The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-10-22
Old EarmAr Rrnwn

FROM the harvest-held, old Farmer Brown came
home with a look OF care;
lie threw his hat on the hoor, and sat down In his
old splint-bottomed chair;
lie wiped thu sweat from his dripping brow, ant
pulled out his old iack-knife
He whitfield away to himself awhile, and called Il
his little wife.
From her quaint and tidy kitchen she came through
the open door.
With her sleeves pinned up TO her shoulders ant
her skirt pinned up before.
She looked as faded wrinked, and worn tn,
folds Of her giugham- gown.
When she saw the haggard and hopeless look OF
the face OF Farmer Brown.
Then down 10 her rocking chair she sank, in sor
Nor spoke ouc word, bu; listened and looked Il
hear what he might say
Hannah, I'm sick alvin here an a-workin from
spring to fail
A-rai-in 'taters an corn TO sell that don't bring
uothin' AZ all.
Here we have worked together for forty year, lik,
pair OF slaves,
An that old mortgage aIu't lifted yet that owe tc
Gideon Graves
That judgmeut-note o Deacon Dunn's will svou b,
fallin' due.
I'm kept 10 sech worry an fret BY all Of the,,
sort O. thing,
Thai have 10 sell the stuff that raise right OF Tot
what u brings
II costs 10 mnch for my taxes now, an TO keep tn,
wolf away,
That haven't no chance to make a cent, an that /,
what's 20 pay.
Hannah, we've both on as grown old, an our child
rem all are gone;
There Is no one now that is lcf, at home for Us to
depend upon.
alnt strong as used to be,nor as able to work
But I've got to set these matters square, and tn,
farm ~ have TO 90.
Half o. The world lives idle. with plenty to eat an
wear,
An the ones who work the hardest have often tn,
The farmers work t their form. ar bent an thelr
hands arr hard an brown;
The workmen delve IN the dust an smoke o. IN,
workshop. Ia the town
The sturdy sailors bring to our shores the wealth o
foreign lands
An the other half of the world .ubsists by tn,
work o. these hardened hands
An this is one o. the reasons why can't pay wha
! owe,
While you an are a-gct,in old, and the farm u
have 10 20.
i've worked IN the wood. in the winter-tme, Nv,
Plowed an sowed In the spring,
I've hoed and dug through summer and fall, an
haveL't made thing,
Sometimes lie awake all night an worry an tus
an fret,
An never single wink o sleep nor BIT o rest
get,
think o our grown.up chidrcn,al the life they'y
They've got to hoe the same hard row as you aud
have done.
think o. the politicians an the way that they rol
an steal.
An the more think o farmin' the poorer 1t make
me feel
The spectators buy up our cheese our butter. GU
wood an hay
An they sell 'em agin Tor m1re'u twice a. much a
they had 10 pay.
They bleed ~ IN transportation, they fleece Us ey
crywhCrc;
They cheat our provisions al the very clothe
We wear.
They live In their lofty houses on the best that car
be found.
Their wives wear dazzln diamonds, an their chill
dren Loaf around
In the summer they 20 10 the scashore an tn
springs, % make show.
An that Il the way our batter an cheese, an on
corn an taters 20.
I'VE work IN the sun all summer. raise turnips an
corn on shares,
That the railroads an politicians may cheat H. An
They carry the rcins o power, an will TIL we ii
our graves
They ruie an rain the markets an we are a pack O
slaves
whai's to be done' God only knows I've failed ii
many ways
In tyin'to lay a Ioetc by to ease my declinin
days.
never have been a shiftless man; I've nggered
I've worked an tried,
While the Old farms been runuin' down since IN
day that father died
I've borrowed money to pay my dcbts, an Nv
watched the interest grow.
TIL It fairly got the start o. me, an the farm
have ~ GO
Then the little wife Of Farmer Brown stood up upo
And she looked at him in a Kind Of way that sh
never had before
The farrOws hOd from her shrveled cheeks and he
face grew all ngow,
~ nersr VIZ sgu the deed, John, an the farm sha
Heper 70.
There's Test one thing TO be done az sure A. you al
are born;
You must Join the GnASoE an cute, John, Il 20
would scli yOur corn.
digs an delyes,
Bat Heaven will ngvcr help mr., John, unless "
help ourselves.
amt clipper, an smart, an spry nor as stror
~ | used 70 be,
But I've got heap o. spuak John, when IT. s'artS
uP la me-
ovef tho old mans furrowed face the tears began
How,
He never had felt more proud aud strong stint
their wedding long ago;
golden CLEAN Of heavenly hope illumibed IA
sOnls despair,
And, koeeling down on the tlme-wOrn floor, bo
bowed their heads la prayer
--EugsAo i. HaL,, az oar FtTsstAs Friend