The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1885-05-12
"TOM POORHOUSE."
Farmer Johns and the Pauper Boy-Right.
eous Retribution.

"TOM POORHOUSE.
Farmer Johns and the Pauper Boy-Right.
eous Retribution.
The old clock down stairs began to
strike midnight as he started up. The
wind was making the old farmhouse
rock and tremble, and the powder-like
snow was driving in through every crew.
ice. The wife slept undisturbed, but
the old farmer was nervous and wake
full.
''Farmer Johns, are you awaken"
1t was a voice which ne had never
heard before. 1t sounded close at his
bedside, and yet, as he looked about
the room, fairly lighted by the cold win
ter moon shining in through the win
dow, he saw nothing but familiar OBJ
jecis.
81 am your accuser!' continued the
voice-'I am witness against your
"What haveI done?" gasped Farmer
Johns.
Last fall you took a lad from the
poor-house had one bound TO you &C
cording to law"
'Sartin-sMtin. and it was a poor
speculation fur me. The boy hain't
armed his salt"
You broke him down in the harvest
field, and when YOU knew that he was
III YOU refused I'm medicines! The boy
hasn't seen a well day for three
months"
"YeS, but boys are great shirks.
How d know whether he was sick OF
playing off on me?'
You are living to your conscience.
Farmer Johns! How has that boy Jared
for proyis .Ons and clothes"
''Hain' he got some of my old clothes
on this very init" protested the farm
er. They is full o holes, in course,
but am going to take boy outer tie
poor house and dress him in broad
cloth! S'pOsen he does SILVER little =
sh vcrin' don't hurt anybody! He gifts
huff to eat L reckon -leastwise all he
Arms. l amt goin' TO feed nobody on
sweet-cake"
Think of his sleeping in that cold
and dismal garnet such night as this"
whispered the accuser
'.All his own faultr' replied the
farmer. 81 gin him a chamber by him.
self. but he kept coughing and groan;n'
till / couldn't sleep. Put it all on to git
sympathy, but he made a mistake.
Men the old woman worked for what
we've got, and others must do the
same.
"a straw bed-a ragged quilt, and
the night cold enough 10 chill all ok"
accused the voice.
''Oh! pshaw: You can't make me
believe the boys of to-day are so much
more tender'n the boys eff my time. 1t
hain't healthy fur boys to sleep too
warm. He'll warm up at the wood-pile
as soon as daylight comes"
Farmer Johns, no true Christian can
talk as You do. You have neither
mercy nor charityr'
Pooh! Got lots of it! And If ]
wasn't Christian man how'd git to
be deacon in the church? That boy
is heap better oh'n most of EN-"
'His body is black and blue from the
poundings you have inflicted"
"Well, he shouldn't oyersleep, then"
"You have heart of stone, Farmer
Johns. If that boy dies you will be
accused at the judgment-seat of his
murderr"
Nonsense! Nobody feels any more
pity for poor folks than / do, and if
Tom Poorhouse' dies it will be of eat
ing too much"
This is the oldest patient we have in
the asylum" said the guide, as we
halted at the lower end of the ward
1t was graf d door. i looked
through and saw an old man covering
an a corner. After a moment he
rose up and and approached the door
and whispered:
''Ani at DAYLIGHT called and called
him, bat he didn git up. l went up
with the horse-whip to teach him bet
tern TO oyerSleep on me that way, but
Tom Poorhouse was dead on his straw
bed, and the snow had bowed in till it
almost kiyered him W" -DetrOI Free
Press.