The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-02-18
Gkeqntelti1gst .
THE FOOLS FARM.


John Mosgar was wealthy farmer,
with some few hundred acres Of land,
half Of which was fertile and well titled,
and the other half range OF rocky up
land, from which nature drew forth moth
ing save scanty, almost worthless woods.
Tic better half OF the farm was well
stocked and well ordered; the farm. house
was the best in the village Of Daletord,
and the out.buildings were the envy.of
the nCighbOrs.
John NIosgar had q knayish brother and
q foolish sor-hls only relatives Robert,
the brother, by n Just dlspensation Of
Providence, was a man Of comparative
indulgence, but his brother John overlook
ed his faults, and saw only his poverty
and relationship; and when dying, he call
cd Robert to his bedside, and, placing the
hand Of his son Daniel In his, 0diured him
to protect tue imbecile, for his fathers
sake,
The fool smiled, and the knave smiled,
too; tho one ticlled at the idea ofhaVing q
new friend, the other at having o newvlc'
tim, easily pluckcd ind ruined.
" will see after him, John, said Robert,
with q look of assumed affection for his
nephew. " will prove a father to him
when YOU are gone, and l will turn the
farm 10 the best possible account, that
your spirit, If it still hoycrs about the
earth, may be pleased with what shall
do" :,
Enough, Robert, adicu. We shall
meet again in heaven. Farewell my
brain.wTccked sonF' gasped the dying
man. Nv
twisting his body awkwardly about.
slope you'll have a pleasant journey-he,
hep
John Mosgar died, and Lawyer Twist
wells assistance was called in to settle the
affair. It had been the expressed will OF
Mr.. Mosgar that his estate should be equal
" divided between hisson and his brother.
6Half to one and half to the other" were
his words, though tho wisdom which
prompted them was not equal TO that of
King Solomon.
LAWYER Twistwell, ut the inStigation OF
Robert Mosgar, made cruel construction
OF the will, and awarded the better half,
all fertile and arabic land, to tho uncle ;
while the lneanCr portion, consisting OF
meagre woodland and rocks, fell 70 tho
share Of poor Daniel.
The more heartless and unprinciplcd OF
the neighbors laughed at the fool when
they heard Of the award, and congratula..
ted him upon receiving SO much good
\ upland" .He, too, was well pleased, and
capered about, singing mad songs, 10 find
himself master Of 50 much land. lie
thought his the better portion, and bound
ed over It with boisterous glee, climbing
the trees, tearing up and hurting the rocks
about. pIucking up the bushes, leaptng
down dcclivitics, and drinking Of the
stream, Us IL he would convince each in.
animate object that he was their sole lord
and proprietor.
Tic rough waste that had been bestOw'
cd upon the witleSs, friendlcss creature,
through the crafty connivanCe Of the law
yer. Twistwell, suited the FOOLS taste to a
charm: for there he could wander in un.
disturbed solitude, In idiot meditation,
fancy free" unconscious Of the wealth
of which he had been robbed by his uncle.
One little hut alone stood on II, and that
served for his home; and his bodily wants
were supplied by such Of the ncighbors
rs obtained their fuel from his "larm."
"The Lord will never prosper him who
steals his treasure from q fool" said one
OF these ncighbOrs to her husband.
He shrugged his shoulders will Il
"humphw for he was conscious Of having
repeatedly drawn more wood than he bar.
gained for from the "lOols fhrn," and was
unwilling to believe in Heavens anger
thercat.
"Heavcn helps those who help them.
selves" he dryly replied, casting On eye
out ut the mammoth pile Of brush.w0Od,
for which he paid but trlile in barter.
His wife seemed to understand tho look,
but she sighed Us sue pokcd the fire on the
hearth.
"Poor DaniclT she exclaimed; ~ hope
he will never suffer from cold Or hunger;
but he seems to be in II fair way for II,
with his uncle on one side and selfish
world on the other. His half was little
enough as twas, and all that Is good upon
it Is last dwindling away. What will he
do when the wood Is all gomez ~
I'VE had better be thinking Of our own
circumstances" said the husband, snap.
pishly, land let the town take care Of the
fools. As for Daniel, no doubt he Is hap
pier now tllan many wiser people"
"Happier than his uncle, I'll be bound"
said the woman, "wGll.OiF In worldly
goods though he be. Old NTOSgar always
looks Neutrality-suspicious. and tfmld-
MS if lie thought all the neighbOrs dcspised
him for taking advantage Of his nephew.
And so they do. And though everything
looks well for him in worldly way, there
will como some change yet, depend upon
it."
"Pcrhaps so, and perhaps not" replied
the husband, inditEercntly. "But get the
pudding ready, at any rate, for I'm In n
hurry 10 be off,
So they smothered their sympathy with
pudding, and forgot the fool.
Some one talked with Daniel about his
farm, and found him satisfied.
"Yhat will l do with my rocks said
he. with vacant, selfSatistled smile.
"Pile 'cm up Make walls and forts
They will last longer than wON, and new
or burn up"
"But you have got no cattle. Daniel,
nor crops" .....
VI couldn't take caro- Of them, Il Aau'
l ca1i get enough meal and milk to eat,
and don't want to work. want to
play with the children, and walk about.
Uncle Robert can't doit. am much bet.
ter oil than he Is"
"Your wood will be all gone soon. Then
what will you doG You'vegot no money"
ut will be time enough for me then TO
pull up my rocks and plant seed" said he,
looking wise. Sand I'll do itall myself,
so that the seed viii know nc when It
comes up, and bow to me in the morning,
when walk in the fields. 0, / don't care
for anything or anybody, with my farm y
he chucEled, finging himself upon q the