I worked for Mr. Herbert...
Illustration
I worked for Mr. Herbert Orchard all of one summer, having been sent there by my (wise?) parents. I was only 14 years old but "... it'll do you good," my parents said. I was driven the 75 miles up into the "thumb" of Michigan to Mr. Orchard's farm located near the small town called Applegate.
Mr. Orchard was a hard task master. In the evening he would take me to task about how I milked the cows too slowly, how I used the garden hoe awkwardly, and how I didn't catch on to driving horses. "You're a town boy, Paul, and soft. You've got to learn some real things about life." I had no place to turn, no corner in which to cry, when beat down by this rugged man.
Mr. Orchard sent me to his son's nearby farm for one week. Howard was a great relief because he was understanding. He said to me in the barn one morning, "My father's a tough man to work for, Paul, and I know it. But there's one thing you've got to understand about him: He's not trying to make you into a farmer; he's just trying to make you into a man."
- Hoornstra
Mr. Orchard was a hard task master. In the evening he would take me to task about how I milked the cows too slowly, how I used the garden hoe awkwardly, and how I didn't catch on to driving horses. "You're a town boy, Paul, and soft. You've got to learn some real things about life." I had no place to turn, no corner in which to cry, when beat down by this rugged man.
Mr. Orchard sent me to his son's nearby farm for one week. Howard was a great relief because he was understanding. He said to me in the barn one morning, "My father's a tough man to work for, Paul, and I know it. But there's one thing you've got to understand about him: He's not trying to make you into a farmer; he's just trying to make you into a man."
- Hoornstra
