The folk of Furry Farm

by K. F. Purdon

In Ardenoo, the neighbours would ask, “How is Peetcheen? what news have you from him?”

“Ah, what but good news!” Mrs. Caffrey would answer. Indeed, if no news is good news, she had nothing to complain about. There had never been but the one letter from Peetcheen, and the most of it was taken up sending remembrances and good wishes to this body and that, at home.

But the mother kept it safe, put up on top of the dresser, with her Prayer Book, and her clean cap for Sunday.

Peetcheen did not keep that job for very long. He could not content himself, where the work was so hard and constant. But what matter? he would not be kept there in any case. He got the sack; and then he felt he had had enough of town ways, and he wandered off into the country again.

After some little time, he found himself back again, not too far from home at all, only it chanced that he was not very well acquainted with any part of Ardenoo, except just about his own home. So he did not know the farmer’s place that he found himself near, one evening, that he went up to, and asked shelter for the night.

It was the Furry Farm. But, as has been explained, that house was very backwards, and Heffernan seldom left it, especially now that he was a bit helpless, with the game leg. So it was small blame to Peetcheen not to know where he was, or who it was he was speaking to. And Peetcheen was very slow. Many a thing that every one else would know, he would be as ignorant of as if he was a black stranger.

This turned out to his advantage now. For when he heard Mickey saying that he wanted a handy boy about the place, Peetcheen made no remark about Julia being gone off, though it had been common talk in Ardenoo, before even he had left it. He just said, “If you’ll give me the chance, sir, I’ll do me best to please ye!”

So Heffernan, after some further talk, agreed to that. He hired Peetcheen. The place suited the boy down to the ground. It was no town style there. Everything slow and easy-going. No one there, except Heffernan and himself; and they were very much of the same gait of going.

Farming is a grand business for them that are fond of keeping a pipe in their mouths and their hands in their pockets. It’s often remarked that when you do that, not much else finds its way in! But, then, not much finds its way out. You’ll not get rich, maybe, but you can keep going. Anyway, money isn’t everything.

Before Peetcheen had been very long at the Furry Farm, he began to notice that Heffernan would seem a bit uneasy at times. He was very silent. Often of an evening, he would go off somewhere with himself, either limping on his stick, or maybe driving himself on the side-car. While he would be away, Peetcheen would be left inside at the fire, and nothing to keep him company unless to watch a pot boiling over the hearth or something of that kind. But Peetcheen never objected to that, because he would as soon be in one place as another, and maybe sooner.