The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-05-30
THE STONE BY THE ROADSIDE.

Where the town of Randolph now car
ries Oh its busy traffic, Egbert Bacon's
farm was once located. Egbert Bacon
was my grandfather. His farm COW
cred more than seven hundred good acres,
and considered himself wealthy, as he
undoubtedly was. He started in life a
poor boy, and his honest accumulation
was the result of his toll.
Grandfather was a very peculiar man.
Many persons consider him penurious,
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. 1t was in his
old age (and he lived to a great perioCD
that Il 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 began to go forward
until Bacons farm was thing Of the past.
can recollect when the first mill was
built, and I we'll remember my boyish
worked upon it.
My grandmother was about the same
age as her husband. She did not long
survive his death, and I missed good
friend and counselor when she left me-.
Grandfather expected me to be a farmer,
but never had any taste for hard work
my thoughts and inclinations went anoth-
CT 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 brim
to his low-crowned hat he might easily
have been taken for a Quaker at first
sight. But get him angry once land his
irritability 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 If
sweet sounds" and nothing so quickly ex-
cited his ire as to scrape violin within
his hearing, or strike chord upon the
piano.
Much against my own grandfather's in
clination, he permitted me to enter the
law office Of Mr.. Smart, as student. Had
it not been for the good Offices of nv
grandmother should not have had the
wish of my heart gratifed. But she
smoothed the way for my grandfather's
consent. But he never ceased to ridicule
me for my pretensions, and positively re-
fused to give me his consent to marry
Sallie Miller. It 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 could think
of.
What are you thinking about, father
she inquired. She always called him by
that name.
II 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
andirons. Stoves and CRATES, and that in.
fernal coal that makes gas enough to suf
focate household, will supply the place
of old-fashpned fires"
l ought to have held my tongue, for he
was not speaking to me; but I wanted tc
show off some of my smartness, and so
replied: ~ -...
"Oh my dear sir, there is really no oc.
casion for having stove which permits
the gas to escape. We have now gas-con-
Stunning stoves, and one is not troubled in
the way you suppose"
'"Pray, Mr.. smartness, permit me to in.
quire how long you have been possessed
of this valuable information? I have
known it for some years, or rather have
heard it said, that these stoves were gas
burners, but it's all lie; there's not a
word of truth in it. I've known them
to send out as much gas as would kill
an OK, if he were confined in the atmos-
plere. Now, sir, don't you feel like a
fool?" ..aes. .,,.
"Come now, father" replied nv grand
mother, " don't be so severe on the bow
(she called me boy to the day of he1
DEATH; =" he only told you what he heard
no doubt, and OF course every one is liable
to make mistakes, especially about such
matters" "
"That puts me in mind," continued