CUMBERLAND VALLEY Chapter 2

Cumberland Farm
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Chapter 2 THE SHOWING

It was late by the time Jake and his prospective son-in-law Walter arrived home and he was worn out for they had been on the road for three days.

Everyone but his wife had gone to bed, and she quickly fixed them some left over stew.  Jake was bothered some by the thought that Walter was going to see the girls when they first got up, and wouldn't have time to fix themselves.

Jake usually got up at first light but didn't know if he would make it in the morning, for he was very tired and daylight was just a few hours away. His wife always got up and started breakfast before anyone else arose so he told her to get them gals up and see to it that they washed up a bit.

As fate would have it Walter didn't sleep very well on a bed he wasn't used to so he was up before any of them.  Being curious he peeped into the girl’s room and what he saw wasn't a pretty sight.  He had to look twice to make sure he saw what he thought he saw.

He would have lit out right then and there if he hadn't been so hungry.  By then the mother had some bacon frying and coffee was boiling and the wafting odors lured him into the kitchen where she sat him down.

Jake had got up and they feasted on bacon with drippings, fried taters, eggs, biscuits and gravy and all the coffee they could drink. It may have been because Walt had been very hungry, but because of that breakfast he decided to hang around and see how those girls cleaned up.

As soon as they had ate and had a minute to themselves Jake took Walt out to see the farm.  It was quite large and walking through the woods was slow going.  It was almost twelve o'clock and dinner time, but Jake wanted to show Walt the bottom land, barns and the out buildings so he would have a good idea of what the farm looked like.  

By this time Walt was getting tired and that big breakfast's strength was fast fading away. There was some method in Jakes madness for he figured that if Walt was in a weaken condition when the girls were first seen then he wouldn't be as judgmental, and they might be less likely to vex him.  

As they headed for the kitchen Jake extolled the virtues of each girl and praised their abilities in the kitchen, cleaning and such but by this time Walt was getting faint from hunger and what Jake was saying was falling on deaf ears.

After they washed up Walt stumbled to the table and filled his plate with food and started to shovel his food down. Jake upon seeing this felt it was time to march the girls in and sit them down for Walt to see.  

 

Each time Walt started to look at them the mother would offer Jake some more food and desert and he would oblige by having some more. It was just a passing thought through Walt's mind, one he quickly put aside, but it was maybe he would rather marry the mother for her good cooking instead of one of the girls.

 

He was beginning to consider that the fine eating might be worth marrying up with one of them.   

To be Continued