The Van Buren press., 1879-01-25
MISCELLANY
TWO IMPORTANT PAPERS.
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~ don't know what l shall do with
that ere boy" said farmer Long to his
wife, as they sat by the fire that winter
morning. "He's more harum skarum
than the stats reform school-b boy was"
"Well, father. have patience with him
for the sake of his folks l think there s
something in Jim that will surprise you
one of these days"
"I dunno whether he'll surprise me
emmy morn he has as not. Last spring
he made b'lieve he knowed all bout
billing down sap. nd surprised me by
burnln' the bottom NV the sap.pan eout
nd settin' the sap-house on fire. Last
summer he. broke more tools in hayin'
time than all the rest NV US together
And dear me! Yeoud orter seen him
dig pertaters last fall III venter he cut
every third one in tew-struck at 'em ez
ef he was splittin' rock maple logs. Nd
PH9EroAe 7n s5S9Skss s5S9Sks way, h'fsate 'fsateuthr fGt ipae
tie. He's only sixteen y'r old. Eff he
does this in the green tree, what in mater
he'll do in the dry?'
After these remarks about the hoy he
had taken to keep until he was of age,
the farmer started for the barn. He was
bending over great meal chest just
inside the barn door, as a tandem team
was turning around the corner of the
barn. This team consisted Of wild
yearling stear and the boy Jim Fowler
The team" was on the "dead" run.
The youth had hold of the steers tail
with his left hand and held aloft milk
g-stool in his right.
Mr.. Long was unaware of danger, and
when something struck him, and imme
diately he foudd himself on his back in
the meal chest. His first thought was of
an earthquake or tornado or some 9TH
er dread outbreak of forces. He emer,
ged from the chest just in time to see
his lime-backed steer pass on into the sta
BILE and Jim Fowler arise half stunned
from the floor.
"Yeou young scamp!" he thundered
s'yeou'll murder somebody yet--er--er,
l shall, if yeou don't stop yer dumbed
work"
The boy did not laugh at the miller
like appearance Of the man. His own
face was as white as the farmers as he
said
"Tm awful sorry, Mr. Long
81 dunno whether yer be or not" re-
piled the latter. But tell yer neou
nd here, Jim Fowler. what's what. When
yer father died yer hadn't a relative
left'
"No, sir, they wasn't none left" broke
in the youth; and the tears filled his
eyes
81 promised him little afore he died,
I'd lake care on he until yeou was old
enough to take care NV ye'self nd do
well by ye--give ye a common school
eddication and so on. Nd mean ter do
it if yer conduct don't become onbarable
But yeou must be more stiddy md man.
like nd not plague me ter death by yer
recklessness Dye hear2"
eyes. I'm goin' to try, Mr.. Long
That's the sorter talk. l want ye ter
go ter school an git ter be es smart es
Jennie is, if We can. Ieou er tcw years
oldern she is nd y'ant nowhere side
her"
Il know it. l amt nowhere side by
her"
Jennie, the farmers daughter, was q
bright girl; and as pretty as pink. jim
did not wonder that her father and
mother were proud of her; or that they
felt there was vast difference between
him and her. He thought there was
himself; and he believed she did, for one
day of the last summer, when he stun
bled on her flower. bed, she spoke sharply
at him. and if he had not misunderstood
her, called him a beggar."
He was careless and stupid; if she had
said as much, be would have thought II
| justifable under the circumstances But
for her to speak, in that way-as if hi,
misfortune was his fault--made him al
most hate her. He did not answer back
but the look he gave her kept her from
ever repeating the taunt; and also from
forgetting that shc had made it.
! Yet he confined to be the same care
less "Jim" up to this winter morning
But when Mr.. Long had administered
his reproof and returned to the house tt
brush the meal from his clothes, th,
youth fell into profound meditation
out of which he came with this ejacula
ton: