The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-04-17
means, to be did by them that takes il

for the rewl Of life, or says they do.
Artemus felt drops of cold sweat COM
ing out on his: face. He was not afraid,
but he was furious, and he could not
wither these accusers with his cruel eye
and bitter tongue as he could his
trembling wife Or his luckless debtors.
Still another took up the scathing
word. my thing ag'inst him is thet
he amt square on the deal. You buy
bushel Of potatoes of him and they
jest even fill the measure, not one atop
ont an apples the same, besides being
poor at that, come to look at the bot
tom. He don't keep nigh so strict
to weights and measures as he does to
Calvin's five pints or decrees'n pre-
destination; seems as though if he did
folks would like him better, an he'd do
more credit to his profession"
"My friends" put IN familiar voice
Lawyer Packers rich, lazy tones;
Artemus knows them well-"aren't you
rather hard on the old fellow? don't
deny he's mean and hard, and perhaps
cruel; it's so easy to be cruel to a wom
an who can't strike back, and l don't
deny that he processes more than he
practices, but, after all, isn't that the
way he's made up? You can't make
cheese out of chalk if you want to, but
suppose chalk is of some USE"
"Good to set up for landmarks so't
folks won't drive where 'tis," and laugh
echoed the last speaker.
Artemus groaned and woke. His
wife stood by his side.
"Had MI htmare, haven't you?" she
said for his groans had scared her from
her rest on the step.
"Go to bed, can't you?" he said, after
the domestic tiger fashion. Artemus
had seen himself as others saw him but
as yet without result.
Oddly enough, Joe Packer had like
experience that night but not in sleep.
He sat late by the window of his Office,
instead of going home to bed, for the
night was hot and close, and his little
room at the tavern musty and torrid
with the glare of long days sun. His
lamp was out, to avoid insect visitors,
and his last smoke over, but he was too
lazy to move, and through the closed
blind came a delicious watt of scented
night air; presently a couple of loungers
stopped and leaned against the fence.
"Hot as mustard, amt it?" said one
to the other
lawful You don't catch me going
home to Mother Kings hunks tonight.
Can't we stretch on the grass som'ers ?"
Inside here I guess is as good as
anywhere. Grass is clean and short. I"
"Who lives he-e?"
"Nobody It's Joe Packers Office, N
he; off home or to some girls house
long ago"
So the two leaped the low rail and
lay down on the cool earth.
Joe Packers great fellow!" the
last speaker went on "he's the greatest
to talk I ever see, but he never carries
nothin' through. You'd oughter hear
my boy tell about how he fused an
buzzed about that Bible class of his n :;
they'd got to be jest so punctual, and
jest SO prepared, and for while twas
whewtybang, but he got tired ont af-
ter spell, and now he's skerce ever on
time, an most always says: We'll, I
hope you've all studied up, L haven't
had any time this week, I'm sorry to
say Gracious grievous! they know
we'll enough he's ben off on an excur-
sion with Lyddy Smith, or a sleigh ride
with Mariana Adams, or fshin' to the
mill pond, Or on boss trot to Manville..
They laaf in their sleeves, I tell ye.'
Boys amt FOOLS"
'Shouldnt think he was just the fell
Ter to Letter 'em on habits and such like !;
he smokes all day, I've heered, and
studies by fits; bound to have a good
time if things cracks"
"He's accommodation. I don't say but
what he's real clever, but he's lazy as
molasses: might he sthin eff he had any
grit
''Sweet on the parsons gal, amt he 2"
bet my head there amt ten girls in
Stamford but what he's made love to,
as they call it, and ha'n't an idee ofmar-
sym any one on 'em.
I'D like to see him tryin' it on with
one of mine, eff l had EN- growed up"
''He's too cute for that, Jake. He
picks EN- out where there ant no faith
ers nor no big brothers to STAN up to
him, and the girls is fools, anyway.
They don't know fraud like that fell
low when they see him.
Joe Packer set his teeth he would
have liked to pick that man from the
grass and knock him down again. This
was his first impulse, but the coward
maker, conscience, unbent his arm,
and his angry face softened; here he
saw himself with other mems eyes; a
futile fellow, self-indulgent, lazy cow
ardly, bent on selfish pleasures rather
than the good of his fellows. Was it
true? He was honest to certain extent,
and conscience opened his sight. But
to see himself wit, alien eyes was I'M
pleasant to degree, all the more that
he could not but acknowledge the truth
of the aspect they showed him.
He listened no more; the seed had
been sown this night once on rocky
ground, once by the roadside. Will the
Lord of the harvest find any increase
therefrom? Who shall say?