A Daughter of the Land | Page 4

and Robert to Establish a Home
VIII. The History of a Leghorn Hat IX. A Sunbonnet Girl X. John
Jardine's Courtship XI. A Business Proposition XII. Two Letters XIII.
The Bride XIV. Starting Married Life XV. A New Idea XVI. The Work
of the Sun XVII. The Banner Hand XVIII. Kate Takes the Bit in Her
Teeth XIX. "As a Man Soweth" XX. "For a Good Girl" XXI. Life's
Boomerang XXII. Somewhat of Polly III. Kate's Heavenly Time XXIV.
Polly Tries Her Wings XXV. One More for Kate XXVI. The Winged
Victory XXVII. Blue Ribbon Corn XXVIII. The Eleventh Hour
To Gene Stratton II
A DAUGHTER OF THE LAND
THE WINGS OF MORNING
TAKE the wings of Morning."
Kate Bates followed the narrow footpath rounding the corner of the
small country church, as the old minister raised his voice slowly and
impressively to repeat the command he had selected for his text.
Fearing that her head would be level with the windows, she bent and

walked swiftly past the church; but the words went with her, iterating
and reiterating themselves in her brain. Once she paused to glance back
toward the church, wondering what the minister would say in
expounding that text. She had a fleeting thought of slipping in, taking
the back seat and listening to the sermon. The remembrance that she
had not dressed for church deterred her; then her face twisted grimly as
she again turned to the path, for it occurred to her that she had nothing
else to wear if she had started to attend church instead of going to see
her brother.
As usual, she had left her bed at four o'clock; for seven hours she had
cooked, washed dishes, made beds, swept, dusted, milked, churned,
following the usual routine of a big family in the country. Then she had
gone upstairs, dressed in clean gingham and confronted her mother.
"I think I have done my share for to-day," she said. "Suppose you call
on our lady school-mistress for help with dinner. I'm going to Adam's."
Mrs. Bates lifted her gaunt form to very close six feet of height,
looking narrowly at her daughter.
"Well, what the nation are you going to Adam's at this time a- Sunday
for?" she demanded.
"Oh, I have a curiosity to learn if there is one of the eighteen members
of this family who gives a cent what becomes of me!" answered Kate,
her eyes meeting and looking clearly into her mother's.
"You are not letting yourself think he would 'give a cent' to send you to
that fool normal-thing, are you?"
"I am not! But it wasn't a 'fool thing' when Mary and Nancy Ellen, and
the older girls wanted to go. You even let Mary go to college two
years."
"Mary had exceptional ability," said Mrs. Bates.
"I wonder how she convinced you of it. None of the rest of us can

discover it," said Kate.
"What you need is a good strapping, Miss."
"I know it; but considering the facts that I am larger than you, and was
eighteen in September, I shouldn't advise you to attempt it. What is the
difference whether I was born in '62 or '42? Give me the chance you
gave Mary, and I'll prove to you that I can do anything she has done,
without having 'exceptional ability!'"
"The difference is that I am past sixty now. I was stout as an ox when
Mary wanted to go to school. It is your duty and your job to stay here
and do this work."
"To pay for having been born last? Not a bit more than if I had been
born first. Any girl in the family owes you as much for life as I do; it is
up to the others to pay back in service, after they are of age, if it is to
me. I have done my share. If Father were not the richest farmer in the
county, and one of the richest men, it would be different. He can afford
to hire help for you, quite as well as he can for himself."
"Hire help! Who would I get to do the work here?
"You'd have to double your assistants. You could not hire two women
who would come here and do so much work as I do in a day. That is
why I decline to give up teaching, and stay here to slave at your option,
for gingham dresses and cowhide shoes, of your selection. If I were a
boy, I'd work three years more and then I would be given two hundred
acres of land, have a house and barn built for me, and a start of stock
given me, as every boy in this family has had at twenty-one."
"A man is