Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-10-03
LEAVING THE FARM.
By MRS. E. v. WILSON.

So, William, We must go to town, and leave the
dear old place.
Your hair is gray, your form is bens and wrinkled
is your face;
And when stand before the glass to put my collar
scarce can see to pin it straight. my sight is so
near gone.
The children say we're growing DID, too old for such
And Daniel he will take the p'ace-,ou know he's
not a shirk-
And that young wife Of HE, think, is smart as .
She's light of foot, and light Of heart, and good to
you and mo.
They're sure to keep the farm in shape, and not let
But Im afraid I'VE we' never be content to live in
town.
You know since Mary married we've been there on
and off,
And once stayed month or more, the spring
had that cough.
Mary was good ana loving, and her husband he was
kind;
But GIT SO tired and homesick feared I'd lose my
mind.
1t wasn't lack of company-some one was always
You know that folks who live in town have lots Of
time to spare.
The church was very handy, and liked the preach
And tended all the meetings; what else had to
But, oh longed to hear the COWS come lowing
down the aQe,
And to hear The horses champing as they ate the
golden grain;
And to hear the proud hens clucking, and the
mother turkeys call
And longed to see my garden, and the apple trees
And to pull the clover blossoms and breathe their
And, william, you'll DC like me /; you need not
laugh or frown,
w.. -
town.
just think about it, william; it's forty years and
Since you and together left old Ohio's Shore
mind as if 'twere yesterday, my mothers tear
wet face,
Tho firm clasp Of my fathers hand my sisters
And on! never shall forget how the prairie, wide
and vast,
Stretched out before me, when you said, g Wei,
dear, here's home at last"
The words seemed such mockery, where nothing
looked like home,
The very clouds seemed farther off, AMI higher
Now as Look around me on the fields of waving
corn,
The orchard and the meadow, the farmhouse and
the barn,
Ali the past comes up before me, the cabin
small,
The Iittle iow-roofed cabin, that barely held US
And the lo-eiy, lonely prairie, with not house in
eight;
All! tic tears that wet my pillow when you thought
Ise4t at night.
Yes, it's true we soon had neigh5ors; and how
homeike it did seem,
When OF evenings from cur doorway could zee
their candles CLEAN.
Looking round upon the prairie, where we watched
that lonely light,
Now from many friendly windo" shine the earth
stars clear and bright,
But no beacon to the sailor, homeward bound upon
the sea,
Ever shone with brighte. luster than that twnkisg
Then the children kept on coming, uu the small
house overlooked,
And their childish love and laughter helped us all
along our road:
How we tolled both late and early, and how through
The dear God blessed and prospered u. to Him be
Then when we built the new house, what happy
times we had,
Peace and plenty dwelt among us, and the days
were short and glad
know we had our trials, crops would fail and sick
ness come,
And before DEATHS AWFUL presence we have bowed
in anguish dumb;
But we comforted each other, for we said, Ills
word is sure"
Though we walk among the shadows, still His
promises endure"
Now the shadows all are lifted, we are in sweet
"Beulah land"
And His presence is about us, we can feel His guild
ing hand.
is hard to leave the farm-but the children are all
grown
As we we're when just we welded, you and are now
alone.
But oh: the difference to US! then our lives had
just begun,
And our ife-work lay before us; now our lfework's
almost done.
Why, the sun is setting, William. How fast the
days go by,
See those clouds of blue and crimson lying on the
Western sky.
This world s very beautiful; sometimes it seems to
can hardly bear to leave 1t and then, dear, when
How feeble am getting, feel ready quite to go,
The children do not need me, and you'll soon,
know.
Low spirited? Ab, no, I'm not. "He doeth all
things weli,'
And happy and God fearing the children round us
dwell,
And I'm ready for the fitting, like the leaves in au-
tnmn brown
But I'm afraid we'll never be content to live in
town. Chicago Intcr-Ocean.