River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-04-12
Farmer Lamson's Experience.

SYen ii ne ulu not dfiVe, ana 90 what WORK
| he pleased
/ For two yeers this plan worked very well,
and they seemed happy and united family
| ''grandpa" was well cared for and respected
/ by all, and could go where he pleased. Al
most daily he took q tour To the village and
visited the store, whose owner was his friend
and adviser. But one day he came down
sarlier than usual and asked TO see Munroe
! in private, and told him that he was on the
way to the lawyers office to convey bis farm
10 his son.
Mr.. Munroe shook his head slowly at this
/ Information and said: "Don't do lit Hold
the reins and let Jim drive Human nature
ID too weak to trust. Don't tempt Jim
s'Tempt himln echoed Mr. Lamson--
/ "Why, Munroe what DO you mean? Igive
| Jim the farm and The boards me and gives
me twenty-five dollars every three months,
ard | give him the stock and farming TOOLS
| and a thousand dollars in bank stock See
here is the agreement all written down; can't
be no mistake, and needn't worry about
| the crops the stock or anything but Just sit
by the fire and doze and read the newspa-
pers and see how the politicians fight and
drive down the hill and see you every day
Mr. Munroe read the agreement in his
slow, quiet fway. "Hum, nothing about
horse to drive here. When the old mare
isn't yours how will you come down the
/ bill? You can't foot it very spry."
"Foot itl' cried Mr. Lamson, "Land o
Cioshenl Who's going to footit Haven't
got the old mare and the fine team beside
and three as likely colts as this country ever
saw? What are you thinking about; any
| how?n
"None of 'em yours arter you've signed
that deed, said his friend .'My advice is
to hold on to your farm until you are dead.
I've been in this town over thirty years |
have seen such cases afore.
But Mr.. Lamson had strong leaven OF
obstinacy in his composition, and the more
| his friend urged him not to convey the
farm the more he was bound to do it.
/ SO the lawy ers office was visited and the
deed made out, but as the son was not there
he concluded to carry 1t home to have it
signed, and asked two neighbors to wit
| ness it, When he returned home the
| deed was shown TO Jim and bis wife
and they all rejoiced that at last "grandpa"
/ had been made to do what was for the
| good of the whole family. That night Jim
laid his plans for the next springs work,
| intending to make radical changes in every
thing, while his wife planned famous dairy
and laid schemes which equalled those OF
the rnilkmaid of story-book fame.
| Next day the winds blew loud and shrill,
| and the snow fell ceaselessly, so that the
| neighbors could not be summoned and
the deed signed But Jim and his wife
cared not for the wind or storm, and dis
cussed their new plans before the old man
until his few white hairs stood almost on
end at the changes there were to be made
| The pine grove near the house, which shell
| tered it from the north wind, must come
| down, Jim said at ought to have been
cut down long ago, father, and plowed up
| for potatoes. / shall have the trees felled at
once. And the back lot must be drained
and planted with corn. I:shall make the
farm produce twice as much as you did, but
| 10 do this must keep twice as much stock,
and Eliza thinks she would like a dairy.
| Perhaps you wouldn't mind going up stairs
| 10 sleep, father, and let us have milk-room
made out of of your bedroom. In summer
time you wouldn't mind it, and in winter
wen fix you some way"
| The father made no reply, but he thought
| of Mr. Munroes advice. and while be
| seemed to doze he was thinking OF his wife
and little children, and of the pine grove
he had seen grown up to tall stately tres
from tiny seedlings, and of the associations
that made the old bedroom, with its quaint
chest of drawers its curtained bedstead, old
table, chars and desks, so dear to him.
Another day passed, and still the storm
ragged, the plans for changes were continued
and the old man was made to feel that not
foot of the land belonged to him, and
hardly the chair he sat in. Not that Jim
ans Eliza were unkind to him or the chill
dren less respectful, but the very atmos
phere of the place seemed changed to him,
and he went to bed at least an hour earlier
than usual Jim said to Eliza:
Gather don't seem as chirp as usual:
aope he hasn't taken any cold, But he J.
an old man, and ii can't be expected that
he'll last much longer / saw him looking
at mothers and sister Mary's pictur this
afternoon. He'll join 'em soon."
And the good woman looked as if she
would say "Amenin bat like wise won-
an she kept silence, answering only bv {.
affirmative nod.
On the third, however, the sun shone
bright and clear, and the snow had fallen in
just sufficient quantity to make good sleigh
ing Jim was early astir, the paths all
broken out and arrangements made for cut
ting tno pine woods next day, az me
household were iubilani over the resarn Of
sunshine. But grandpa. sa. silent in the
armchair and thought: shall let things
remain as they are? Shall J give up my
bedroom. and let my wood my pride
be sat down? Yes, yes, yes, am an old
and | shall soon go. I'd better let the
young ones have their way, even to giving
up my dear old bedroom.-Only little
while shall / remain; give me peace while
| do"
Dinner came in good season, and then
Mr.. Lamson thought it would do him
good to take sleigh ride TO the store,
and see his old friends. So he walked out
10 the barn where Patrick was feeding the
cattle and told him to harness the old
mare.
stMr. Jim jast told me to harness her
for him; he and his wife are going TO
THE corner said Patrick
well, let them take Dick or Tom;
want my old mare, and you can bring
her around" said the old man. as he
turned away and went to his bedroom to
put on his outer garments. As he strug
gled into his coat he heard Patrick bring up
the sleigh and tell Jim what he had said
about going to the store.
aHey.aWhaf'y 4-a<s'' asked Jim. "Want.
ed to go inc store? Well, he will have to
wait till another afternoon. Come along,
Eliza; bring the children; tumble in there,
Jimmie guess grandpa win wait this
time. He drives altogether too much for
his health, anyway
And away they went leaving the old man
a prey to disturbing thoughts. Is it posi-
BILE that his son Jim could treat him like
that2
For an hour or two he sat in silent
thought; then took up newspaper to enter
tain himself. But it had lost its power; be
could not read, and was, at last, forced to &c
TO The barn and look at the stock. and talk