machinery to use in clearing the land and putting in the crops. Isolated from the world of helpful people, who would have given them work if they had settled in different states, they did the best they could with rifles, traps, hoes, spades and other small tools. Primitive tools these to wrest homes and comforts from the wildernes's. Far from railroads, those who settled in this valley, were shut off by themselves. They did the best they could with their resources. Quite as well as you and I could have done under similar circumstances; Perhaps, as well as their Scotch, Irish and English ancestors could have done.

Sometimes they grew discouraged and felt like plodding along, but received inspiration from a family by the name of McDonald. They were as poor as the others, but young ]\IcDonald had walked from the valley to a school in Indiana, that he had heard of from a tourist who walked through the valley one summer. He worked his way through public school and college. He met a young lady there, who was paying her way by tutoring, and working for her board and room. They married at the end of college days, and commenced their married life on the farm his parents had left him. It was nearly covered by timber. Through the years the struggle to clear and cultivate the land, and feed and clothe the little children that came, left little time for improvement, but the mother made good use of that little time, for the desire to educate the children, and help' the other settlers to educate theirs was the incentive to prepare them for the school life that would surely be theirs if they were ready when the opportunity came.

At last an opportunity came to send Tersa, the oldest daughter, to an industrial school. The lady who gave the money to pay her expenses wished her to go back to her community and give the years of her girlhood to teaching not only the children' but their parents.

Time flew by until Tersa had attended school more than two years. You can imagine the consternation that filled the minds of the principal and this loved pupil when a letter from the North crashed their plans to the ground in what seemed a total wreck.

The girls in the sewing class were working on their graduation gowns one morning, when Mary Dean entered the room with the startling announcement: “Tersa McDonald is going home at commencement time and is not coming back to school any more.”

“Why, she is too!” “O'f course, she is coming back!” “She is a four-year girl.” “What makes you say that she is not coming back?” These, with other exclamations, that were drowned in the flood of noise that swept over the room, stopped any explanation the speaker was about to make. Jennie Barr was the first to receive an answer to her question, “Why isn’t she coming back?”

“Miss Love received a letter from Teresa’s lady. She said that circumstances have changed with her, so that, deeply as she regrets it, she cannot pay Tersa’s expenses any longer.”

“Oh !” It was a long-drawn out exclamation of sympathy from every girl.

“Tersa was crying when I went into her room before class time,” volunteered another girl.

“Miss Love was crying, too. I wanted to ask her a question but when I opened the office door she was crying so hard that she never noticed me. I never saw her cry before.”

Neither had the others. It was almost unbelievable that she had done so for she always wore a sunny smile.

Finally Betty Colton voiced the thoughts of all after different opinions had been freely expressed: “It is just this way: Tersa was taking the longer course; if she had been taking the shorter one she would be ready for the work she can do, and not partly ready for that and for advanced work. Some way she will make good anyway. She is the most resourceful girl in school. Give her some of those stones that mark red and yellow and the top of a stump, and she could teach the common branches without any apparatus.”

“She could do all of that, but this disappointment will be hard on her. We must do all we can to help her get all she can out of this last month of school,” contributed Mary Dean.

Help her? Surely they would. It never entered their minds that there was any other way to do. The days were crowded, but they would always be. One of the great lessons they had learned at school was that of unselfish helpfulness.

They smiled a welcome when the principal and Tersa entered the room. No questions were asked for they possessed the fine courtesy that would not allow them to disturb their friend when she was striving for self-control. Any lingering hope that it was not true was dispelled when Miss Love took out the treasured bolt of fine white goods and measured off enough for a dress and handed it to Tersa.

This was the school’s parting gift to each girl. It was made possible through the kindness of a manufacturer, who gave a bolt of cloth to the school each year so that the girls could have a sheer soft dress for commencement and to take home with them.

It was hard for the girls to keep from crying for Miss Love’s voice quivered in spite of her efforts to keep it steady, while Tersa seemed stunned, and her face had lost the look that had made them call her “the Shining One.”

The memory of that morning and the talk the principal gave them lived with the girls throughout the years. She tried to conduct the class as usual, but the blow had fallen so suddenly that she could not recover her habitual poise. Tersa’s loss and her brave attempt to go on with her duties when her little world had suddenly swung out of its orbit ; and the loss to the valley people, who were trying their best to reach a higher plane, seemed overwhelming. The work would fail. If they had known this was coming, and prepared her to be a primary and intermediate teacher, in place of preparing her partially for that and more advanced work. Depression gripped firmly. Yes, Tersa would probably get discouraged and marry young, and what was the use of trying to do any more for her anyway. Into this murky gloom flashed the words : “The Angel of His Presence saved them.” Impatiently she flashed back an S. O. S. : “I think the Angel will have his hands full.” We who have had quite as impatient thoughts when not half as much was involved, can understand and sympathize with her, and feel ready to cry for the, loss of the other two years that meant so much to this pioneer girl. The Heavenly Father knew how sorely she was tried, and sent a vision to her mind of Tersa walking among her people with the Angel guiding and leading her. God was going with her, and it seemed that He wanted her to go back now. Returning courage brightened her face. She turned to her pupils :

“Dear girls, let us kneel and ask Our Father for faith to believe this is His will, and for courage to go on with His work. We need special help this morning and He has 'it for us.” Everything was better after that prayer for “its just like Jesus to roll the clouds away.” They listened again to the story of the Angel who would go with them through life, and sang as they sewed : “Content whatever lot I see since ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.” They talked about the pillar of cloud that departed not from over the Israelites by day, and the pillar of fire to show them the light, and the way wherein they should go by night.” This teacher knew they loved her, but did not realize the feeling of reverence her girls had for her. Every word of her stories would be reproduced by them, with her every inflection, when they in turn became teachers. She asked as a favor, if they would do a little extra work each day, so that she could have time to write letters to people in the North, asking for a little help. She wanted to. give Tersa more instruction in the theory of teaching. The promise of two days in the fields and woods with picnic dinners were ofifered as a compensation for their extra work. Outings were a treat and each was anxious to learn more about the birds and flowers for they knew the folks at home would be glad to learn all they could teach them.

The flock of letters that went flying to the North “like doves to the windows,” pleaded for things that would help equip them for better service. Some of them were answered ; others tossed aside until God compels an answer at the judgment. Parcels received, furnished outfits that would have looked pitifully inadequate to you or me, but to these girls they were an abundance to be carefully conserved for the Master’s use. If you could have seen their delight in the used textbooks, pieces of pencils, crayons, remnants from sewingbags, needles, pins, scissors, paper patterns and odds and ends of leftovers you would be more careful what you burn or throw away. You would save and send more and the Master would bless the fragments and multiply; them in results. He would bless you for your thoughtfulness, and give you the hundredfold in peace and joy in this life.

CHAPTER IL

Commencement passed. In each memory chest its events were cherished wrapped in loving thoughts, the pansies of the soul. While it was the first great event in these young lives it would not be the last for they were following the Angel toward others. The last month had been strangely happy in the atmosphere of unselfish deeds.

Jennie Barr, Bettie Colton, Mary Dean and Tersa were to leave together. Mr. and Mrs. Barr came to attei.id the exercises. They arrived in a wagon drawn by a team of mules. This was the way they were expected to come, but their appearance surprised the girls for the mules were well groomed, and wore whole harnesses. Furthermore their arrival almost passed unnoticed for the wagon did not creak and groan, as if it had rheumatism. These differences were a delightful surprise. The girls dreaded trying' to get their men folks to fix things up the way the people who lived around the school kept their belongings. Now, the makeshift of harnesses tied with pieces of rope was gone, perhaps it would be easier than they had hoped. Jennie was as proud of that team and harness as her mother and father’s faces said they were, though they never mentioned it until the girls’ exclamations drew forth the remark that it looked right nice.

When the time to start for home ’came the girls and their boxes filled all but the front seat of the wagon. They were used to crowding and had a jolly time until they had to say good by. They talked of their' work with enthusiasm as they admired the fields and woods. They enjoyed this their first ride in over two years. No college graduates whirling homeward in Pullmans, or expensive touring cars could have been more hopefully confident of success. They were enthusiastic about using pawpaw seeds to teach numbers, and teaching domestic science over fireplaces with stumps fortables. The first stop was at the Barr home, where all spent the night. The guests saw improvements in the home, but as nothing was said about them, they asked no questions. Their work was the absorbing topic. Parents were interested in finding out more about what the girls had learned than in anything else, before the early bedtime came.

The next morning Tom Dean came, and surprise followed surprise for he drove a team of good horses and realized the impression they made. He smiled at the girls’ admiration, and finally chuckled as he saw their puzzled expressions when he remarked in an ofifhand way: “Some class to them.” The expression and the ease with which he used it were a wonder. There was some joke that the Barr’s and Tom enjoyed together, but the girls paid little attention to it for it was so hard to’ say good by. They comforted each other with the promise of the Divine Comforter, and the Angel who would lead each of them, while God would be back of them as He always had been. Jennie and Tersa would be alone as far as school friends were concerned, but Betty and Mary lived quite near each other. They looked forward to friendly visits. Betty was the next to reach home, and five miles farther on at the Dean farm Tom McDonald was waiting for Tersa. He had a new wagon.

“Quite smart,” Mary Dean told him, determined that one boy should not get the start of them.

“They’ll do,” he remarked laconically, “though I prefer a gas wagon for larger loads.”

“What next? What does it all mean?” they asked each other, and agreed that the sooner they found out the mystery the better they would be pleased, though the folks would have to do the explaining. Changes in the Dean home were for the better. All were in good spirits during dinner for the family were so glad to have Mary back, and pleased to have their guests that each minute was filled with fun and laughter.

Parting from the last one of the girls was almost more than Tersa could stand. She would be so far away from all of them, not in attual distance, but with the slow ways of travel, it would be impossible to see them often, if at all. She felt like walking back to school and begging to stay. She looked longingly toward the trail over which they had come, then bravely turned her young face away. The school was not her home any longer, and she could never go back for poverty would shut her in with her people as the mountains separated their valley from the outside world. She banished sad thoughts and left smiling. Little was said by brother and sister for some time for Tom felt a little uncertain about her feelings, and she was striving to keep the tears back. She did not want any of her folks to know how sorry she was to leave. Finally Tom commenced to tell her little items about the neighbors, and she asked questions about the children.

“Hetty must go to school as soon as we can arrange it,” she said.

“Reckon she can, but you can teach her this year.”

“I will teach her all that I can this year, but there may be no scholarship money next year.”

“She has kept on studying since you have been away. We study at home like we used to. Did you bring any more of those magazines? We hoped you would.”

“A bundle of them. Miss Love sent four to you. She said you were interested in subjects in them.” Tersa’s old sunny smile flashed forth. If the family was so anxious for these, her work was well started. They chatted about a series of articles that had been in the Sunday school paper until they reached home shortly after dark. It was a comfortable log house, none too large for the^ eager family that crowded around the wagon giving Tersa such a loving welcome’ that she was glad to be with them.

What a good supper they had! Mother always made the meals taste right, even if ^here was little variety, but tonight there seemed to be a variety. Stranger still the table was covered with a white cloth. The plates, knoves and forks were in neat array, and a glass of milk stood in the proper place beside each plate. This was a surprise for a bare table with few dishes had been what she was accustomed to at home.

They were watching her to see how she liked it. At her exclamation : “How fine you are ! How did you learn to set a table like this ?” They knew that everything pleased her.

“You told us how in a letter and sent a little drawing of a table you set. We sold berries to some people who camped near here last summer, and bought these things. Does it look as nice as yours?’’ asked Hetty.

“A little nicer for we are all here,” answered Tersa, beginning to realize how dear the home folks were.

“We are glad that you feel that way,” approved her father.

Little Rose explained: “We always say the- grace that you said at school every evening at supper time.”

Reverently the family repeated in unison the little poem of Thanksgiving :

“We put our trust in Thee and give to Thee our praise.

For Thou hast been our help through all our busy days.

Our song shall be of Thee when evening hours draw near.

While through the night till morning light

Thy love will keep and cheer.”

Soon after supper a tired and happy Tersa was sent to bed for she had dropped to sleep as she was listening to the conversation. She could scarcely keep awake long enough for the prayer of Thanksgiving for the pleasant homecoming.

The sun was shining when she heard little Rose singing :

“When I wake with morning light, thank you for your care all night.

Help me to be good and strong and to serve you all day long.” , .

Sunrise of the first day at home. As Tersa glanced across the room she noticed the furniture.

“Where did you get this furniture? It is beautiful. Whose is it? It is all curly.” Hetty enjoyed her sister’s mystification quite as well as Rose who was laughing roguishly as she watched her.

“It is ours,” Hetty answered. “Knowing the traditions and rules of the House of McDonald you surely did not think we would borrow our neighbors’ goods to make (he house attractive for the daughter’s return from college. The wood is curly maple. It grew in our woods. The trees were felled by son Bob, made into lumber suitable for its present use by the combined efforts of different members of the family, and last and most beautiful process of all, it became furniture under the skilled hands of the aforesaid Bob.”

‘‘Bob make this? He couldn’t! There is no more beautiful furniture in this country. The finish is like satin. There were a few pieces of elegant furniture in the reception room at school. It was given to Miss Love by an old lady who had been yery wealthy. It is rare and costly. This is as well made as that and the finish is newer and smoother. Where did you get it, Hetty?”

Hetty had enjoyed the surprise quite as well as she had thought she would. She answered sedately : ‘Tt is all true, though it reads like a story. I shall gO' down and tell the maker the nice things you have said about it, but omit the remark discrediting his ability to do the work. Some of the members of this family do not properly appreciate his ability, so please say something kind to him about it when you come down to breakfast.”

“That dressing table is for you to use,” Rose told her before she followed Hetty. She did want to stay and hear what was said when she read the card attached to it, but her share of the work was waiting and she could not stay.

As Tersa . looked at the dressing table she read a little home-made card attached to it: “From the family to Tersa.” She could scarcely believe that her family could give her this elegant gift for when she had expressed a wish for a chair like the ones at school. Miss Love had explained how rare and costly such furniture is, and told her of Henry Ward Beecher, who once said that he could enjoy all the beautiful things he saw with no anxiety about them. The owners had the care and worry while he enjoyed them as much, or more, than they did. Tersa had accepted the implied lesson and made up her mind to do the same./ Now, her wish had come true when she had given up expecting its fulfillment. It was just the way the northern people had things. A cousin of one of the teachers had received a beautiful writing desk when she graduated. It was just like other folks did. She ran down stairs and told the folks about it after she had thanked them heartily.

“I was going to coax you boys to help us girls make some kind of a one for our room, and we have one fit for a palace.”

“Or the White House,” remarked Jim, who thought the White House better than any palace.

“Please tell me all about it. Bob,” coaxed Tersa.

“There isn’t time,” reminded her mother, “there is a busy day ahead of all of us.”

The family separated after family devotions and Tersa’s" first task was to help her mother with the poultry. It was a treat to be out of doors, and she stepped gaily onto a large porch that was something new. It was as large as a living room should be, and shaded by grapevines.

“This is where we do all of our work that we can in warm weather and store wood in winter,” explained her mother in as matter of fact a way as if she were explaining arrangements to a guest who had never seen the place. She knew this was the best way to speak of the changes and improvements that had been made, for she wanted her daughter to take the surprises easily, without much excitement.

Tersa stared at the yard when she started for the poultry house.

“Pretty nearly as good as the school grounds?” called Jim as he passed with a team on the way to the field.

“Wait till I can find words to tell you about it,” she answered whirling around trying to see in every direction at once.

Everything was changed. The garden was well kept. Flower beds along one side bordered row after row of vegetables in a space much larger than the old garden had covered. A fence made of branches of trees fastened like pickets to a framework of larger limbs surrounded it. Beyond this was the grove where the pigs used to be supposed to stay, though it had kept the children busy chasing them , out of the garden into it. Now it was fenced with a fence so tight that the littlest pig could not slip through it. She looked to see what else was new, and saw a large barn and cow stable. Beside these large poultry yards with neat houses scattered over them attracted her attention. The buildings were of planks. The old sheds were gone, and these well-kept yards and buildings surrounded by trees luxuriant in summer green were even better than the ones she had visualized when she lay at night looking out into the darkness and planning the improvements she hoped to have made on the farm. And the orchard ! Such an orchard left nothing to be desired. The old trees had been whitewashed and trimmed; new ones had been set out. Everyone was loaded with fruit. Cherries, ready to be picked, while peaches, pears, plums and apples covered other trees.

“Why, mother, that is the best orchard I ever saw. This is the prettiest place in the world. There couldn’t be another as pretty. Such buildings ! It is an up-to-date farm. How have you done it in so short a time?”

We always ‘ looked forward to the day when we could have our farm like those back in Indiana. When you cnildren were little the land had to be cleared. It was slow work, but the boys were doing their share before you went away. They cut and piled all the fencing up, and planned it as a surprise for you when you came home. There were no other definite plans, for it had taken all we could raise to feed and clothe the family. Miss Love gave Tom a large bundle of Sunday school papers and another of magazines when he took you to school. Some of them were agricultural papers. The 'seeds you sent from time to time and those papers revolutionized our ideas. There is not anything about the farm that something in some paper has not helped us to improve, or make over. The dear Lord must have put it into someone’s head to send them to Miss Love. I asjc Him to bless and help the one who did, it every day. It would have taken years to accomplish all of this without this help.

“It seems like magic. Everything is done that I hoped, to persuade you to do.”

“You helped. You always described the new ways you were learning, and we followed your directions. I think Miss Love had more than one object in view when she had you write such careful directions about your work. Composition, spelling and those things were important, but she saw the value of giving, us help through your monthly letters.”

“She must have. She is such a wise woman. I wish she could visit us some time.”

“I think we can arrange for that later. She would enjoy seeing how her plans have worked out. The vacation would do her good and it would benefit the valley. It is a help to meet the best people.”

“Turkeys!” No wonder the exclamation popped from Tersa’s mouth like a shot from a gun, for the grove they had reached seemed covered with turkeys, large and small. “Where did you get all these turkeys?”

“Your father and the boys found two flocks of wild ones two years ago. They read an article that told how to domesticate wild fowl. In place of shooting them, they caught and brought them home. They have increased to nearly a hundred and more are hatching now.” Turning to another yard, her mother explained that the geese and ducks had been raised from settings of eggs of the wild fowls that the children had brought home from the woods. '“They read about woodcraft in the Sunday school papers, and no one had a better wood than they to practice in. They asked us not to eat the eggs, but to set them. Most of them hatched, and our flocks are large.”

“Whatsoever He doeth shall prosper,” repeated Tersa.

“Yes, the blessing of the Lord has been upon the worx of our hands and brains.”

“We can help the neighbors to learn your ways, can’t we? Or won’t they care to do better?”

“They all care a great deal about doing better. We have helped them as much as we could and they have helped us. They are helping themselves now. You can help us for we have much to learn. Money is rather scarce, but there is a strong spirit of neighborliness. The old easy going, dispirited way has left the valley. Do you know that verse in the Bible: “Then helped everyone his neighbor?” That is what the people are doing now. All of us are journeying toward the Heavenly Promised Land through our earthly Promised Land with the Pillar and Cloud leading us.”

“Mother, I am so glad. You won’t think I wanted to shirk if I tell you that I felt as if the work here was too hard for me, as if I needed more education and experience to do my part.”

“Dear child, no. It has been all that the rest of us could do to carry the load with the Lord carrying His half. Don’t think for a minute that the -Heavenly Father was going to put work on you that you could never do. It looks as if He did that sometimes with people, but He doesn’t. It is the shirkers who will not do the share of the work He apportions to them, who place ‘burdens grievous to be born’ on the shoulders of tired workers in His harvest field.”