The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1877-12-27
The Stone by the Roadside.

Where the town Of Randolph now car.
ries on its busy traffic, Egbert Bacon's
farm was once located Egbert Bacon
was my grandfather. His farm covered
more than seven hundred good acres,
and he 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 n very peculiar man
Many persons considered him penurious.
but be was really liberal; and, from the
fact that his charities were given with
secrecy, people supposed that he never
contributed to good works. IL was IN
his old age land be lived to a great peri.
od) that a company OF spectators bought
bis land, because Of the fine waterpower
that ran through it, and as soon as they
erected the mills. the place began TO 20
forward until Bacon's farm was a thing
Of the past. j can recollect when the
fret mill was built, and / well remember
my boyish curiosity in watching the me.
chanics who worked upon it,.
My grandmother was about the same
age as her husband. She did not long
survive his death, and | missed a good
friend and counselor, when she left me
Grandfather expected me to be a farmer,
bNk a. never AAu any AAstt luE nara
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 be.
tween 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
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 irritability was easily aroused)
and he would let fly such sharp and We
hement sentences that il was sometimes
difficult to imagine they were not pro
fame.
/ 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. lie had no ear for
music, aud was not moved by concord
Of sweet sounds, and nothing so quickly
excited his ire as to scrape a violin with
in his hearing OF strike a chord upon the
piano.
Much against my own grandiathers in
clination, he permitted me to enter the
law office Of Mr. Smart as a student
Had il not been for the good offices Of my
grandmother, ! should not have had the
wish Of my life gratifed. But she
smoothed the way for my grandfathers
consent. But be never ceased TO ridi-
cule me for my pretensions. and positive
ly refused to give me his consent TO mar
~ Sallie Miller. IL would not be a wise
thing in me to cross the old gentleman's
whims, for / was his heir; and he could
have found another without much diff
Guilty, so ! never urged my case, but hu-
mored him in every way | could think Of
What are you thinking about father9'
she inquired. She always called him by
that name
IL was thinking" he slowly replied,
taking the pipe from between his lips,
and dropping both hands upon his knees,
that a few years hence. and one won't
see good old hickory logs burning upon
androns. Stoves and CRATES, and that
internal coal that makes gas enough 10
suffocate a household. will supply the
place Of our old fashioned fires.
ought to have held my tongue, for
he was not speaking TO me- but | want
ed to show of some Of my smartness,
and so ] replied:
On my htAE blAs AANEt - AtAAAl ~
occasion for. having a stove which per
mits the gas to escape. We have now
gas consuming stoves, and one is not
troubled in the way you suppose"
Pray, Mr.. Smartness, permit me to
inquire how long have you been possess.
ed Of this valuable information have
known it for somo years, or rather have
heard il said that these stoves were gas
burners, but it's all n lie; there's not a
word Of truth in il. I've known them TO
send out as much gas as would kill an
OK, If he were confined in the atmos-
phere. Now, sir, don't you feel like a
fool p
Come now. father" replied my grand
mother, don't be so severe on the boy,
(she called me boy TO the day OF her
death.) "he only told you what he heard.
no doubt, aud, Of course, every one is LA
/ ble to make mistakes especially about
such matters"
That puts me in mind" continued my