St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-04-03

The clouds look low and heavy, as II there WOuIu
/ be rain
1t always means bad weather when you bear the
brook plain.
The wet won't make much trouble now, for all the
crops are in,
rains begin.
I couldn't sense the half read. the air is close
and still
If were young as once / was, I'd 20 up on the
hill.
. 1t isn't as 1t used to be when could come
and 90,
And keep upon my feet all day, now 1 stiff
and slow.
There's nothin' in the paper you can take it if
you choose,
I can't make head nor tail of half they nowadays
call news.
/ used to think the Farmer head of all the
rest;
Twas full of solid common sense; tell you
that's the best
What does plain, old fashioned man care
whether stocks 90 downl
My stock is all four-foOted but twill please
thefol1s in town.
Here's new machines preached every week, to
help the folks that sell;
And fashions for the women folks. and other
trash well
Twas readn all this nonsense here in winter
by the fire,
That made my boy get notions of the schools
and climbin' higher.
1t used To be snug and warm a stormy win
rer's night
With snow clicks at the windows and the rOarin'
fire for light
But there be set, all doubled up. a-storiu' this
away:
Readn and readin till said twas more like
toll than play;
Readn and readin' till | found he couldn't
work a stroke,
And couldn't hold the plow hour, or hardly
lit yoke.
tall and thin:
ward gave in.
They got the minister to come, his mother took
his part,
Until l let them have their way, although it
broke my heart
Twas well enough for them to talk, and want
going to fight
And then my mind got distressed l couldn't
sleep at night.
Folks talk of education : if the Latin showed
farmer how to cast accounts OF how to stack
load
But 1 say 1 had to cope with mother and
with Dan
And then they got the minister, a good well
meanin' man.
And Dan. he said, must have his chance and
pretty soon l
The book fools and tue women folks would be
too much for me.
complaint,
When ! give in l don't take back but 'twould
have tried a saint
1 never knew the crops to fail fail they did
those years,
Or money be SO hard to get, and l full Of
fears.
I never grumbled at his bills but paid them one
by one:
And when the boy came home again with al
his schooln done
[ couldn't ask him out a-held or let him do
stroke,
He looked like a white-skinned birch. and fell
| like an oak
But that was 20 years ago and here we be to
| day,
And I've got old and stiff, you see, and wha
was once like play
l have to hire strange folks to do, or else mus
let alone
Silas is willin', wants to work but he's boy
hat-grown
Now, he's the kind of lad like his cheeks lool
bright and warm;
If l could have my way l know, I'd let hiu
Although he's but cousins son, he does seen
near to me
Yes, nearer, l must say it straight-than Dal
could ever be.
Dams a professor and they say he knows a
muGh : most
But he don't know and never will how mncl
his learnin cost
| Twas him that should have had the place. 'twa
fathers tore twas mine.
I'd like to KEEP it in the name; but 1 amt gOn
to whine
Mother she's had it pretty hard We needed Dan
that's true;
And | would keep him right at home if l begal
life new
FaImin's the houest work of men, if other folk
| must thrive
Some of us ought to stay at home to keep tn
| farms alive
Dams kind of disappointed-he sees he amt tn
first;
There want the makings of the best, and yet h
ain't the worst.
They call him good scholar but there's muc
he learned in vain.
II he don't think he'd farm it, if he could staI