A Daughter of the Land

"Humph!" said Mrs. Bates. "Well, you ought to been here Friday

night, and I thought Adam came precious near it Saturday."

"Demonstrating power, or anger, yes," said Kate. "I meant

affection. And isn't it the queerest thing how people are made?

Of all the boys, Adam is the one who has had the most softening

influences, and who has made the most money, and yet he's acting

the worst of all. It really seems as if failure and hardship make

more of a human being of folks than success."

"You're right," said Mrs. Bates. "Look at Nancy Ellen and Adam.

Sometimes I think Adam has been pretty much galled with Agatha and

her money all these years; and it just drives him crazy to think

of having still less than she has. Have you got your figures all

set down, to back you up, Katie?"

"Yes," said Kate. "I've gone all over it with Robert, and he

thinks it's the best and only thing that can be done. Now go to

sleep."

Each knew that the other was awake most of the night, but very few

words passed between them. They were up early, dressed, and

waiting when the first carriage stopped at the gate. Kate told

her mother to stay where she would not be worried until she was

needed, and went down herself to meet her brothers and sisters in

the big living room. When the last one arrived, she called her

mother. Mrs. Bates came down looking hollow-eyed, haggard, and

grim, as none of her children ever before had seen her. She

walked directly to the little table at the end of the room, and

while still standing she said: "Now I've got a few words to say,

and then I'll turn this over to a younger head an' one better at

figures than mine. I've said my say as to Pa, yesterday. Now

I'll say THIS, for myself. I got my start, minding Pa, and

agreeing with him, young; but you needn't any of you throw it in

my teeth now, that I did. There is only ONE woman among you, and

no MAN who ever disobeyed him. Katie stood up to him once, and

got seven years from home to punish her and me. He wasn't RIGHT

then, and I knew it, as I'd often known it before, and pretty

often since; but no woman God ever made could have lived with Adam

Bates as his wife and contraried him. I didn't mind him any

quicker or any oftener than the rest of you; keep that pretty

clear in your heads, and don't one of you dare open your mouth

again to tell me, as you did Saturday, what I SHOULD a-done, and

what I SHOULDN'T. I've had the law of this explained to me; you

all know it for that matter. By the law, I get this place and one

third of all the other land and money. I don't know just what

money there is at the bank or in notes and mortgages, but a

sixteenth of it after my third is taken out ain't going to make or

break any of you. I've told Katie what I'm willing to do on my

part and she will explain it, and then tell you about a plan she

has fixed up. As for me, you can take it or leave it. If you

take it, well and good; if you don't, the law will be set in

motion to-day, and it will take its course to the end. It all

depends on YOU.