The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1877-05-25
THE STONE BY THE ROADSIDE.

Where the town of Randolph now car
ries on its busy traffic, Egbert Bacon
farm was once located. Egbert Bacor
was my grandfather. His farm covered
more than seven hundred good acres, anC
he considered himself wealthy, as he un
doubtedly was. He started in life pool
boy, and his honest accumulation wa
| the result of his toll.
Grandfather wss a very peculiar man
| Many persons consider him penuriuus
| but he was really liberal and from the
fact that his charities were given with
secrecy, people supposed that he never
contributed to good works. It was in his
old age (and he lived to great period)
that company of speculators bought his
land, because of the fine water power that
ran through it, and as soon as they erected
the mills the place began to go forward
until Bacon's farm was a thing of the
past. ] can recollect when the first mill
was built, and / we'll remember my boy
ish curiosity in watching the mechanics
who worked upon it.
Ny grandmother was about the same
age as her husband. She did not long
survive his death, and | missed good
friend and counsellor when she left me-
Grandfather expected me to be farmer,
but as l never had any taste for hard
work, my thoughts and inclinations went
another way. OF course he was not at all
pleased with my stubbOrnness, but my
good grandmother always stepped between
me and his wrath, and shielded me much
from his displeasure.
The old gentleman was sturdy man
at seventy years. He invariably dressed
in brown clothes, and wore so broad a
brim to his low-crowned hat he might
easily have been taken for a Quaker at
first sight. But get him angry once (and
his irritabilitv was easily aroused) and he
would let fly such sharp and vehement
sentences that it was sometimes 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 a musician. He
had no ear for music, and was not
" moved by discord of sweet sounds"
and nothing 80 quickly excited his ire as
to scrape a violin within his hearing, or
strike chord upon the piano.
Much against my own grandfather's |
inclination, he permitted me to enter the |
law Office of Mr.. Smart, as a student. |
Had it not been for the good Offices of |
nv grandmother / should not have had |
the wish of my heart gratifed. But she
the way for my grandfather's |
consent. But he never ceased to ridicuIe
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
so / never urged my case but
lumored him in every way l could
,hink of.
"What are you thinking about faith
r." she inquired. She always called
lim by that name.
'I was thinking" he slowly replied,
aking the pipe from between his lips and
lropping both hands upon. his knees,
that few years hence, and one won't
zee good old hickory logs burning upon
Stoves and CRATES, and that
nfernal coal that makes gas enough to
ufocate a household, will supply the
,lace of our old-fashioned fires."
ought to have held my tongue, for
le was not speaking to me; but want
d to show off some.ef my smartness, and
o l replied:
"Ohl my dear sir, there is really no
ccasion for having a stove which per-
nits the gas to escape, We have now
as consuming stoves, and one is not
roubled in the way you suppose"
"PraY, Mr.. Smartness, permit me to
nquire how long you have been possess
4 Il. Il T |
nown it for some years, or rather have
card it said, that these stoves were gas
turner's, but it's all lie there's not
rord of truth in it. I've known them
D send out as much gas as would kill an
Y, he were confined in the atmos-
here. Now, sir, don't you feel like a /
,ol ?''
"Come now, father" replied my
"don't be so severe on the
oy," (she called me boy to the day of
er death) che only told you what he
card, no doubt, and of course every one
liable to make mistakes, especially
bout such matters"
THAT puts me in mind" continued
" grandfather, "of asking you how
on are coming on with your piano
laying friend"
scarcely see ner, except on Oun-
ays."
" Humphw returned my grandfather, t
earring his throat. | didn't like the 1
aculation. / often heard it before, and 9
regarded it with the same apprehen-
ON that a mariner does an ugly cloud a
lat rises up to the windward.
&" Humph p' he continued, blowing a
,lumn OF smoke toward the china orna- a
ents on the mantelpiece, "what are s
Ju good for ?" He looked sguarely at
e as he asked question. a
He evidently expected reply, so /
lswered him by saying that as yet / f
dn't know. n
- That's candid, at all events" he re- C
led. 1--we been thinking good deal v
,out you of late, and it occurred TO me
at you might make poor lawyer after 6
/. And you know what a poor lawyer t
You remember Simmons, the man t
ho used to board about upon the farm
: during the summer time Well, he 7
as what they term poor lawyer. He
ldn't brains enough to make his pro-
ssion support him, and was ready to do 7
riting or saw wood to help to exc out
Our grandson has brains," tartly in 7
rrupted my grandmother. My side