The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1879-09-12
WEEDS.

That cabin rude of rotting logs, whose door its
hinges lacks;
Before it stand two starveling ours. a brush
heap and an AK;
Behind it, ranged in crooked rows, is maize OF
varying height;
One side, some stunted cabbages, that sore
the slug worms smite;
A broken worm fence round the place, which
much repairing needs;
Where in the corners densely grow the rank
est nONiOuS weeks
That has been William Elkins home, if home
should be the name
OF any place where folk. reside with idleness
and shame.
And yonder house across the road, low rooted
and spreading wide;
A well kept lawn before the door, its owners
honest pride;
The wood shed filled, the stables TRIM the
fowls in yard inclOsed;
The kennel snug where Bose for years alter
nate watched and dOZed;
The long, straight rows of deep green maize
the garden filled with all
The tOOthsome plants in thrifty growth, from
early spring to fall;
The fruit trees in the angles OF the weedless
Budd Martin closes there life of well earned
competence.
quite remember when they camel was of
age that year;
Twas nothing but wilderness when those
two settled here.
Each took a quarter section as a homestead
land was free;
Each built a cabin, and attacked with vigOr
rock and tree;
But Elkn coming first secured the chOicer
piece of land,
gently sloping knoll that had brook on
either hand;
While Martin got a piece of ground more bro
ken and less rich,
With fourteen acres lying low, that he must
drain or ditch.
Both Iabored long and labored well and broke
and cleared the ground;
And field on field was put in filth, and all
looked well around.
The virgin soil gave heavy crops, sweet grass
and golden grain
Filled hay NOW high, and corn crib full, while
creaked the loaded vain;
And all the settlers far and near i'm passing by
Agreed that to a prosperous goal the two made
And all was well till Barton came, and he, his
bread to win,
Where crossed the roads, mile away, opened
the Farmers Inn.
A pleasant man was Barton, and he kept a
pleasant place,
And bore a look of welcome in his round and
And Elkfn, twice a week or so, to taste "the
fine old rye"
Would saunter out to Barton's there but Mar
tin he was shy.
ellis farm engaged his mind too much;" che
had no time to spare"
But Elkin only laughed at that, and Knocked
And mimicked all he said so well that Barton
and the rest
Declared of all droll fellows round, Bill Elkin
was the best.
They bore all this to Martin. "Well," he said,
she means no harm,
But every weed grown in Il man brings thou
sands to his farm.
I've many here to trouble me; clean cultures
hard to win;
But, as with those that spring from earth, / try
to pillow them i'm.
Bad habits are rank growing weeds; yet, if
you persevere,
And pull them up, pillow them in, the ground
will soon be clear;
But he who waits, and lets them grow and
bloom and come to seed,
Will have to harvest in the end a fearful crop
indeed"
And so the weeds in Elkin's life, and weeds on
Elkin's farm,
Grew both apace, and i'm the end brought farm
and man to harm.
While Martin throve and found his ground its
yearly crop increase,
And won his way to competence and happi-
ness and peace.
Poor Elkin's farm and ElkinS self went down
in every way,
Until the mortgage which he gave has been
fOreclosed to day,
And all his wretched family, homeless, and
Scant of friends,
Are pensioners on Martin now-and so my
story ends.
-7hos. Dunn English, in the N. y. Ledger.