St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-02-11

Sne was just DeS luHlIS W olI up tlele
came knock at the door, and the Sc
lectmen came in. Jonathan was read
ing in his history, but Ebenezer was
leaning his elbows on his knees and just
staring into the fire, and Melissy was
thinking about fairy story she had
read, and wishing some good little
brownie would pop out of the chimney
and bring them a pot of gold, just as
YOU and [ do sometimes, Dora.
Zone Selectman was big and fat; his
name was Squire Hawkins, and the
other Selectman was little and kind of
dried up; his name was Deacon Bow
ers. They both shook hands with the
mother, and asked her how she felt,
and then they told her they'd come to
talk with her about the boys. Ebene-
ger, he was the Oldest, he sat up pretty
straight at that, and looked at Deacon
Bowers. Deacon Bowers said he
s'posed she couldn't do much with the
farm and it was pity the boys hadn't
been brought up to be a dependence for
her, but he guessed he'd take the farm
off her hands himself, and see to bind
ing the boys out to trades; that means
signing a paper to give boys away till
they grow up and learn to work. Dea-
con Bowers said: ....
.s.Siah Martins willin' to take
Jonathan and larn him shoemakin';
that's good payin' business, and don't
take no great O. brains, and sr'el Dow
reckoned he'd take Ebenezer on the
farm, He's a stirrin' kind of man and
don't have no shirks about his premises;
but he's honest and a good providerN
Mis- Bowers, she thought she'd take
Melissy, to help round and save steps.
She amt so spry as she was forty years
ago.. We'd give her her yittles and
clothes; though such GROWN gals eats
awful, and runs through a new caliker
in no time 's'.+,.' '7' '''~ ~ '''''' 's''
call this time Squire Hawkins, The
fat Selectman, kept tying knots inEthe
end of his whip lash, and smoothing his
fur cap, and looking very red and IN
comfortable; and !, should think he
might, to hear any body talk about tax
ing children away JUST as if they were
calves or kittens. Mrs. Lanman cried
and. couldn't say a word, but when
Deacon Bowers said that if the children
were off her hands she could take a
room somewhere and live quite comfort
ably on the interest of her money, Eben-
ezer just got up and stood very straight
and looked that Selectmen right in the
face, and said: ..a . n-t SOD 20 .Iu
1--WE are very much obliged to you,
sir, for offering to buy the farm; but my
mother does not wish to sell it. My
brother and can carry on the farm and
take care of our mother and Melissy.
"And then Jonathan got up, too,
and put one arm around his mother, and
said: sr.. l.=.., ...rs5.. Ht.. ,t
Eyes, sir; we can take care of our
mother, and we mean to do it. Wen
show you that we're good for some
thing, and if we have been lazywe new
er will be so again; SO don't you cry,
mother -.-...
1.-The fat Seleetman said: That's
right, that s right, boys; stand by your
mother, and the Lord II stand by you,
and SOIL l.
"But the little dried-up Selectman,
he was real mad, cause he wanted to
buy that farm himself; and I'm just as
glad he didn't get it, for, don't you
think, those boys and Melissy went to
work like regular farmers, and they did
everything, and all the neighbors helped
them in having and harvest, and they
got along first rate. And the minister
lent them books and said they needn't
let their brains get rusty because they
had to work with their hands; SO they
used to read and study evenings, and
talk things over together, and try to
E,,l hot
and after all the boys went to college;
! for when Melissy was sixteen years old
! thew had chance to sell the farm for
ever so much money, because a man
wanted to have cheese-factory there
/ Some people said Mrs. Lanman ought
to buy another farm with the money, but
she said no, she was going to invest
that money in brains, and she went to
| the town where the college was, and
! rented little house, and sent both her
boys to college, and Melissy, too.
Jonathan, he got to be doctor, just
the way he had planned, but Ebenezer
learned to be a minister, splendid
one, too, and his mother heard him
preach. Melissy didn't teach because
she had to take care of her mother, but
she was just as smart as if she had, and
after awhile she got to be our grand
ma, and that's nicer than teaching
school or being doctor, either"
Jenny began this story just to Dora,
but pretty soon she turned around a
/ little, and when she stood up to show
how Ebenezer looked at the selectman
she forgot to sit down again, and just
kept on looking at the President and al!
of us till she got through. Then we all
clapped our hands and cheered, because
she's such little thing. n
Tom Kelly was critic, and he said the
story was pretty good for little girl,
but it didn't have any moral. Susan
said the stories to tell didn't need tc
have any moral; and, besides, il