The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-01-17
written for the Free Trader
THE REFORMED MAN.
BY DIR. STEISWAI.

or Claimed unloIu dCICo vi Slo''iu l' -
county, His. Tom used to plough and dig, and
reap and NOW with the hired men, until he
was sixteen years old. Tom was remarkably
ant At business-I mean the farming business
for it is a business of itself He could drive a
team to @, the county seat, with load OF
fifty bushels of corn at eight years Of age; at
twelve he could drive four horses on reaper,
plough with a gang pillow, drive cattle to mar
Net, and receive the money for them after see,
Ing that they were accurately weighed lie
had been often to c., the metropolis of the
northwest
Toms father Ezekiel Owens, sand OF his son,
tom is promising boy. He is my only son
the son of my old age, my Benjamin, and
the patriarch Of Israel was not more proud Of
his son than am of mine, He Will have a
fine estate to manage some day, when this old
head IS cold
Among Toms other accomplishments that
lie acquired in his frequent visits too was
that OF guiding FIRST one two three and at
last six, eight, ten glasses of beer at each visit
SO that It finally became serious question
whether he ght not come home some night
mIssmg--such things happen occasionally.
However Tom was taken from the farm
about this time and sent to O. to attend
the high school. There was not the danger
pow of falling from the high wagon when
drunk We dislike to say that young Tom
ever got drunk; yet il Il boy, with ten glasses
of beer imblbed inside of four hours, isn't
drunk, he is IN that "mmcdlate vicinity" But
there was vast variety Of pitfalls about O,
the sidccut, the canal, the iar.iamcd Butter
Nllk Falls, and lastly the two rivers with their
two wagon and two railroad bridges.
Tom got on pretty we'll with his studies,
for he was smart and ambitious But there
was aaotter reason why Tom was ambitious.
Attending the same school was young mai.
den with eyes the blacklist and hair the wavi
est and form the most perfect that Tom had
ever seen. Fannie Gray was the only daugh
ter of a wealthy farmer living SIX miles north
west Of o.. She was perfectly healthy,
with the eyes Of the gazeIo and u step almost
~ light; She was in Toms class. She admired
his robust form, his bold step, and his indepcn-
dent ways Tom had fine blue eye, firm,
well-cut mouth, Il large, welldeyeloped head,
and wealth Of curling brown locks falling
over a broad, wcll.shaped forehead
Tom used TO board with lawyer B in his
fine brick mansion, and in the immediate vi
cinity Of Fannie's boarding house. So 1t fell
out that Tom often walked with her to and
from school, and as the second session drew
near its close Tom began to feel uneasy. He
was now seventeen and Fannie was sweet SIX
teen and well grown, and began to attract the
attention of the young gentlemen for she had
marks OF great beauty. Therefore, as they
crossed the river and were passing down over
what is known as tho high side walk Tom out
with il.
II say, Fannie Gray, love YOU"
81 have known that long time, Tom"
"Well, want to marry you some day"
GLOW soon, TOM"
"Oh, not right away, of course was only
seventeen last March. Let's sec-clghtccn,
nineteen, twenty, twcnty-onc Good Lord
won't be Of age for four years"
"A long time, Tom"
"Nes, laundering long time for pretty
girl 70 wait that may want to marry IN a year"
Indeed! who told you sou
We'll, Fannie, Will you marry me when |
amnipctcen? (Coaxingy). will be a mans
size, aud pa will give me the Hardin farm
with the white farm house, and the big red
barn with the bay colts, lots of short horn cat
Tie, top buggy, and everything we want, and
we vii! be rs happy as two ducks in mud
puddle. What do you say, FAM"
81 don't know"
What does that mean"
IT means this, Tom, | don't know what
KIND OF man you will make. You are only
boy now, Tom, you know"
Yes, ! know; but mean to make famous
man. ! mean a good, strong, honest, indus
trious mana man that Mrs Thomas Owen
viii be proud Of" with a majestic look to-
wards Fannie.
81 tell You what will do, Tom" with an
earnest look, ~ will wait"
How long, FAM"
It'll you are nineteen"
THANK you, Fan. would like very much
to kiss your hand, and both cheeks and your
cherry mouth, but can't very well do either
on the street,
VERY, well, we will defer that, Tom"
"'TIll when ,"
"'Till you are nineteen"
ooh, crackey! that Is a long time to watt for
kiss from the lips of the girl you love with
all your heart"
with all your heart, TomT'
"Yes, by ice. would not give my Fannie
Gray Tor all the girls that 60 to Tom C-'s
school"
Yes, that may be; yet, Tom, / have a ricaLn
"No, no, Fannie, no, sirl"
"Yes, Thomas Owen" solemnly, II have
rival, and one whom / fear, you don't know
how much"
Name her."
"7zs Beer Mug"