Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1879-02-13
The Uses Of Duff.

Gu shook their heads when you
talked of the Seafopds.
Warren was little village on the
side of a Pennsylvania mountain,
peopled with the hardest, thriftieSt
sharp = tempered folks that ever
drew their living from that unwill-
ing limestone soil, The villagers
disputed and quavrelled about every
thing but the SeafordS. There was
but one opinion of them.
The Seafords never would get
on"
They were hard, working, clever,
rious folks enough but they would
never get or."
To ''get on" was the end of life
in Warren.
The truth was that the Seafords
spent their money (and much that
they could not sOare) in helping eve-
ry0ody that needed help. The house
was open 70 all their poor relations );
half a GcZsn needy families came
regularly foc their supply of meat
4 d vegetables and even the STA
bleS were a hospital for the blind
cats and lame dogs of the neighbGr-
hood for CID Isaac Seaford had
taught his boys his own theory AID
practice.
Sometimes even his hospitable
s3ui felt that they carried both to
:Dn extieme, rs for Instance, when
Anarew. the youngest boy, brought
home Duff, 4 deaf old negro, WHO
lad followed the business of town
pauper for years, and had not found
il profitable.
"What csn we do with this poor
creature, Andy ?" cred his faith
or, who was smoking q pipe with
Squire Morrow, on The porch, as
Andy presented him triumphantly.
Feed him, sir. Duff has been
'eyerybody's business long enough
now I'll make him mine. Nigh
starved, Duff, en- ?'' clapping the
old man or the back, and shouting
IN bis ear.
"Ya, va, Mass Andy" chuckled
Duff.
"i'll make him q bed in the bare,
or garret, or somewhere, sir, and it
will only cost another potato in the
pst," said Anna, cheerfuliy.
THAT pots not too full, now"
muttered his father. "But 'He
that giveth to the poor lendeth to
the Lord
"Oh, that's 20 ur idea OF finance,
ell 2' said the Squire with a grin.
Now I put my money in bank
stocks. It yields, az least six per
cent. l doubt if your dividend |
CONES in rs regularly"
lie shufisd of presently % report |
the last symptom Of iIiocy in the |
Seaforjs, who were expected to "get |
or" worse than ever, after that.
However, a blessing seemed to
come upon the hospita5le roof. with
the poor, the blind, and orphans
that il contained.
The Seafords were never able to
dress fashionable t; they did not by
ney furniture when the rage for
decoration fell upon the village. But
there was always enough to cat, and
chearfulneS5 in tie oVer-full house,
aud when the boys went ont, one by
one, into the world, to seek their
fortunes, friendly hand see ned to
leai them to pleasant places.
The Warren Bank, il the mean
while nad broken, and Squire Nor.
roy hal l)5t all his savings. a11
w:.s more disconnected and s0ured
t:an ever.
Poor DuR proved dead weight
o1 the Seaford household. lie was
II hearty, strong fe!Iow, with no all
mant but deafness. La did moth !
ing but eat, sleep and lie in the ,
sun, ,
Mrs. Seafoll, uy series Of el5-
qacnt dumb sigus, would set before
Iii u the necessity of brin yjny up
chips or pail of water but Daft !
woaid point pathetically to his ears, {
auI stretch himself To dose on the
cellar door, with the face of Il mar :
tTr. !
That bread thrown on the Wa 8
ters is toIerably lnoul1y crust, q
Andy" his father used to say, jok- i
ingly.
tIf you tara him off he'll starVe"
Andy would ans yer. DUFF IS ,
grateful DID soul. lie wonld do {
anything for me-"
Yes. I've seen him put your I
worms on the hook after you had /
Dug for them.''
In August, Lis father sent Andy |
up by til. train to MlllYille on busi- [
LcSS.