A Daughter of the Land

Never in her life had Kate worked harder than she did that fall;

but she retained her splendid health. Everything was sheltered

and housed, their implements under cover, their stock in good

condition, their store-room filled, and their fruits and

vegetables buried in hills and long rows in the garden. Adam had

a first wheat premium at the County Fair and a second on corn,

concerning which he felt abused. He thought his corn scored the

highest number of points, but that the award was given another man

because of Adam's having had first on wheat. In her heart Kate

agreed with him; but she tried to satisfy him with the blue ribbon

on wheat and keep him interested sufficiently to try for the first

on corn the coming year. She began making suggestions for the

possible improvement of his corn. Adam was not easily

propitiated.

"Mother," he said, "you know as well as you know you're alive,

that if I had failed on wheat, or had second, I would have been

given FIRST on my corn; my corn was the best in every way, but

they thought I would swell up and burst if I had two blue ribbons.

That was what ailed the judges. What encouragement is that to try

again? I might grow even finer corn in the coming year than I did

this, and be given no award at all, because I had two this year.

It would amount to exactly the same thing."

"We'll get some more books, and see if we can study up any new

wrinkles, this winter," said Kate. "Now cheer up, and go tell

Milly about it. Maybe she can console you, if I can't."

"Nothing but justice will console me," said Adam. "I'm not

complaining about losing the prize; I'm fighting mad because my

corn, my beautiful corn, that grew and grew, and held its head so

high, and waved its banners of triumph to me with every breeze,

didn't get its fair show. What encouragement is there for it to

try better the coming year? The crows might as well have had it,

or the cutworms; while all my work is for nothing."

"You're making a big mistake," said Kate. "If your corn was the

finest, it was, and the judges knew it, and you know it, and very

likely the man who has the first prize, knows it. You have a

clean conscience, and you know what you know. They surely can't

feel right about it, or enjoy what they know. You have had the

experience, you have the corn for seed; with these things to back

you, clear a small strip of new land beside the woods this winter,

and try what that will do for you."

Adam looked at her with wide eyes. "By jing, Mother, you are a

dandy!" he said. "You just bet I'll try that next year, but don't

you tell a soul; there are more than you who will let a strip be

cleared, in an effort to grow blue ribbon corn. How did you come

to think of it?"