Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-09-17
JACOB GRAVES SUNSTROKE

sink, and restored to their respective
places on the pantry shelves the red
oloth had been spread over the table, the
large kerosene lamp set in the center,
and Farmer Graves had drawn from his
capacious pocket weekly agricultural
journal, and seated himself to enjoy its
contents. He was a thin, spare man,
with sharp blue eyes, bushy gray eye
brOws, q long nose, and firm, square
chin. By means Of good Judgment, the
strictest economy and hard labor he had
managed to a1nass considerable wealth,
and was consequently looked upon with
great respect by his neighbors, who
knew little Of the iron rule which gov
erned his home, and made unhappy the
lives of his wife and two young sons.
The big kitchen was very still. The
ticking OF the eight-day clock in the
corner, and the buzz OF few flies which
had managed TO effect an entrance in
spite Of screens, and to live, in defiance
of the pan OF fly poison placed cousp;cu-
.ously and invitingly on a window sill,
alone disturbed the silence. The day
had been very warm, and Mrs. Graves,
worn out with its cares, had seated her.
self IN rocking-chair and was, for
few minutes, resting both tired hands
and exhausted body, while Fred and
Harry, early taught the value of time,
were silently mending q harness which
lay between them on the big wooden
settee. Occasionally they glanced at
their father, and then at each other, as
if debating the propriety of some pro-
lect 70 be submitted to him and at last
Fred pushed the harness from his lap,
and made movement as If to rise.
But Harry laid OBTAINING hand on
his arm.
Its no use to ask" he whispered.
Perhaps not" answered Fred in the
same tone, "but it can't do any harm.
He can only say no. and nothing
venture. nothing have is saying I be-
lieve H."
''All right; go ahead" said Harry.
"Pll back you up the best way cam"
Thus admonished, Fred cleared his
throat nervously and approached his
father.
Father" he said, to-morrow'n be
Fourth of July, you know. There's 60
ing to be g procession of Horribles in
town in the morning and speeches in
the afternoon"
"Well," said the farmer, without
glancing up from his paper, "what of
it? l can't say as I'm interested in sech
tom-foolery doin's."
"We've never been to anything of
the kind, you know" continued Fred,
hesitatingly, "and all the other boys
about here are going. So we thought"
THAT was fool enough to let you
waste hull day." interrupted the farm
or. grimly. Well, you thought wrong.
I amt no sort of believer in this yere
Fourth of July nonsense. A pa'cel q
men an boys paradin' up an down the
streets dressed up like monkeys. They'd
oughter be ashamed O themselves. NY
father learned me better'n that how tc
use my time. No; yell spend to-mor-
row in gettin' in that hay. I've got to
go to Morristown to see Talman bout
them hides, but you two kin get in the
hay an then"
He was interrupted by knock at the
screen door. Mrs. Graves fastened
YEARLY to open it. Two men, rough
looking fellows enough, stood outside.
"We want to stop the night" said
one of them. "We're trampin' it to
Boston"
"And youth not stop your trampin'
here" said the farmer. Move on.
We've no room here for the likes of
you"
"Let us sleep IN the barn on the hay,
then" said the man who had not before
spoken. "That amt much to ask O.
you"
"Too much, all the same," said Jacob
Graves. 81 don't trust no tramps In
my barn. So be off with YOU"
The men turned away, muttering some
thing which the farmer did not catch,
and Fred and Harry, thinking it useless
to return to the subject Of the Fourth of
July procession, put the harness away
in a corner Of the kitchen, and went up
stairs to bed, their young hearts sore
with 1he disappointment they had re-
ceIved.
So long had Mrs. Graves been under
the despotic control of her husband that
she seldom ventured remonstrance of
any sort. But now her heart ached for
her bGys. She knew how deeply they
felt tEeir fathers injustice and oppres-
sion, and scarcely had the sound Of their
footsteps died away when she went to
her husbands side and timidly laid
hand Cd his shoulder.
"Ja,ob," she said, "the boys are
young, and they need little recreation
now and then. Let them go to town to-
morrow"
Il want no interference from you.
Sarah. said the farmer, without looking
up. II women had the management O.
ali the boys, there'd never be man
worth anything"
So Bl1t they work so hard every day."
pleaded the mother. "No man ever had
better sons than yours, Jacob. Show
them that you appreciate their industry
by giving them a holiday now and then,
ThevN work all the better for it.
''Let them once begin to waste time
an there'll be no end to it." answered
Jacob. Its no use your putin in an
oar for EN-, Sarah. Hard work and
plenty of it is the best kind O. food for
boys. / was brought up on it, an
oughter know"
Mrs. Graves said no more. She
leaned her aching head on her hand,
and bent her sad eyes on the floor,
wondering. poor soul, why she had at