Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1879-04-24

Mr.. Thfstfeposf's EARLY Spring
Experiences-A Pastsrial Pic
ture. :. r.~.t

It is spring, and the annual war
fare begins. Early ins f6e morning
the jocund HRS hini 10 She field, and
hunts around in thesaeAd weeils and
grass for the plow he left out there
somewhere snmetime last fall. When
he finds 1t, he takes it to the shop to-
have It mended. When it .is mend
ed, he goes back into the field with
it. Half way down the first furrow
he lays, he runs the pillow. fairly into
a big live oak root, the handles aiter-
nately break rib on this side of him,
and jab the breath out of him On the
other, and the sturdy root, looking
up out of the ground. with, a pleasant
smile. of recognition, says cheerfully:
"Ah, Mr.. Thistlepod, at it again,
sh D S
Fifty feet farther on he strikes .
stone that doubles up the pillow point
like q piece of lead, and while the
amazed and breathless agriculturist
leans, limp heap Of humanity ,across
the plow, the relic Of the glacial
period remarks, sleepily:
'Ah ha; spring here already? Glad
you woke Inc up -
And then the granger sita down
and patiently tries to tie on that plow
point with hickory withe, and whiis
he pursues this fruitless task tie
friendly crow swoops down near
enough TO ask.
''Goin' to put this twenty In corn,
this year, MIR. Thistlepod?''
And before he has time to answer
the sable bird, . tiny grasshopper,
Wriggliug out of clod 80 full of eggs
that they can't be counted, shouted
briskly:
''Here we are again, Mr.. Thisle-
pod; dinner for 500, 900, 600, ,0ooI".
And then . slow-moving, but very
positive potato bug crawls out into
the sunlight to see if the frost has
faded his stripes, and says. i.8
'eThe Old-fashioned peachblow po-
tatoes are the best for q sure crop,
hut the early rose should be. planted
for the first Market
Then several new kinds Of bugs
who haven't made any record yet,
climb over the fence, aud come up
to inquire about the staple crops OF
the neighborLood, and before he can
get through with them Professor Tics
sends him = circular stating thai there
won't be drop of rain from the mid
die Of May till the last of October.
This almost stuns him, but he is be-
ginning to feel little resigned when
n dispatch is received from tn. de-
partment of agriculture at Washing
ton, saying that all indications point
to summer of unprecedented almost
incessant and long continued rains
and foods, and advising him to plant
no root crops at all. While he is try
ing to find words to express his emo
ton, neighbor drops in to tell him
that all the peach trees in the ceun-
try are winter-ki led, ami that the
hog cholera 10 raging fiercely in, the
northern part of the township. Then
aal5g aal5sg Tafbs Tafsbss cone cones .Ssa 1at tie III weii; and
when the poor man gets 70 the door
yard, his children, with much shont-
ing and excitement, meet him and
tell him there are couple OF cats, OF
tue pole denomination, in the spring
house, and another under the barn !.
With tears and gfoans he returns TO
the. field, but by that time it has be-
gun. to snowsso hard he can't see the
horses when ne stands at the plow.
He is discouraged, and starts to the
house with his team, when he meets
a man who bounces him for nsing .
three-horse clevis he made himself,
and wrings ten reluctant dollars out
Of him forit When he reaches the
house the drive-well man is waiting
for him, aud while he ia settling win
him a clock peddler comes in, and 9
lightning rod man, screened by the
storm cf ten dollar
Scs v<orfh