The Northern Pacific farmer., 1882-10-12
INTRODUCED TO HIS SON.
Father Meets His Fifty-Year-Olo
Child for the First Time at h'u-

4 Father Meets His flIty- Il ear-OAU
Child for the First Time at q f'u-
neral.
From the Philadelphia Record.
a strange thing happened at Freder-
q few days ago. Aaron Bout, well-to-
do trucker ofthe neighborhood, a hale
old man Of so, was Introduced to his ia
ther, Aaron Bout, rich Cid merchant OF
~, who lives on Heas street, in this city.
Neither knew that the other was alive.
Although they have been residing with
in two hours ride of each other for a
quarter of century this was the first
time they mad ever seen each other, and
thereby hangs tale. Fifty years ago
the father was well-known horse jock
~ in Montgomery county, and lived near
Frederick. He was crack rider across
the country and the most popular horse
man to be found in the radius OF thirty
miles, At all the county fairs young Bout
was authority on all matters pertaining
to horsehesh. and none dared dis
l,ntc t!.ls opinion. He was a perfect
'i;,rtd"vil i'll the saddle, and no one
could rl,nage the ribbons of four-ln-
zland as gracefully AS he. At twenty he
went Oft with a circus, and in few
nlrnths ,,.J first son was born. He did
not return to FREDERICK until the day,
fifty years after, when father and son
first met face to face. The mother had
died, and the father supposed that the son
II III also died. But while the one was
;:,;hring the earth leading an adventur--
i: ,'l> life, the boy grew to. manhood and
to middle age. After b1any years OF
|, wandering, and when he had been lost
10 f;.lnily and friends in Montgomery,
Bout, the elder, married and settled in
Ills city, and became domestic man of
business, accumulated property and be-
cl'iie the head of a numerous family.
lis last child is now but two years old,
; nnI was born when the father had
reached the ripe old age of IS. There
nrr twenty othe~ children, not in
,'.'tuiny the supposed tO-be-dead first
.'oin, all of them alive. In the mean
time. Aaron Bout, Jr., had lived an une-
ventful life, had married, bought little
flrm, and also reared family of cAll-
lren. One day Mrs George Bilger oftfis
;lty, who was a relative Of Mr.. Bout,
died and was taken to Fred
rrick for burial. Among the mourners
WAS the father, and in the company at
the church was the son. Neither were
; aware OF the others name or lden-
tity. An old patriarch of the neighbor-
/ mood met Bout, Jr. He had known him
when both were boys, and was amazed
to hnd him alive. Falling back in the fu-
neral procession, he took the son aside.
Come" said he, l will introduce You
to your father"
my father" cried out the astonished
man. "lmpossible! l have no father.
lie is dead"
No, no." replied his friend, che is
hule. .:'Come with me"
In few moments the father Of 20 and
/ the son of so years. each somewhat be-
! wiidered, were in a long and warm en-
brace. For hours the two sat close to-
geteher under the friendly shade of a
heishbor's vine clad porch, all uncon-
S''ious of the curious gaze of the country
f. ks who had attended the funeral.
Tie son, who has been in Philadelphia
but once in his life, was pressed to pay Il
visit to his fathers house on Heas street
above Twelfth, and when the crops have
been harvested on Frederick hills there
will he another happy meeting in this
city.