The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-11-13

lIS DlrCleS Wl1sDcr TO the VINO,
The swallow dips her wings
In the cool spray, and on its banks
The gray song-sparrow sings.
u. G. Whittier, IN Atlantic Monthly.
SAM CANARY'S PENSION.
How a Parsimonious Squire was
Outwitted by a Woman.
SHOW DIDO, 'Sper'ence." and Squire
Sprague pulled up his rattling buggy be-
fore Experience Canary's leaning gate
posts.
OF all men in Clark Township Canary least
wanted to see Sprague; but he responded
cordially: "How DIDO, Square? Won't ye
come imp and he swung slowly out to the
buggy side.
"No; guess 1 can't stop to-day. Bust
ness is middlin' drivin'. How's taters?
Fair?u
at swan, Square, they amt. i put in
five acres, an I counted on q big yield; but
now the dry-rot's comm, am they won't
do nothin'. It's anough to discourage a
saint"
sShoi Ye don't sayl Dry-rota Then
yewon,t sell more'n Eve hundred bushel,
HFfve hundred busheli WY Square, I
sha'n't sell three! AM taters is plenty this
fall. / doubt they fetch more'n fifty CENTS
,@Wa'al, it's hard times, sure enough. ]
was expectin' about two hundred dollars on
the mortgage this fall. Don't see how ]
can do without it, noway."
"Can't raise it, Square. I was calclatin'
to git it out o. them taters, but now they're
gone. There's the interest, any way, an the
T,noIo o1fnrlfpg AMI lTr1ouU vuoa t1offin3 N,
q sewin,-machine, an / swow Pm clean
discouraged. I've bout made up my mind
to give you back the farm, go into the shops
at the village, am let Julany take boarders.
round, an there's the seven hundred dol
lars m all the interest I've paid. But
can't see no other way.n
The Squire gave a low, hesitating half
whistle, while his glance swept past the
rickety, implanted old house, which prom
Used rare sport for the November winds,
over the drought-brown, hungry fields, and
rested or the cattle in the pasture, which
the lingering September sum showed to be
still aspring poor" Clearly he could not
get for the farm the eighteen hundred dol
lars which Canary still owed. He must
have some money, not the place.
"Any hay?"
"Onfy 'nough to winter; an / shall have
to pinch at that, I reckon
aCan't Sam help you a Httles" suggested
~ 04uACs 6D 1CAk VI
ssSaml Square, We know what Sam is.
Wa'al, this summer he's wus FAN ever. He's
got the shakes agin pritty bad, his coughs
startin' up, am he won't let ticker alone.
He's a good boy, Sam is; but they give him
ticker fer shakes in the army, am he CAM
let it,alone only bout so long"
SCOT the shakes in the army, too, didn't
he? Why don't you git a pension for himi
Kind o. gen'ral malary, / reckon"
"Wa'al, ! do know. We never reckoned
- I-A- MI lN------ L.
always paid their own way. But since this
back pay come in, everybody's gittin' q
pension most. We need it as much as any
body, am Tore,n -three-quarters of 'em."
"Of course you do. If Sam got malary
In the army am broke down his censtitoo-
ton, there amt no reason why the Guv'-
ment should,t help him. Guv'ment's rich.
Look at Jim Gaylord's folks that keeps the
post-ofice there to M~ittineague. They got
q pension for their boy that they always
supported, an that never did a tap o. worl
fore he went to the army. Now look a!
seml Mis- Gaylord's got her house painted
AM all fixed up with store carpets an stuff
an they take butcher's-meat twice a week
Here's Sam comes home all broke down
an you am Julany take care of him fol
nothin'. Is that right? What's right fol
the rich mans right for the poor man,
say. That's what Guv'ment's for"
"Thet's SO, Square. The amt no gain.
sayin' that. But this world amt a very
far place when We git at it.n
SITS fair enough to them hat fights fol
their rights" reJoined the Squire. ssTher,
amt nobody gifts nothin' without. If yor
an Julany 'spects to sit here an wait til
Guv,ment comes along an inquiries We out
IN paints am shingles your house, am buy
ye a sewin'-machine, cause your brothel
got used up in the army, you'll wait on
spell. That amt the way the Gaylords go
their pension, nor the Hitchcocks, nor tn
POWerSaS. NOR nome of ,am-O
During this speech the Squire had slowl,
gathered his reins, and with a noddet
good-day and a chuck to Dolly, he ratified
down the stony road.
"Cur'us," he muttered, "that 1 neve
counted on 'Sper'ence Canary's turnin
shiftless. I might "a seen it. Igot a pritt,
fair price for the farm, though, considerin
1t didn't cost me nothin', an if / git thi
pension through, IIl git the mortgag
cleaned up. 'Sper'ence's I'M DIR. Preston
is the only poor debts I've got, an I recko
job.6
Dolly paused, and the Squire's keen ca
caught the sound of another vehicle.
"There's the doctor now, am 1 guess
must have a talk with him. He's mostl
fav'rable to pensions if you AXE him right,
unused the Squire.
DR.. Preston was a swarthy, black-haire
man, with an abundant development {
body and brain, of neither of which he ha
AldQc bu0 DcSb use. 1n6Y lac Deem culUl
waited to b exclusion of moral qualities
Inc of that keen sensitiveness to publ
opinion which is so often a fair workin
substitute for principle. Preston had n
more fondness for the Squire than had Elk
perience Canary, but'he was too reckless I
care to avoid any man, so when he sa'
S~prague's signs of stopping he slackene
his pace.
BUSY as ever, Squire" he Observed, b
way of greeting. "The devil makes raj
thing times for you lawyers"
Eyes, business is pritty drivin.' l hes
there's considerable sickness, too. 1 s'pos
you get your share on't?" returned tt
SG-ire, amiably.
"I dom get enough to take care of tn,
note, if that's b you're driving at" n
piled Preston, in quick distrust of tt
others suavity.
"Wa,al, no, 1 want thinkin' o. the no
to-day. Fact is"-and he smiled GO as
show tusks that confirmed his res I'm Ian,
to a beast of prey-''I stopped ys abol
some sickness. They'll want ye to stop
an see Sam Canary. He's got the shak,
again dreadful bad"
SCOT 'em at the agency this time, or b,
he been to Watertown again?" laughed ii
doctor, incredulously.
81 s'pose Sam does drink more'n he
ought to sometimes" admitted Spragu
"but it's worse N that this time. You r
member, doc"-dropping into a half-orac
lar, half-confdential tone1"Sam con
home from the army pritty well used I
with malary, am with a pritty consid'ab
smart cough onto him. Folks didn't mil
the cough much; but I remember sayin'
old DIR. Dick: That boys goin' in CO,
SUMPTION says 1; faint the quick kin
likely, but he's goin'.' DR.. Dick agre
with me, an if he was back here now he
see we was right"
"If he's as bad as that, I'll drive right
and see him. and the doctor gathered b
reins.
81 wouldn't go tonight, doctor. San
out ffshin', likely. I didn't see his pole
the shed as l come by. Drop round t
morrer. That III p1ob1y be his shakin' da
an you can jedge how bad he RELY
They've ben pesbprin' me about gittin'
pension for SAW 1 thought Td look
over a little am rec. 1 tell 'Sper'ence lc
o. folks gifts pensions that don't need 'e
half SO bad as they do. Long as SUI
folks as the Gaylords am Hitchcocks h
pensions, I should think they'd ought
Everybody knows Sam was sound enouj
n