The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-03-19

to keep their promises, that they shall
have every comfort that they have had
heretofore; shall be paid q quarterly
allowance, and shall retain the old bed
room, and the old armchair in the
snuggest corner. Yet it needs lawyer
who understands human nature thor
oughly to draw up such q contract,
and one whose heart is in favor of the
aged rather than the young, in order
that the old mans privileges may be
fully described and the penalty of losing
the farm attached if they are curtailed.
Perhaps my old friend Mr.. Lamson's
experience will point the moral I desire
to enforce. He outlived his wife and
daughters, and his son brought his wife
and family to fill their places and make
the old man comfortable. He reached
the age when the grasshopper became a
burden, and his heart was no longer en-
crossed with buying and selling and
making the farm productive. So ar
engagements were made whereby the
son should feel well paid for his labors,
but the father should hold the reins,
even if he did not drive, and do what
work he pleased. For two years this
plan worked well, and they secured
united, happy family; grandpa was
well cared for and respected by all, and
could 60 wherever he pleased. Almost
daily he took drive to the village and
visited the store, whose owner was his
friend and adviser. But one day he
came down earlier than usual and asked
to see Mr.. Munroe in private, and told
him he was on his way to the lawyers
Office to convey his farm to his son.
Mr.. Munroe shook his head slowly at
this information and said: "Don't do
it! Hold The reins and let Jim drive.
Don't tempt JIM"
"Tempt him!" echoed Mr.. Lamson.
"Why, Munroe, what do you mean?
I give him the farm and he boards me,
and gives me twenty-five dollars every
three months, and 1 give him the stock
and farming tools and thousand dol
lars in bank stock. See, here's the
agreement all written down; can't be
no mistake, and I needn't worry about
the crops or the stock or any thing, but
just sit by the fire and doze, and read
the newspapers and see how the poll
ticians fight, and drive down the hill
and see you every day." -. u
Mr.. Munroe read the agreement, and
said in his slow, quiet way: "Hum!
Nothing about horse to drive here.
When the old mare isn't yours, how'll
you come down the hillP You can't
foot it very spry."
"Foot it," cried Mr.. Lamson. ":Land
o. Goshen! Whose a-going to foot it?
Haven't got the old mare and that
fine team beside, and three as likely
colts as this county ever saw? What
are you thinking about?''
"None on 'em yours arter you've
signed that deed, - said his friend. "My
advice is, hold on to your farm till
you're dead. I've been in this town
over thirty year; I've seen such cases
afore.''
But Mr.. Lamson had a strong leaven
of obstinacy in his composition, and the
more his friend urged him not to con-
vey the farm, the more he was bound to
do it.
So the lawyers Office was visited, and
the deed made out, but as the son was
not there, he concluded to carry it home
to have it signed, and ask two neigh
bors to witness it. When he returned
home, the deed was shown to him and
his wife, and the eldest boy, and they
all rejoiced that at last 'sgrandpa" had
been made to do what was good for the
whole family. At night Jim laid his
plans for the next springs work, in
tending to make radical changes in
every thing, while his wife planned
famous dairy, and laid schemes which
equaled those of the milk-maid of story
book fame.
Next day the winds blew loud and
shrill, and the snow fell ceaselessly, so
that the neighbors could not be sum-
moned and the deed signed. But Jim
and his wife cared not for wind or storm,
and discussed their new plans before the
old man until his few white hairs almost
stood ON end at the changes that were to
be made. The pine grove near the
house which sheltered it from the north