The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-12-03
HOW i WON HER.

Wnefe the Town OF randolph now car
ries on its busy traffic, Egbert Bacon's
farm was once located. Egbert Bacon
was my grandfather. His farm covered
more than seven hundred good acres and
ne considered himself wealthy, as he I'M
doubtedly was. He started III life a
poor boy and his honest accumulation
was the result of his toll.
Grandfather was a very peculiar man.
Many persons considered hlm penurious,
out he was really liberal and from the
fact that his charities were given with
secrecy, people supposed that he never
contributed to good works. 1t was In
his old age (and he lived to great
period) that a company of spectators
bought his land because of the fine water
power that ran through it, and as soon as
they erected mills the place began to go
forward until Bacon's farm was thing
of the past. L can recollect when the
first mill was built, and well remember
my boyish curiosity in Watching the me-
chances who worked upon it.
Ny grandmother was about the same
age as her husband. She did not long
survive his DEATH and L missed good
friend and counselor when she left me.
Grandfather expected me to be farmer,
but as l never had taste for hard work,
my thoughts and inclinations went an
other way. OF course he was not at all
pleased with my stubbornness but my
good grandmother always stepped be
tween me and his wrath, and shielded me
from his displeasure.
The old gentleman was sturdy man
at seventy years. He invariably dressed
IN brown clothes, and wore so broad
brim TO his low-crowned hat that he
might easily have been taken for Qua
ker at first sight; but get him angry
once (and his irritability was easily
arOused) and he would let fly such sharp
aud vehement sentences that il was some
vines difficult to imagine they were not
prOfaNe.
was nineteen years old, and was deep
IN love with Sallie Miller, the young
lady who played the organ at the Cross
Roads Church, and was the finest dancer
among all the girls in the country.
Grandfather had conceived dislike for
Sallie, because she was musician. He
had no ear for music, and was "not
Roved by concord of sweet sounds" and
nothing so quickly excited his ire as TO
scrspe a violin within his hearing on
strike chord upon the piano.
Much against my grandfather's incli-
nation, he permitted me to enter the law
office of Mr.. Smart as a student. Had it
not been for the good offices of my
grandmother / should never had this
4 risE of my life gratited. But she
smoothed the way for my grandfather's
consent. But he never ceased to ridicule
me for my pretensions, and positively
refused to give me his consent to marry
Sallie Miller. 1t would not have been a
wise thing in me to cross the old gentle
mans whims, for / was his heir and he
could have found another without much
difficulty, so / never urged my case but
humored him in every way L could
think of.
Once when was home on brief leave
of absence, we were sitting around the
open fireplace, and there was a CHEEKY
ire Of hickory wood. Grandfather was
smoking his pipe, and alternately look
;ng at the burning logs and my grand
mothersfrilled cap.
What are you thinking about,
father" she inquired. She always called
aim by that name.
90 was thanking" he slowly replied,
taking the pipe from between his lips and
dropping both hands upon his knees,
50 that a few years hence and one won't
see good old hickory logs burning upon
lndirons. Stoves and CRATES, and that
internal coal that makes gas enough to
sufiocate household, will supply the
place of our old-fashioned fires. F"
ought to have held my tongue, for
ne was not speaking to me but | wanted
Co show off some OF my smartness and
so ] replied
ooh, my dear sir, there is really no
occasion for having stove which per-
mits the gas to escape. We have now
gss-consuming stoves and one is not
troubled in the way you suppose.
shall never forget my grandfather's
look as he raised his eyes toward me and
repeated, 1--WE have. Pray, Mr.. Smart
ness, permit me to inquire how long you
have been possessed of this valuable in
formation2 / have known it for some
years, or rather have heard it said that
these stoves were gas-burners, but it's
ell lie there's not word of truth in