The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-06-21
HoRATIo's FIFTY CENTS.

Farmer BreEn wassayery- respectable
mar! He had some oddities, but they
were harmless ones,, and people who
knew him best rather laughed at them
than feared them. erry~ ~;
THE; farmer had two sons. Marcus, q
good, steady boy, who worked with his
father on the farm, and Horatio, who
was just home from college, and was
considered Handsome and "smart"
byalf he;neighbors. / 81
mrs: Brown had been dead some years,
and her sister, Miss Erminetta Griggs,
better known as "Aunt Ermy," was
housekeeper and general manager OF all
the emen-folks 'fon the farm, : ss..i
Aunt SErmy was O. very Industrious
woman, both with. her hands and with
her tongue, and could do more and
say more in agiven time thansany other
woman In The Ellageof Tuscuhm. She
knew it, and was proud of her "gift. /"
As she was also q woman who always
knew "what was what" and could give
it to you in a nutshell, her, opinion, Of
the family was of, course perfectly relia-
Die, as we'll as pithya concise. !
" = SOu 6SO,Aloldeio 10 n1u6lb, oue ao Q
lazy. Here he's been t. home most two
months, and heie he ID, readin', and
,6shin,, and hantin' that's what Ratio
docs And brother kaint very patient,
and materially he. don't, like that kind of
doin's. He's awful disappointed, and
gets angry at Ratio but Ratio takes
It as cool as a cowcumber, and brother
gets apgrier and angrier, and things
aint as they'd orter to be. Now look at
Marcus he aint perticular handsome to
look at, but handsome is as handsome
does That's what I say -. ....-.-.......
And what she said was true. Marcus
WAS very "hardsome" in all his doings,
and Horatio was, indeed, very lazy.
When his father asked him what he in
tended to do with all his learning,
Horatio would look very wise for little
while, and answer f.. i.-.... -:
or really aon't know, father. ]
haven't decided yet. l am studying ma
ture just now."
Then he would take his gun or his
fishing line, and ,saunter, away, as il
nature had an appointment with him,
and he had just recollected it. And Mr..
Brown went back to his work, grum
sliing to himself, and sometimes it made
him petulant even with. Aunt Ermy and
with Marcus, who had done nothing
wrong. 49, ... ,.. e. 49,. ..... 3
Things were bad enough in the sum.
mer, but in the autumn something hap.
.penef which made them still worse.
One bright. cool morning, when Horatio
was on his way to the woods to kill
cartridges, he saw great cloud of dust
rising from the middle of tho road, and
comiug rapidly towards him. Then he
saw red COW, and the next Instant, in
the 'tl,ickest of the dust behind. he saw
q girl holding fast to tho cows tail, and
running with all her might.
.'"iWhy, that 8 Gazena Hartman" he
said to- himself. Then lie, said aloud
"Zena, what are yor doing2" T : e;
I" / am having ride !" she answered,
laughing merrily, and showing all he,
little teeth as she flew Out Of sight.
But Horatio could not forget her
Gazepa's red. cheeks, her flashing eyes
Her curly brown hair flying in the wind
were before him all day, and saved tht
lives of many little birds. B
"How she has grown, and how brigh
and pretty she is! Having a ride,
indeed! How handsome she would locl
in o. fne carriage |" And he had grea
many other thoughts on the same inter
esting subject. 4g..I
After supper he asked his father
"What is Hartman doing nowl Doe
he get on we'll with his little farm ?"
81 don't know" answered Mr.
Brown, grufly. 81 have enough to. d
minding my own business. I don't med
die with other peoples. "
Horatio did not make any reply; bu
as be had no business of his own t!
mild, he thought he would G. meddle
just little. Hartman is worth.
man if he is a Dutchman, and it woult
please him to be noticed in a friendl,.
way. People ought to be kind to eac]
other in this hard world T. .. -, .-.
The very next morning ,Horatio tool
the trouble to go to Hartman's farm, t.
be kind to his 'neighbor. Gazena wa
not visible, but Gazena's father, shor
and stout, stood at the gate, smoking hi
pipe. se...1,
=: asGood-morning," said Horatio, kind
". 80 How do you do z"
-" Do pretty WELL" answered tn
farmer. -. ...--... ..
"Fine morning" said Horatio.