The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-07-23
Goals Of Fire.

Farmer Dawson kept missing his corn.
Every night it was taken from his crib,
although the door was well secured with
lock and key.
"It's that lazy Tom Slocum !" he ex-
claimed the morning after missing more
than usual. GIVE suspected him all the
| time, and won't bear it any longer"
"What makes you think it's Tom ?"
asked his wife, pouring out the fragrant
coffee.
because he's the only man around
who hasn't any corn-nor anything else,
| for that matter. He spent the Summer
at the saloons while his peighbors were
at work. Now they have plenty ard he
has nothing-serves him just right, tool"
"But his family are suffering" rejoined
his wife "they are sick and in need of
food and medicine should We not help
them 2"
"Nop growled the farmer; "if he
finds his neighbors are going to take care
of his family, it will encourage him to
spend the next season as he did the last.
Better send him to Jail and his family
to the poor house, and I'm going to do
it, tool I've laid plan to trap him
this very night"
"Now, while Tom is reaping the bitter
fruits of his folly, is it not the very time
to help him to- better life?" suggested
the wife.
"a little course of law would be most
effective" replied the farmer.
"In this case Goals of fire would be
better. Try the Goals first, William, try
the Goals frst,"
| Farmer Dawson made no reply, but
| finished his breakfast and walked out of
the house with the decided step of one
who has made up his mind, and some.
thing is going to be done.
His wife sighed as she went about her
work, thinking of the weary, heartbroken
mother with her sick and hungry babes
around her.
The farmer proceeded to examine his
cribs, and after thorough search found
q hole large enough to admit q mans
hand.
"There's the leak p he exclaimed;
'I'll fix thatp and he went to work set.
ting a trap inside.
Next morning he arose earlier than
usual, and went out to the cribs. His
trap had caught man-Tom Slocum,
the very one he had Suspected
He seemed to take no notice of the
thief, but turned aside into the barn and
began heaping tho managers with hay,
sweet.scented from the summers harvest
field. Then he opened the crib door and
took out the golden ears-the fruits of
his honest toll.
All the time he was thinking what to
do. Should he try the law or the Goals !?
The law was what the man deserved, but
his wife's words kept ringing through his
mind. He emptied the corn in the feed
ing troughs, then went around where the
man stood with one hand in the trap.
"Hellol neighbor, what are you do.
ing here?" he asked.
Poor Tom answered nothing, but the
downcast, guilty face confessed more
than words could have done.
Farmer Dawson released the impris-
oned hand, and taking TOMS sack, or
dered him to hold it while he filled it
with the coveted grain.
"There Tom, take that" said the far
mer, "and after this when you want corn
come to me and I'll let you have it on
trust or for work. I need another hand
on the farm, and will give steady work
with good wages"
20, sir" replied Tom, quite overcome,
GIVE been wanting work, but no one
would bire. My family are suffering,
and am ashamed to beg. But I'll work
for this and every ear I've taken, if you'll
give me chance"
every well, Tom," said the farmer,
"take the corn to mill and make things
comfortable about home to-day, and to-
morrow we'll begin. But there's one
thing we must agree to first"
Tom lifted an enquirirg gaze.
"You must let whiskey alone" con-
tinued the farmer; "you must promise
not to touch drop"
The tears sprang into Toms eyes, and
his voice trembled with emotion as he
said:
"You are the first man that ever asked
me that. There's always enough to say,
Come, Tom, take a drink and I've
drank until / thought there was no use
in trying to be better man. But since
you care enough to ask me to stop drink.
ing, I'm bound to make the trial; that I
will sir"
Farmer Dawson took Tom to the house
and gave him his breakfast, while his
wife put up basket of food for the suf-
fering family in the poor mans home.
Tom went to work the next daJ and
the next. In time he came to be an
efficient hand on the Dawson place. He
stopped drinking and stealing, attended
Church and Sabbath.school with his
family, and became respectable member
of society.
CHOW changed Tom is from what he
one wasp remarked the farmers wife
one day.
eyes," replied her husband, "was the
Goals of fire that did it." i
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