Smyrna times., 1877-11-21
The Stone by the Roadside.

Where the town of Randolph now carries
on its busy traffic, Egbert Bacon's farm was
once located. Egbert Bacon was my grand
father. His farm covered more than seven
hundred good acres, and he considered
himself wealthy rs he undoubtedly was
He started in life a poor boy, and his
honest accumulation was the result of his
toll.
Grandfather was peculiar man. Many
persons considered him penurious, but he
was really liberal, and from the fact that
his charities We're given with secrecy.
people supposed that he never contributed
to good works. 1t was in his old age land
he lived to a 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 the mills, the
place bagan to go forward until Bacon's S
farm was thing of the past | can re.
collect when the first mill was built, and |
we'll remember my bOyish curiosity in
watching the mechanics who worked upon
it.
My grandmother was about the same aye
as her husband. She did not long survive
his death, and missed good friend and
counselor when she left me. Grandfather
expected me TO be a farmer, but as never
had any taste for hard work, my thoughts
and lnclnations 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 a 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
fol L for O1o L -
get him angry once land 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 a dislike for Sallie because
she was a musician. He had no ear for
music, and was not "moved by concord of
sweet Sounds" and nothing so quickly ex.
cited his ire as to scrape violin within his
hearing or strike a chord upon the piano.
Much against my own grandfather's in
cllnatlon, he permitted me to enter the law
office OF Mr.. Smart, as a student. Had it
not been for the good offices of my grand
o
my life grati6ed. But she smoothed the
way for my grandfather's consent. But he
never ceased to rdicule me for my preten.
sions, and positively refused to give me his
consent to mary Salle Miller. 1t would
not be wise thing in me to cross the old
geDtleman's whims, for | was his heir; and
he could have found another without much |
difficulty, so | never urged my case, hut hu
mored him in every way | could think Of |
What are you thinking about father p |
she inquired. She always called him by |
that name.
81 was thinking" he slowly replied, |
taking the pipe from between his lips, and |
dropping both hands upon his knees, "that
few years hence, and one won't see good |
old hickory logs burning upon the andirons. |
Stoves and CRATES and that internal coal |
that makes gas enough to suffocate |
household, will supply the place of our old |
fashioned fires"
| ought to have held my tongue, for he |
was not speaking to me- but | wanted to
of some of my snartness, and so ] replied
"Oh my dear sir, there is really no oc.
casion for having a stove which permits the
gas to escape. We have now gasconsum.
ing stoves, and one is not troubled in the
way you suppose"
Pray, Mr.. Smartness, permit me to en-.
qulre how long have you been possessed of
THIS valuable information? have known
II Tor some years, or rather have heard il
SAID that these stoves were gas burners. but
IT'S all lie; there's not word of truth in
1t. I've known them to send out as much
gas as would kill an OK if he were confined
in the atmosphere. Now, sir, don't Won
feel like fool?'
"Come now. father" replied my grand.
mother, "don't be so severe on the bow"
(she called me boy to the day of her
DEATH; "he only told you what he heard.
and, of course, every ore is liable to make
mistakes, especially about such matters"
That puts me in mind, continued nv
grandfather, "of asking you how you are
coming on with your piano-playing friend?"
" | scarcely see her except on Sundays"
Humphp returned my grandfather.
clearing his throat | didn't like the
ejaculation. | had heard it before, and re.
garded it with the same apprehension that
a mariner does an ugly cloud that rises up
to the windward.
HumphP he continued, blowing A
column of smoke toward the china orna.
ments on the mantelpiece, "what are you
good forT he looked at me sauarely as he
asked the question.
He evidently expected reply, SO 1