The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1872-11-01

the swedish, by Carl Larsen
Lawrence Blom, the elder broth,
to one of our school-felloHs, was
gradener on one Of the large farm
In the vicinity OF Stockholm. He vi
:, about thirty years Of age when v
first knew him, short OF stature, bI
% uncommonly broad-shouldered an
strong; had a face reddish-brow
+ from health and sun, almost as rOun
as bowl; the liveliest black eye
nose somewhat crooked, pretty bi
h mouth, exhibiting two roTs Of Il
whitest and broadest teeth; stit
raven black hair hanging far dow
n upon his shoulders, always we
combed and part d in the middle, an
= whiskers OF the same color and qua
Iity united under bis broad chin.
Lawrence Blom wss unmarried
but had the care Of his junior siste
and brother. The sister he kept
r a female institute, and the brother
Clsra school. The gardener va
}. present at each examination, usual
< dressed in q green coat, trimme
with shining buttons; and wheneve
he made his appearance our face
beamed with acknowledgment an,
Ijoy, being sure, examination over, +
i form q circle around q bundle @
apples, which, without regard to dill
} gence or department during the term
were distributed equally among sll
The teachers, too, received him will
great good will, for to each be brough
a cluster OF grapes, or some othel
greenhouse delicscy and the larg'
bouquet adjoining the csiheter on ex
animation day was always 9 present
from him His brothers tuition wa:
paid in the fruits of nature. We
often saw in the list Of charges made
according to ability for payment
amid the numbers Is, 16, 6, 81, 3, 16
also ! bbl. white parsneps and l bu
pess, to be delivered next harvest
80 it could be said truly that the
teachers lsbor was not fruitless, al.
though our schoolmate was one OF the
latest and tardiest dogs who ever
went to school. But one day, about
the middle of the term, Lawrence
Blom came in.
"Now," said be, "my brother has
attended Clara Higher School during
eight years, and studied Latin during
six, but he knows not the name Of q
single flower, nor even the difference
between the animal and vegetable
kingdoms; hardly between pess and
pork. When it thunders he thinks
it is Thor out riding, and when it
blows he say Rolus sits in-heaven
knows which corner of the world
puffing. 1t is about the same with
my sister at the Female Institute.
All she knows is thatCalypso couldn't
be consoled at the absence Of Ulysses,
but the finally she loved Tslemachus
as well as before she had loved his
fsther. But this is OF no use. /. is
too much Latin on one side, and too
much love on the other. / give
both good day" So saying he took
bis brother and departed.
Our eyes sadly followed both
brothers, and the teacher himself
appeared darker than usual; surely
ne foresaw, as did we, that the next
year would be poor fruit year. 1t
seemed to rs as IL Lawrence Blom,
like the angle with drawn sword, had
driven us from the garden, and only
because Of the blessed tree Of knoWl-
edge of Latin and Greek, OF which
we all were compelled to eat in spite
of reasons divine law.
What road wsstaken by Blom, our
schoolmate, / know not; but his
brother Lawrence, our old benefac
tor, some years after became garden
er to one OF the richest land proprie
tors Of Schooner, an ex major L ,
otherwise known as sgenuine scourge
to his subordinstes. People had
warned Lawrence Blom against such
a proprietor, and represented to him
the imprudence OF leaving a place
where he was liked by all, and could
manage almost as be pleased, for
service to person, who, for the cor
rection of his servants, had q So
called "nine tails" on his estate.
81 have grated successfully where
no one else thought it could be done,"
answered Lawrence Blom; and in
spite of all warning he went to
Schonen. Arrived there, and upon
the estate where he was to be garden
er, be found both garden and green
house in most miserable condition.
"How many extra days help are
allowed the gardener ?" he asked
the overseer on the day ofhis arrival.
"One hundred year, was the
answer.
"Do you consider it possible, sir,
to maintain garden and green n-house
in good order with go little help p
Lawrence Blom asked.
The inspector shrugged his shoul-
ders, but remained silent.
"First, the greenhouse has to be
put in perfect order," said the gar
dener; sand then must absolutely
have ct least four hundred extra
days. help in year."
"Must?" eIeated the inspector,
pouting his lips, casting q shy look
around; shut you must speak your
self with the gracious msjor about all
this"
"Thst's just what mean tor said
Lawrence Blom, and went TO find the !
major"
"Thst man Will not remain two
days on the farm, "muttered the over !
seer, sand il be goes from here with |
q sound back / am mistaken"
Blom found the "gracious L'ajor,"
sitting alone in his Office before q
writing desk. He was q tall, lean,
middle-aged man, with stiff bearing,
and equally stiff countenance. His
lower lip protruded, almost hiding
the upper one, which is said 10 be
Of contempt for all. His
eyes, projecting and naturally some
what large, had through the habit Of
closing the eyelids become small and
blinking, which is said to signify
haughtiuess. Msjor L. did not need
these unnatural distortions, or to
hang out sign on face upon which
nature had stamped hardness and
cruelty, perhaps for the same reason
that it has given the rattle to the
rattlesnake-
81 am the gardener Lawrence
Blom said, introducing himself.
"Go to the inspector" answered
the msjor without deigning the new
conner ss much as q quarter Of 9
glance.
"The greenhouse Is useless II not
put in repair at once" said Blom-
$50 TO the inspector! Didn't you
hear what / said, fellow ?' continued
the msjor, in 8 louder tone.
"Neither will s hundrsd extra days
help do. l must have at least four
hundred continued Blom, be too
raising bis voice
"You say, dog?' shouted the ma
jor, starting, and opening widely his
eyes, perhaps now first in 8 long
time.
Blom repeated his demands, add
ing: "Aud sll this l must surely
have, unless II Is the design that /
shsll produce drown beans instead of
grspes, and potatoes instead Of fsnan-