The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-07-06
KEEP THE DEED To THE HOME
STEAD.


though ever clad in the most repulsive
garb, never seems quite so hideous as
when it embitters the closing years of
the lives of father and mother. Hap
pily-fOr the credit of humanity be it
spoken-these cases are comparatively
rare, yet unhappily not SO rare, but
that few of us have seen dark illus
trations. In view of these instan-
ees, too well known in almost every To-
cality TO require corrOboratiVe testi-
mony, it is passing strange that "fatber
aud mother'' having mounted their
three score and ten, and "walking
thoughtful on the silent solemn shore
of that vast ocean they must sail so
soon," will cast themselves in their
helpless age upon the charity and good
will of their children by giving all their
worldly possessions-not even reserving
the old homestead-into their hands, in
consideration of care during the rest of
their natural lives. If children cannot
bestow this care without a quit claim
deed to the parents possessions, be sure
that it will be grudgingly given, or to-
tally withheld after the deed is duly
made and recorded. There is no spec
tacle that is capable of exciting at once
such genuine compassion and such pro-
found indignation as to see an aged cou-
pie, or one of them, after life of toll
and self-sacrifice for children who now
glory in the strength of vigorous man
hood, and are endowed with the energy
of mature womanhood, sitting aliens
beside their own hearth-stone, COM
PEELED to endure in silence the imperti-
nence of grandchildren and the lower
ing looks and covert grumblings of chill
dren which say with such cruel plain
ness, "The old folks are a nuisance,
wish they were well out of the way"
A touching instance which was recently
related to US has made us think again
what we have often thought before,
that it is inexcusable folly in parents to
deed away the shelter that the thrift
and economy of their younger days has
provided for their declining years, even
to the best beloved and kindest child.
An old man and his wife each having
passed their eightieth birthday, and
drawn several from the ninth decade of
their existence, lived upon quiet but
rather secluded home place alone, their
children, of whom there are several, hav-
| ing years ago "launched forth in boats
of their own" The old man, tottering
with the infirmities of age, is rendered
more helpless still by shock of paraly-
sis, and the wife is too feeble to depend
upon to stay alone with him. The
children are appealed to; some are un-
able and some unwilling to return tc
the home place to look after the parent:
and smooth their rapidly declining path
to the great beyond, but one offers to dc
so in case the homestead is decided tC
him. The old people, utterly helpless
physically, proceed to render themselves
in the same condition financially, and
the shelter that was to keep off the
storms of the few winters that remained
to them was henceforth to be one, if moi
of charity-of sufference. A few month:
sufficed to convince them of this, anC
unable to endure it, the mother, feeble
as she was, set out on foot to return t.
her old home, now her sons, walking
weary miles to accomplish the journey
But, most revolving of all comes the dis
graceful story in the papers that the
son had beaten the aged and paralytiC
father severely, and had been fined five
dollars for the manly exercise.
That this is an extreme case let us bt
thankful, but still let it serve as il
should do as warning to parents tt
hold their own possessions until they
die. There never was a case of thi!
kind bat that parents had unboundeC
love for and confidence in their children
or the transfer would never have beer
made. That there are hundreds of casei
where such abuses would not follow
we know, but it is scarcely possible fo
there to be ever one where the parent
, will feel so serenely conscious of pos
sessing home, and the independence
t and liberty that it brings after the trans
} fer is made.
If anathemas would avail, such in
CRATES should be followed with them i
/ curses, the ghost of King Lear might b
invoked to hurl them upon their heads
But these things, nor indeed anythin
: else, will better the condition of affair
after the fatal deed is executed, thoug
2 it is some consolation to reflect tha
children who are thus "disnatured tor
> ment' to their own parents will, may
? hap, learn when age has set his signe
r. on their brows, how
Sharper than a serpent's tooth is
L To have a thankless child"
Fathers and mothers, make your wi
e and have it duly witnessed and signed
giving your possessions to your childre
0 after you have need of food and raimer
= and shelter no more; but while you
e earth-life continues, keep the title dee
s to the homestead in your own nam,
, Thus you may compel the respectfI
: consideration of your grandchildren
I IL i