Kenosha tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1855, 1855-01-04
JOHN SMITH AND His SON. JOHN.
by cLEMEET2wEBsTER.

lGldte, a ActlQn, AT nrSC sight. Elise why
he viii ask did the writer select for his
prominent character, name SO common.
and hence so void of meaning?" But Ipro-
test on my Honor, that my sole purpose in
using Name SO unpoetical, is to give The
reader a plain, gunvarnished tale of truth,
without eyentbe semblance ofdisguise. NV
hero's name sas John Smith; he couldn't
help it, and l can't help It. % ..s'l sa
Very likely some member of the skeptie
family will rise up here and aver that plain
John Smith has beendead these twenty years
the fellinto the river and was drowned, ;"
one viii say. He was thrown from ahorse
and killed will say another, He was hung
for murder will say a third; and he cut
his own, throat in a fit Of despair, will say
a fourth. Gentlemen. know better. John
Smith and his son John are both alive
Read my story, and tell me. then why even
a wish TO die should enter the breast Of ei-
Their Of them. " '''
,saaaeg ailG7a go
It twas a snug little log cabin, that Of John
Smiths, when he built it; and it was a de-
cent place to live in, when John Smith Jun
ior was born. But time cuts up his capers
with almost everything, and amongst other
things, with log-eabins. In ,fhe course of
years he came very near .upsetting of John
Smith. he made sgaks.. in the roof, 50 that
John had to getsupa nights, when itrained,
and move hisobed.l FIRST to this, land then to
thatcorner efthe room, todo,lge the streams
that came pouring down upon it. Then he
pulled the battons off, and let thesnow come
drifting in, in the dead OF winter time, be-
tween the hewn, or half-hewn legs. And
then he sent rain storm; and the water
came pouring down the hill on the side of
which Johns house stood. 4 smart man,
IN Two hours, might have turned the torrent
in direction where it could have done no
harm; but John chose TO lett come and do
It's worst; the result was, nearly one half Of
the under-pinning of his house was piled up
in his cellar. Didn't be pullit back again?
Not he. There was greg shop within
mile of his house-and here he had much
rather spend his time than ia building stone
wall. 'ldlenessis the parent of vice, / have
read somewhere. Drinking is the parent
of idleness, hnoaU .i b@-l Z. eebsl.E
Smithhad onenear ncighbor, and butope.
His namewas Churchill; and lie had settled
in the woods there only one or two wears in
advance of Smith. He was an Industrious,
hard working and kind man. Every BODY
loved him; and neyera clergyman travelled
that way, who wouldn't leave his road
couple OF miles, to stop all night with job
Churchill. There was SO much hospitality
about hinl-so much of the help yourself
inwelcomc' tone in his conduct, that they
felt at hooIe, when they could get under his
roof, and sit down to his handsome fare
Yes, every body loved him, everybod y-ex-
cept John Smith.
And why did not our man Smith love him
Also? How could he help loving so gener-
Gus and noble a friend? That's secret
never pried into. True, have heard peo-
pie gucssat thecause, but their guessing had
50 much TO do with bonds, and deeds, aud
probate doings, that never troubled myself
to understand it. Smith was seldom heard
TO speak of his ncighbor; never in positively
good terms. i guess lie is good enough
Methodist he would answer sometimes,
when Intercepted as TO his character; at
others would give a peculiar twist to his face
and-'Ask the ministers, they all put up
there, and guessthey know all about him.
But all Smiths hatred and spitcfulncss
could not keep li;tle John from visiting at
cshbor Churchill's. When he had a leis-
ure hour, he was sure 10 spend it there, even
at the lisk OF smart Seeding when he cot
home, ,.....,. ..sl.... ...--
Ellen Churchill was only one year young.
or than himself, and he loved dearly to be
with her. And who wonders? She was one
OF the sweetest, prcttiest, sprighdiest crea-
mres in the world She was wee bit of
thing when John first got acquainted with
her; bat even then she would chase but
torfly the whole afternoon in the same field
where he was working, or sing bits ofpret-
ty songs tohin as he piled the hoe amongst
the weeds, Young as he was, John loved |
her--and she loved John. Il
When john was. sixteen years fagc, he |
began 10 take good dcalo III terest in things
about his home. Ills father spent most of
his time away and he was left to do nearly I
all the work bout the little farm. He grew I
but not like his father, indolent /
He toiled necessarily, and toiled hard. He
tried TO make lis mother happy, and would !.
speak ngIyr-braEeiy aud nobly {
for II boy--when size looked sad, or spoke I
Of her hard lot.
Towards evening lie would walk over to
Farmer Churchill's. and, taking Ellen by /
they would trip across the field, and overto I
he banks Of tbeilittIe brook, which ran thro' /
-he pasture. There they would sit, some I
lines in animated conversation, and some T
lines in thoughtful silence. till the whip /
ooorwill commenced its nght-song. Then /
hey would walk slowly back again. John
would kiss Ellen's pretty white forehead at
he gate, promising to love her til they met
again, and then trip gaily home, whistling
IS he went, some sprightly tune, and think
ne of the little treasure he had just left be-
hind.
One night John came home an hour later
han usual. and found his mother in tears.
Il was no new thing to see him; but her
gyief seemed more intense than ever he
Knew it before, and he felt anxious to know
IS cause. Sill. he did not Ike to SO far in
rude upon it. as to ask any questions. He
sat down by his mothers side, took her
hand In his own aad begged her not 10 cry.