Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-04-19
Nlisrellalleoms
JOHN SMITH AND HIS SON JOHN.
sY CLEMENT W. BsTER.

II was snug little cabin, that Of John
Smiths. when he built il; and it was decent
place to live in when John Smith junior was
born. But time cuts up his caperS with al
most everything, and amongst other things log
cabins. In the course Of years he came near
upselting that OF John Smith. He made
|'leaks" in the roof, so that John had to get
up nights, when il rained, and move his bed,
frst 10 this, and then TO that corner Of the
room, 10 dodge the streams that came pouring
down upon it. Then he pulled Off the bat
tens, and let the snow come drifting in, in
dead OF winter time, between The hewn and
half-hewn logs. And then he sent a rain
storm, and the water came pouring down the
hill, on the side OF which Johns house Stood
A smart man, in two hours, might have turn
ed the torrent in direction where It would
have done no harm; but John chose to let ii
COME and do its worst; the result was, nearly
one-half of the under-pinning Of his house
was piled up in the cellar. Didn't he pull it
back again! Not he. There was grog-
shop within mile and half of lis house
and there he had rather spend his time, than
in building o stone wall. "lteness il the
parent Of vice." have read somewhere.
Drinking is The parent Of idleness iknop.
Smith had one near neighbor, and but one.
His Name was Churchill; and he had settled
in the woods there only one or two years in
sdvance OF Smith. He was an industrious,
hard. working and kind man. Everybody loved
him; and never clergyman travelled that
way who wouldn't leave his road couple oil
miles TO stop with Joe Churchill. There was
70 much of The "help yourself and welcome''
when they could get under his roof, and sill
Int In hIC ham fnFa
loved hinl-everybody except John Smith.
And why did moi cur man Smith love him
also? How could he help loving so generous
and noble friend? That's secret | ne, el
pred into. True, have heard people CUES,
at The cause, bul their guessing he'd so much
10 DO with bonds and deeus, and probate
doinss, that never troubled myself 10 under
stand it, Smith was seldom heard TO speak o
his neighbor, never in positively good terms
al guess he is good enough Methodist" ht
would answer sometimes, when inerrogatet
as 10 his character; at others he would give
peculiar twist to his face and say -"Ask tht
ministers, they all put up there, tnd gues
they know all about him."
But all Smiths hatred and spiefulneS
cou'd not keep little John from visiting o
neighbJr ChUrchilps. When he had leisur
hour, he was sure to spend i: there, even a
the risk OF a smart scolding when he 60
home.
Ellen Churchill was only one year younge
than himself, and he loved dearly to be wit
her. And who wonders? She was wee lit
tie Bit Of thing when John first got acpuaint
ed with her; but even then she would chas
butterfly the whole afternoon in The sam
field where be was working, or sing bits {
pretty songs 10 him, as he piled the hO
amongst the weeds. Young as he was, .oh
loved-and she loved him in return.
When John was sixteen years OF age, b
began to take good deal OF interest in thinl
sbout his home. His father spent most OF b
time away from home, and he was left to
most Of the work on the little farm. He gre
thoughtful, but not like his father, indolen
He toiled necessarily, and toiled hard.
tried to make his mother happy; and wou
speak encoufagingly. brayely and nobly for
boy-when she looked sad, OF spoke Of h
hard lot. ''- 2a' ~ sff g
Toward evening he would walk over
farmer Churchil's, and taking Ellen by Il
hand, they would trip across the field, 81
over 10 the banks Of little brook, which ii
through the pasture. There they woult 8
sometimes In animated conversation, si
sometimes in thoughtful silence, I'LL the VIII
poorwills CONNIE need their night songs.
Then they would walk slowly back again.
John would kiss pretty Elisn's white forehe