Martinsville High School - Artesian Yearbook (Martinsville, IN)

Page 16 text:

I Nm: aoofrzn 1917 PT l'm going to have a garden, announced Mary Sheffield. Had a bomb been thrown into the midst of the dining table it could have crea.ted no greater surprise to the diners than this seemingly innocent statement. No one spoke for a few mo- ments, for they were busily trying to readjust themselves to this new mood of Mary'S. Mary Sheiiield was the only daughter of a family of five. She was as handsome a little lady as the most exacting could thought so. The Sheliields were in the terms of Acron, and why the who should profit by it desired to desire-at leastnher family fairly well to do, speaking one member of the family work, was beyond their comprehension. She usually never did anything more tiring than tennis or golf. The family's head cleared' his throat preparatory to speak- ing. but Mary, with the skillfulness of long practice, squelched him immediately. Now, Daddy dear. you know if you don't let me do this you will simply have to send me to the seashore and you know what that means. , The family's head wilted visibly. Brothers, however. are not so easily dealt with. lt was these brothers that Mary dreaded most. Of all crazy notions that Mary's had, eiaculated Don, this beats them all. Why, child, you couldn't raise a crop of real healthy weeds. The word child, decided Mary instantly. was the most despicable word in the liuglish language. Mary, Mary. quite contrary, how does your garden grow 7, sang llarry. The battle raged now. Mary her mother stopped the badgering to Marv. she asked: Daughter, what put this idea into your head? Mary gave her mother a grateful glance. XVell, mother, you see I've been reading in the papers how everyone should have a garden, and I got to thinking about it was almost outgeneraled when with a word or two. Turning Page IU RIOT ,,.r. iF?FiirfF7' some. I decided I had never done anything and that I might do this if I ca.n't be a Red Cross nurse. Of course, Daddy and the boys make the living, but you can't tell how a garden might help out, and Mary shook her little head wisely. How everyone laughed at that! Might save us from starvation and all that, you know, drawled Harry, with laughter in his eyes. But Mary, protested mother, do you understand what you are undertaking, and what you will have to give up. You will ruin your complexion and your hands will be simply un- speakable ll' If you go into this right, Mary, said Don, you would have to raise quite a bit more than one lot of stuff to be any help, so you see the thing is quite impossible. ' Mary hadnit forgotten the child, so she answered rather tartly, W'ell, Mr. Superior, how many would you advise me to take? I'll follow your wise advice to the letter. Don was human and this hit his vanity bump a rather hard lick. - VVell, two good big lots would scarcely be enough. but is the minimum I would set, I suppose. I might take our back yard a.lso, if Your Highness would so desire, scoffed Mary. XVell. do it then, and quit bragging. declared Don hotly. In this manner did Mary become a gardener or gardeneress. whichever my reader chooses. In vain did the family plead and offer objection. Mary was determined to chow them what she could do. The two lots were obtained and plowed, as was the back yard. Mary became a fervent reader of government bulletins and farirers' magazines and at night she dreamed of cabbages and potatoes instead of roses and her latest pictures. The next few weeks she was so busy she neglected the girls shamefully and her usual bill at the soda fountain was so small that the proprietor was moved to remonstrate. Really, Miss Sheffield, if all my customers were like you that

Page 15 text:

MH! BOOJ' TER 1917

Page 17 text:

U Mn: soofren 1911 H l would soon have to quit the business. XVhat's the matter? llave you joined the army of dietarians? No, laughed Mary, l am a new recruit for a larger army than that, and went on her way. 'l he garden was planted in potatoes, beans and other prosaic things, and Mary was happy. She could bearly resist the tempta- tion, when her beans did not come up for over a week, to dig them up and sec what was wrong. llut they finally appeared. as did all the other things. weeds included. Now the real work began. lt seemed to Mary that the hoe was worthy of a place of prominence in the most horrible ,torture chamber everdevized. lint a Sheffield never gave up anything as a failure, so she kept at it. Wars and rumors of wars grew apace. The government ,needed men badly and was urging all young men to enlist. liirst lion answered to the call. and then llarry, till finally only Mr. Fhefiield was left at home. Times grew hard and prices went soaring, as is the peculiar custom of prices at such times. Then one day Mr. Sheffield came home with a very grave face indeed. The governntent had asked for all married men who had any means with which to sup ily their families during their absence. to enlist. The call was clear and strong now and he felt that he must go. Could not they sacrifice a little more for their country? The Sliefiheltls were of fighting stock and their answer was always yea, so Mr. Shefiield went also. That left only mother and Mary and poor grandfatlier. who had come to stay with them during the boys' absence. Mary was glad indeed then that she had listened to the voice of wisdom in the spring. Her garden had grown into a thing of beauty now and promised a wonderful return for the thought. care and labor she had spent on it. ln the fall the war still dragged on. XVant was beginning to st'r abroad. and the residents of .Xcron were not exempt. l'oor widow liarley had given her son to the cause and was now so worn and frail by ceaseless work and worry that she was all but helpless. Page I I Then Mary came to the rescue. The widow was moved to the Sheffield home. There they had at least the necessities of life, thanks to Mary's garden. Meat they had not so much, per- haps, but one can be a vegetarian if one so desires and thrive. That was proved in the Sheffield home that winter. Grandfather, with Widow Farley as assistant, took care of a few chickens, which helped out quite a bit. Mrs. Sheffield did her part by concocting the most delicious dishes conceivable from their stores. And Mary-Mary was so busy she scarcely had time to sleep. Many homes she visited and always a basket accoinpanied her. She talked to the women and to the children on gardening and got ready for the spring again. Next spring the town was to have wheat fields, decreed Mary, and the potato should be the only Hower worthy of consideration. Did Mary know what she was talking about? Indeed. she did. everyone declared, for she had demonstrated to Acron that she was capable of raising a garden. .Xt last the winter wore away and spring came once more. Acron was fully awake and waiting for the first warm days. My! what a swarm of workmen there was. livery available bit of la.nd was used by the women and old men. liancywork was a back number, and woman's suffrage was entirely out of the running. Clubs could not get enough together to constitute a quorum and they, too, went to the dogs. llut gardening grew. lly midsummer. however. the hearts of .Xcron were over- .ioyed to hear that the war was over. Soon the men folks would be coming home. Very joyful was that home coming, yet sad also, for their were many who never came back. .Such is the way of all wars. in any country. But those who did come back received a lesson in gardening they were not likely to forget. .Xnd let me tell you still another thing: never again in Acron was there hunger, never! That, you say. is impossible. Not at all. for now the idle folk of Acron are given land to tend, and woe to him who shirks that duty: he must work or starve.