The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1861-02-26
HOW JOE GOT HIS FARM.
A TRUE STORY.
BY NELLIE.


Of Sclden, who, on account of wealth and ne
ble descent, and an untarnished reputation
. st, od high in the estimation of all case,
= society, and ranked among the aristocracy
for even the quiet country towns OF Amerc
boast Of caste, and are exclusive in the man
4 tainancc of AZ Upper Crus,,' as any me
tropolls in the Old World or New.
There was a large family Of so1s however
i to be provided for and set mp in business, an
Mr.. Selden 1atlered himself that ho was do
ing quite well enough by his eldcst-.Joscpl
If no gave him, on leaving tho psIcnia
a roof, some three years after he became Of age
farm. All tho neighbors, united III sayin!
that at was n smart chance, and Joe HIM
self thought the sure; and, ms he Was indus
truus and iiugal, he soon contrived To get !
good team aud farming tools, with which h'
tilted the soil, and it was matter of smal
con ern To him that his father still held the
deed of his farm, as he had long been accus
toned To call it.
There was SIN H. but conveniently aran
ged house upon "lc fam" with neat
white iencc O. cosin. the front yard, which
had never been cut up into flower beds and
walks, but rcjoicrd in an nubrok"n carpet o
green velvet sod. A cluster of llacS, occu
pied one corner, a beautiful snow ball irc
uollIri while variety of roses alo'ncd the
paleiny, aud thrifty cGlautn- claml @ O. o
yer the front windows To the caves, forming
lutte fairy bowers for the retreat Of sumner
warblerS and il was with pleasure that, "u
one of his visits Ia the cottage, Jos ph dlsco>
cred Iirlle Phebe, building her new n;s; in
the leafv shade Some men would hav" pas
scd such thing uoaotjcod, but Joseph Sci
den was pus,oesod Of "a refined scnN tlIliy, and
was great admircr of Nature, aud 1t WIS a
relief To- him to steal away from the ont,ide
ShOW Of til" world n 4 find hnlpnrs, lu Ih.
arlcs> breath Of the who"som" Dame, who.
though driven from the hauits of men, st !
reig ned uumoestcd IN the sy Ivan grove where
.hn smiloI from the hnworr, ""pt h''," tho
twilight nd, spake from the Nhsrcnug
foliage, laughed from tie nils, ana .arbIed
forth her pure, Joyous lays from a thou AID
ieath red throats. Ii ". uld not therefore be
expected that man Of with such tastes would
ruley tear away the rustic tenement, or raise
his han. to ham It's tiny architect. But
there was another rca ON why Joe watched
with such intcros, the process ofbuidirg, and
settling ir and ouir, ~ hat little home, hy
the haIly bind. There wcrc many happy
Thoughts suggested thereby, and there was n
Charm in thai low call, "Phebc! Phebe! !!
and he often caught himself listening to it,
Til he dream ed himself away into th" bright
ltlc world of Lis own imagnrgS, ana iauty
figure BUSTED about those cottage h1or,, and
p hand parted the foliage of the Byzantine,
while pair Of blue eyes ga2cd cxpcctantIy
out. arl = sweet voice, called "Josoph? p not
Phcbe bat its iutouatou> were the same as
the meek, mod,s', half p'aintive cry, "Phebe,
Ph,hc"
Joe had good rcasons of his own for loving
hi> dear ph. be Carl, who, though amiahIc
and rrrt,v, active and Intelligent, au grea "
beloved by al wi . knew her. hal the ml,for.
tur. 10 hr poor, aul, consequently, ignorant
having u.,,r served out he, lour ycns At II
boarding ..L.ol. or seminary, but Icing obi
oed T. content herself with adding to hcr
stock Of kuo~I'dgc acquired at the common
district school, Ly roadiig during her leisure
hours, such books a she doomed Instructive,
and 10y wr ii out her thoughts in pos, or
poetry as her mood dictated, which wnliug,
however. was alNays cousigucd to the - igcon
hole' of her port folio. never to be produced
to other eyes than hers aud occasionally to
Juseph's.
Ihcle had sufficient sr respect to receive
the addrcsscs Of yourg Seldeu, without ds
trusting is motives, aud when lie hrearn'd
lii- love, she was nothing 10th to enter into
an a. gag,ircnt to become his wife at some
future day. aud she had too much sense 20
heed tIc warnings and suspic ons of admirers
70 beware, Of the prize Of the S'ldens.
Am not hls equal in talent and :cspcc
liability, aud docs not my love satisfy the cra-
wing, OF ns heart, just rs well as the love Of
AN hclrcs aud Shall We bot be just as happy
together a. We could be were accomplished
in the my Rad little varieties and nothingS of
fashionable education! DO we no. love, and
are We not engaged, and won't people keep
quiet when thcy see us nicely settled in Rose
Glen. leading an honest, happy life, asking no
odds of any of them - she would say to her
self while silently listening to her prating
frlruds.
Yet Fhebc was bv no means ignorant Of
the feeling of he Scilcus with regard 10 her
becoming Joserh's wife. Her lover had en-
cd l. Just an right to inform her Of tie orpo-
oitou he met with ftoa his family, and the
time of their rupCias was Tar away among
the uacertain hopes Of the future; Yet Pbebe
loil,d iuduSIicusly on, making such prcpara
,ions for housekeeping rs sh could with her
limited timc and means, without knowing
when the little store n'ght be called into re-
quisition.
Sh was sitting ono evening in the porch
OF her humble dwelling sowing buslly away
at the risk Of her eyes, when - football sud
denly startled her. She sprang up with her
usual cl eerfol Getting, but her quick eye dc
tccted mask in the bright smile and gay
tone Of her lover. She was not long in lit
ING it, however, although tie resolution had
been made and rcmadc to Withstand her ef
for's and at LIST the secret was out Nj.
Seilen had demonstrated again and again,
with his son, concerning his alliance with
Phebe, until, on ths, day, becoming enrageJ
at the cool perseverance, Of the young man,
he had declared that he would "ncver give
him a deed Of be farm until he showed him.
self wise man by keeping aloof from pau
pcrs Joseph had appca'ed to the better I
feelings Of his father, but all in vain he was
His pride was aroused, be took .
down the gcncalogy of the Srldens, and ira
cel their regal line of ancestry, pointed out
to the hayward youth, the many wealthy