The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-03-28

turing company, it was a boat loaded
with stone to the waters edge Poor,
deceived and disheartened though they
were, never did men strain muscle
harder than those who sought to tighten
her; but over the side the water came
In, and she went down. = s2'@
Then up from the east and the west
and the north and the south, came
creditors, seeking their just dues, none
gnarled and Woodworking debtors like
the fat kline come up anew to devour
the lean. Aunt Dolly and Uncle Lip
halet waited patiently for the one to
whom they were apportioned, He was
not greedy; he allowed his prey to lie
fattening until the leaf buds swelled
on the lilacs. Meanwhile, what agonies
Aunt Dolly underwent can not be de-
scribed. What must the crab feel in
seeing the stork straddle along the
shore and gobble up his fellows, and
knowing not whether his turn shall
come now or then?
Aunt Dolly's ideal creditor was an
iron man, steel-tipped and brass-bound;
wheh therefore. the real creditor one
early April morning SWING back the
little picket gate, and stopped to sniff
at the lilac buds, she closed her eyes as
she would have done in the hands of
the executioner. She went, though,
and let him in as if he had come into
his own and his own received him.
Then She sat down will her sock
knitting beside Uncle Liphalet. Uncle.
'Liph shook worse, and his hair and
face were winter than when Swinton
called three years befose. a-~s
The creditor talked pleasantly; so
had his. predecessor. All business
men" were to Aunt Dolly of the Artful
The creditor opened the subject
gently. '7s.s ,..,
81 know the law gives it to, you, sir
but it's hard, hard bringing my mind
to it," said the hoarse voice of Uncle
'Liph coming over infirm lips. Here's
where Dolly and me came when we
were first married. There was a heavy
mortgage on the farm but we said
we'd work ourselves clear, and we did,
sir. We'd saved up something for
Rube's eddycation but Rube died and
the moneys gone ; the FARMS going,
and we're going. I don't know where
we're going. 1a-l.. Ess3., -
The creditor looked troubled
Why, sir, there amt rod O. stone
wall onathe farm but I've laid the stone;
not foot O. drained medder land but
I've put down the tiles not bearin'
tree IN the orchid but I grated; there
amt Oh it'll be dreful to take away
the farm, dreful. +"
Uncle 'Liph laid his great, rough
hands over his face, and the tears trick
led through his fingers.
He don't oughter- shed tears" said
Aunt Dolly, apologetieally, "but he's
been so harassed and worried, he's
kind o. weakened and broke down, sir.
But it's hard ON us both to leave the old
farm. There's difference sir, betwixt
n farm that's bought for a lump O.
money, and farm that seems to stand
for the spotted calf, and the cosset
sheep, and the yellow hens eggs"
Uncle Liphalet broke in: cts
rocky, and don't look like much, I
know, but pears to me men are some
ike trees it's them as has their roots !
twisted around and under the rocks
hat it's hardest to tear up. never
expected to die in the poor house, sin.
None O. my kin ever went there. What |
Doqld Ruhe say? 4; Why, what would
''Tve tried hard to realize it" said |
Aunt Dolly, "-in the nighttime, too,
it'll be to be sitting by some |
Dody's else fire admitting, him a-bring- |
ng in their wood, and out here another |
han me, canning the plums, and dry |
ng the sage, and a spattin' up the but
,er on the back porch
"And drivin' the cows to pastur-O |
Lordy !" broke in the old man.
"But the hardest thing to leave !
Reuben, our son,-he was turned eigh- |
,een, sir,-is buried on the farm. If /
you'll step to the winder, sir, I'll show
7ou his grave. There, down unuer that |
maple. There's were he fit for college, |
md when he came to die, it seemed, sir, |
IS if in that place where he'd dreamed |
over his Latin and his Greek Of great |
utur', there he wanted to be left. He |
lsked it that morning in a whisper I |
gets the farm, SIR
hevll-theyll keep up the fence |
around the grave.'F 81 EFTPN
The creditor choked back Something
n his thrC -, and made a nervous ges-.
ure. j
"Keep it to yourself, madam, keepit |
up yourself. Ira e takes its own risks
md must bear its own losses. I'll not |
gnorant when / accepted the obliga-
ion, on property that has become Sc
,urity through the dishonesty of ethesE
aan who deceived me as well as you.
Ny humanity would shame me.
i 4t.n ,.L4 !
lazed sort Of way. What did he
mean, this iron man, steel-tipped and /
this "business man ?''-
" I believe I'll be able to catch the |
loon train, . said he, snapping together
lis watch-case. - 60 "a u =
Aunt Dolly followed him to the door.
CT don't know as I understood I
rou, sir"
keep your farm, ma'am. I've no /
moral claim, I'll have no legal claim to
t. Go on drying your sage, and spat-
in up your butter, and pray for Swim /
on, for he needs it if ever man did.
Aunt Dolly laid her worn hand sol |
mnly on the mans sleeve. Twice she
ried to speak and twice she failed. I
The Lord bless you, sir,-in your
basket and your store, at your fiji eside,
md among men and o, sir, when you
,row an old man and feeble, may He
lold you in the hollow of His right
land.
Aunt Dolly's thin, quavering voice
welled to full tone, and the man in
lined his head reverently. mnI
"What does he say, Dolly ?" called
Jncle 'Liphalet. .....
The man broke off spray of the
cen lilac buds and crushed
hem, fragrant as the old woman's bless
ng, between his palms.
How wonderful it is, that, right after
hose who would destroy our faith in
so often come those who re-
it in four-foId firnnessi
Flower Garden and Lawn.