The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-02-19

The Fools Farm.

,,.-e.o,. 1nas n wealthy farmer, with
Sonu IL,,S,dred acres oil land, halt OF which
sone o,+;io and well titled, and the other halt
was vase ,ot of rocky upland, from which nature
sirew forth nothing save scanty, almost worth
less woods. The better halt OF the farm was
well stocked and well ordered; the farmhouse
was the best in the village of Daleford, and the
out-bulldings were the envy of the neighbors.
John MosSar had a knavi,h brother and
foolish son-his only relatives. Robert, the
brother, by just dspensatlon of Providence,
Was a man OF comparative indulgence, but his
prothar John overlooked his faults, and saw
only his poverty and relationship; and when
oilng he called Robert to his bedside, and,
placing the hand of his son Daniel in his, ad-
jured him to protect the imbecile for his faith
er's sake.
The fool smiled, and the knave smiled, too
the one tickled at the idea OF having new
friend, the other at having new victim, easily
plucked and ruined.
81 will see after him, john" said Robert,
with look of assumed affection for his neph-
ew. Il will prove father to him when you you
are gone, and 1 will turn the farm to III Il StilI
possible account, that your spirit,, - With
hover about The earth, may NC p'>''O
what l shall do" H. We ebaIl naat
, nH ~ Easven. Farewell, my brain-wrecked
son I" easped the dy iiian.
Good bye, father" grinned Daniel, twist
ing bis body awkwardy about. Hope you'll
have pleasant journey-he, hep
John Mosgar died, and Lawyer Twistwel's
assistance was called in to settle the affair." 1t
had been tae expressed will of Mr.. Mosgar that
his estate should be equally divided between
his son and his brother. Half to one an
halt to the other" were his wolds, though the
wisdom which prompted them was not equal
to that of King Solomon.
LawI er Twistwe, at the instigation of Ro-
bert Mosgar, made cruel construction OF the
will, and awarded the better nalf all fertile
and arabic land, TO the uncle; while the mean
er portion, consisting OF meaere woodland and
rocks, fell to the share of poor Daniel.
The mere he.rtless and uDprinci1 led of the
ncighbors laughed at the fool when they heard
Of the award, and congratulated him upon re-
ceiving so much "good upland" He, too, was
well pleased, and capered about, singing mad
songs, 10 find himself master of so much land.
lie thought his the better portion, and bound
ed over it with boiste,ous glee, climbing the
trees, tearing up and hurting the rocks about,
plucking up the bushes, ieaping down decliv,
tiles, and drinking of the stream. as ifhe would
convince each inanimate object that he was
their sole lord and proprietor.
The rough waste that had been bestowed
upon the witless, frlepdless creature, through
tue crafty connivance of the lawyer, Twistwell,
suited the fools taste to charm; for there he
could wander in undisturbed solitude, in idiot
meditation, fancy tree" uncons cious of the
wealth OF which he had been robbed by his
uncle One little hut alone stood on it, and
that served for his home; and his bodily wants
we've supplied by such of the neighbors as OBJ
tanned their fuel from his farm"
1.-THE Lord will never prosper him who steals
his treasure from fool" said one of these
neiebbors to her husband.
lie shrugged his shoulders with a "humph -
Tor he was conscious of having repeatedly
drawn more wood than he bargained for from
the tools farm" and was unwilling to believe
in Heavens anger thereat.
Heaven helps those who help them
selves" he dryly replied, casting an eye out at
the mammoth pile of brush wood for which
he had paid but a trlfe in barter
bis wife seemed to understand the look,
but she sighed as she poked the fire on the
hearth.
Poor Daniew she exclaimed; 81 hope he
VIII never suffer from cold or hunger; but he
seems to be in fair way for it, with his un-
Gle on one side and a selfish world on the
other. His halt was little enough as it was,
and all that is good upon it is fast dwinding
away. What will he do when the wood Is all
gope?'
I'VE had better be thinking of our own cir
cumstances," said the husband snappishly,
"and let the town take care Of the fools. As
for Daniel, no doubt he is happier now than
many wise people,"
Happier than his uncle, I'll be bound"
said The woman, swell off in worldly goods
though he be. Old Mosgar always looks dis
tressed-suspcIousa and tImid-as ifhe thought
all the neighbors despsed him for taking ad-
vantage OF his nephew. And so they do.
And though every thing looks well for him in
worldly way, there will come some change,
yet, depend upon it,"
"Pernaps SO, and perhaps not" replied the
husband iuditferently. "But get the pudding
ready, at any rale, for I'm in hurry TO be
OIL"
So they smothered their sympathy with
pudding and forgot the fool.
some one talked with Daniel about his
farm and found him satisfied.
What will do with my rocks ?" said he,
with a vacant, self-satisfed smile. "Pile 'em
up. Make walls and forts. They will last
longer than wood and never bum up"
But you have got no cattle, Daniel, nor
crops.'
" couldn't take care Of them, if had. l
can get meal and milk to eat, and don't
want to work. l want to play with the chill
dren, anu walk about. Uncle Robert can't do
1t. | am much better off than he is"
sYour wood will be all gone soon. Then
what will you do? You've got no money"
ut will be time enough for me then to pull
up my rocks and plant seed" said he looking
wise. And I'll do 1t all myself, SO that the
seed Will know me when it comes up, and
bow to me in the morning, when walk in
Inc morning, when walk in the fields. 0, L
don't care for anything or anybody, with my
farmW be chuekled, fiIngine himself upon the
ground, and turning somerset; in his torn
clothes. "Ha! ha! hi! But I'm not proud"
he added, rising and looking grave. "That's
the reason lay with the dogs; and the boys |
and the geese laugh when lo in the straw |
The IDIOT seemed so contented that none |
cared long to dwell upon the great wrong be
had suffered; and so his Uncle Robert was
ieft IN undisturbed possession of what he had
fraudulently acquired. Pity for the iriendless
1ool was not deep enough TO arouse opposition
against the influential uncle,
But 1t was not long before Daniels wood
was thorougiy swept away, leaving him but
the barren surface OF the rocks on which TO
rest his hopes OF support; ard now hunger
compelled him to beg at the doors of his
neighbors. for his uncle forbade him to cross
his threshhold- averse 10 the presence of such
a standing reproach TO his inisuty. and think
ing to drive him upon the pauper mainte-
nance OF the town.
Alas! the lord of the house was a pitiable
sight to see, as he wandered, halt naked, from
door t. door In Dalef,rd, offering shares in |
his rocks Tor bread, and with no more of those |
vacant smiles which had shown his eIation in |
his time OF imaginary wealth. Distress had |
now Joined hands with idocy, and the dream |
Of comfort had vanished from the FOOLS |
brain. The haggard skeleton, in his life of |
chance, found casual sustenance enough to |
keep his soul with his body still; but that |
ebastly aspect OF human lie was more mock |
ing than even his sterile apology for a farm. |
Slow and sad was the step of the sauntering
srarecrow through the town,-the melancholy |
of the pointing fingers, the desolate
Viclm OF shameless relationship and shat
tered brain. Alas for the spectral landed pro- |
prietorl Had Heavens all embracing glance |
no ray to guide his listless feet? |
One day, as instinct sent him begging. after
dinner-time, for the dismal MISCELLANY of his |
daily food, summer storm darkened the
heavens aid the earth, and peals Of thunder
startled all animated things. The flowers
bowed in terror, and the invisible milners
who deck the bonnets OF nature flew to their
most secret haunts. But the fool stalked
abroad in the peting rain, and lifted his lack
lustre eyes to the furious source of the tenn
pest, half-amazed, half delighted, at the inter-
mittent fires.
Suddenly shrek was heard along the |
road; and, looking backward, he saw upon a |
iilgntened horse young maiden of the vii |
iase, cuhslng 10 the name OF the galloping an |
lTnai, which, snoring with alarm. approached |
him.
Daniel Mosgar was fool-but he was a |
man. A wise one might have stepped aside |
In lear, but Daniel seized broken Dough bv |
the wayside, and brandishng the huge
welpon for moment, darted into the middle