Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1873-03-13

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.
Then up from the east and the west
and the north and the south, came credi-
tors, seeking their Just dues, none doubt
ed, but seeming often-times to the gnarl-
ed and hard-working debtors like the fat
kline come up anew to devour the lean.
Aunt Dolly and Uncle 'Liphalet waited
patiently for the one to whom they were
apportioned. He was not greedy; he al
lowed his prey to lie fattening until the
leaf buds swelled on the lilacs. Mean
while, what agonies Aunt Dolly under
went can not be described. 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 real creditor was an iron
man, steel-tipped and brass-bound; when,
therefore, the real creditor one early
April morning swung 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 exc
cutioner. She went, though, and let him
in as if he had come unto his own and
his own received him.
Then she sat down with her sock-knit-
ting beside Uncle Liphalet. Uncle 'Liph
shook worse, and his hair and face were
whittier than when Swinton called three
years before. -,
The creditor talked pleasantly; so had
his predecessor. All business men"
were to Aunt Dolly of the Artful Swlndle-
ton type.
The creditor opened the subject gently.
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 was first
married, There was heavy mortgage
on the farm; but we said we'd work our
selves 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. l don't
know aohere we're going"
The creditor looked troubled.
"Why, sir, there ant rod O. stone
wall on the 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 grated; there amt Oh!
it'll be drefful to take away the farm,
drefful."
Uncle 'Liph laid his great rough hands
over his face, and the tears trickled
through his fingers.
'sHe don't oughter shed tears" said
Aunt Dolly, apologetically, 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 farm
that's bought for lump O. money, and a
farm that seems to stand for the spotted
calf, and the cosset sheep, and the yellow
hens eggs"
Uncle 'Liphalet broke in: "1t's rocky,
and don't look like much, l know, but
pears to me men are some like trees; it's
them as has their roots twisted around
and under the rocks that it's hardest to
tear up. never expected to die in the
poor-house, sir. None o. my kin evel
went there. What would Rube sayi
Why, what aoould Rube say, Dolly?"
"I've tried hard to realize it, said Aunt
Dolly; 's-in the night time, too, sir
what it'll be to be sitting by somebody's
else fire knitting, him a-bringing In
their wood, and out here another thar
me, canning the plums, and drying the
sage, and a spattin' up the butter on thu
back porch"
"And drivin' up the cows to pastur-C
Lordyl' broke in the old man.
"But the hardest thing to leave-Reu
| ben, our son-he was turned eighteen
sir-is buried on the farm. If fyou'll stel
to this winder, sir, I'll show you hi
grave. There, down under that maple
| There's where he fit for college, and wheI
| he came to die, it seemed, sir, as if in tina
place where he'd dreamed over his Latil
| and his Greek, of great futur', there h,
wanted to be left He asked it that morn
| ing in a whisper-I hope-whoever get
the farm, ir-they'll-theyn keep up tn
fence around the grave"
The creditor choked backed something
in his throat, and made nervous ges
ture.
"Keep it up yourself, madam, keep i
| up yourself Trade takes its own risk
and must bear its own losses. I'll no
come back on security of which I wa
! ignorant when I accepted the obligation
on property that has become security
through the dishonesty of the man who
deceived me as well as you. My human
ity weuld shame me".
The old couple stared at the man in
dazed sort of way. What did he meal
this iron man, steel-tipped and brass
bound-this "business MANI"
81 believe I'll be able to catch the noon
train," said he, swapping together hi
watch-case.
Aunt Dolly followed him to the door.
IL don't know as understand you
sir"
"Keep your farm, ma'am. I've N
moral claim, I'll have no legal claim t.
it. 60 on drying your sage, and spattir
up your butter, and pray for Swinton, fo
| he needs it if ever man did"
| Aunt Dolly laid her worn hand sol
,,,,lx IL Il
tried to speak and twice she failed.
''The Lord bless you, sir-in you
basket and your store, at your fireside
and among men; and o, sir, when yo
grow an old man and feeble, may n
hold you in the hollow of His r1gh
hand"
Aunt Dolly's thin, quivering voic
swelled to full tone, and the man in
clined his head reverently.
"What does he say, Dolly?" called UI
Gle 'Liphalet.
The man broke off a spray of th
brown-green lilac buds and crushed then
fragrant as the old woman's blessing, bt
tween his palms.
How wonderful it is that, right afte
those who would destroy our faith in hi
manity, so often come those who rec
tablish it in four-fold firmness.
| Fet0 H0SS. Repn0tscGn.
THE Hartford Comm Coarant state
that more than year ago conductor o
the night train received from passenge
in payment of his fare a thousand dolla
greenback. The conductor told him b
would give him his change later, br
when he returned the man denied havin
given him the note. The conductor plat
| ed the note on deposit in bank, and
has been there ever since.
| "A Chicago burglar, one night recen
. ly, went through a agentleman's residence
collecting all the spoils he could fn(
after which, to pass the remainder of tt
night agreeably, he went to the servant
room, where two girls were sleeplnl
woke them up, and chatted pleasant
with them till daylight, when he took h
departure. E
ADVERSELY brings one into strang
company. The truth of this somewh
ancient saw received new proof at Jerse