Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-07-17
A Rural IdYI.

Farmer Grind drew long deep sigh
and stood it up against q slanting sun
beam which came into the barn through
crack in the big door where he was
at work. 1t was Just as we'll to pre-.
serve it, for signs were not as fresh and
bright with him rs they used to be in
days before he had the asthma, so he
thought it best to lay it by for future
use; in fact Farmer Grind laid every
thing by for future use that he could.
1t was really sad to see this white
| haired old man, this weather beaten
green stump OF the forest, bowed down
with grief, aud the pitt Il tears came
into his eyes and trickled down to the
end Of his nose. from which he ever and
anon wiped them with the back of his
gnarled and brawny hand.
You seem under the influence of a
| heavy sorrow, Brother Grind" re-
marked the young parson, who had
entered unpereeived, and seated himself
on an uptarned horse bucket, while the
farmer was stu.hng another bunch of
straw into the cutter.
The farmer looked M from his work
with a weary smile OF recognition and
replied, after he had Changed his qaid
to the other check:
Eyes, brother, tie hand q misfortune
has rested heavily upon me. / try to
bear it like Christian, bat til mighty
hard ra'son and it goes powerful agin
the grain 20 4 resigned.
Il hope SO, Iv icted brother, and
trust that l may offer the consultations
of religion" said the parson, sympa-
thetically; "but in what way have you
been bereayed? l hope your wife"
"Oh, Betsy, she's all right" inter
rupted the farmer
And the children; | had not heard?
You have not lost any of the children 2"
and the parson grew more animated in
his interest.
"Not as knows of, :" said the farmer,
mot a blamed kid; the children are do
ing well enough"
where, then, has the blow fallen,
| brother? At what sacred place in the
the family circle has the dread shaft of
the death angel been turned to bring
sadness into once happy home? The
wind, trust, will be tempered to the
shorn lamb"
THE family circle is all serene,
pa'son but rs for misfortune I should
rather think Eve had my share since |
saw you. You know that colt-that
or'nary plug that ulster run in the calf
lot thar? Well sir, last spring Il"
AT this point the old man completely
broke down, sobbed audibly, and
gritted his teeth. II sold him to Gabe
Cummings for $50 and an old hair
bride.
Seems to me that was fair price,"
said the parson.
Seemed to me, at the time, that it
war, but this is weary world, pa'son,
and we never know what trials is in
store fur US I know, pa'son, you'll
pardon my emotion when | tell YOU the
news that [ hcerd only this morning.
What do you think, but that thar dod-
blamed fool colt, that | sold for $50
and an old hair bride, made nile asst
Monday III 20, and beat Silyerton
Maid on n 500 bet. and Gabe Cum
mings raked in all that wealth. There
isn't much tempern' OF the shorn lamb
to the wind in that I'm the worst
shorn lamb you ever SEQ, pa SON and /
tell you this seems to me M ghty cold
day fur lambs"
Under the shadow of his great mis-
fortune the Old man bowed lis hoary
head over the straW-cuttcr. an dropped
tear and a large goh OF grief into its
depths. Some 50 rows are too holy to
be gazod on b. strange eyes. The
parson felt that even the consultations
of religion would be indie u tie N this
case, and he ii tacd out the tarn
IL 4