Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1886-12-03
THE BINSTEAD FARM.


We all knew when sister Clarissa
loaned the thousand dollars which was
the accumulation OF her six years of
teaching, to Sam Binstead, that it was
as good as sunk in the sea. And we
told her so. but it was of no use, for
you see, CliSsy is one of those visionary
people who see the angel in the
human heart most clearly when
1t isn't there; and Sam. cousin by
good many removes, had borrowed out
every other relative before he thought
Of us a hadn't a dollar to spare.
She wouldn't have if Judge Hilton had
divided his Legacy with her. and |
wouldn't have given him a nickel of
my three hundred if he had gone on
his knees for it; not but Clissy-th nix
oft, will YOU, actually and positively
handed over her thousand dollars as If
she d been a princess, and said:
I'm very glad to accommodate YOU.
sam. You needn't mind mortgage,
your note is quite sufficient. | know
tina: YOU will pay it all back. "
Did he? Well. | think not. You
ncver knew him or you wouldn't ask.
To be sure he died; but he wouldn't
have paid it ii he had lived. for he was
one OF those easy-going men who wear
sack coats with the pockets sagging
down, and who always complain Of their
bad luck. and never pay their debts
That was the way that ellis happened to
90 West. He did give her mortgage
on a farm out in Missouri, and when he
died, it fell to her. | don't suppose
that she'd have taken 1t if there q been
anybody TO give it 20; but there wasn't.
and no stranger would have accepted
It for present. so she had 10 keep it,
She couldn't sell ii, and she couldn't
rent 1t for enough TO pay the taxes,
and her tenants burnt the fences be-
cause they were too lazy 10 cut wood
Let the barn tumble down and the
house 90 TO ruin. until one evening
CiiSsy looked up and said: I'm going
out 10 my farm.
A. almost screamed with surprise
and | was SpcechesS. 1t was no use 10
say anything. for Cii>sy j. very decided.
So the day that her school closed. she
went down To- the depot and bought a
ticket to ST. Louis, and took the eve
ming train out rs coollV rs if She cX-
pected to return next day. Al and
went homo and had a good cry. and
decided that we should start as soon Is
our schools closed, and spend the sum-
mer with her. We taught in town.
and had ten-months year while Classy
was out in the eaSt-end, where the
schools close the last of May.
No length of years will ever make
me forget the night that we reached
Sparta-that i her toWn-and saw dear
Old Clissy on the rickety platform.
whip in hand. waiting for Us Bless her
heart. how she Rugged u, although she
hadn't been away five weeks Then
she took us around, behind the station.
to her red spring-wagon, hitchcd to the
most killing little gray mule YOU ever
saw, and we clambcrcd i'm. She was
mortally afraid of the little beast, and
he knew it. You'd have died TO see her
unite him from the post. standing at
arm length from him. 1t was two
miles to the farm. and we all three
talked a. hard a. we could, and yet we
hadn't begun to tell our news when we
reached that forlorn, implanted old
wooden house, with the chicken-coop
right in front We were starving after
our three DAYS ride. and Clissy had a
good supper. and then our life IN the
West began.
Ii would take a book to tell about the
events OF that summer. so | must just
p OK out two or three things. that led
directly to the grand finale:
She had things started pretty well
when we came. 1t was to be stock
farm. and she had bought sheep and
NIL 81 II
ferocious old mother pig with lot OF
dottie dumpling little p ggies but the
old cannibal ate up four of them-how
hated her for it-and hoe, and bic
shovel, and lots of other things.
The first morning Al and Thought
wet take a ramblc and see how we liked
il. But she wanted TO 90 down To the
stream and | wanted to 90 up to tho
''knob. rs Clissv called it, and see the
landscape. | hadn't got there when q
cow looked menacingiy at me, and
ran as | never dreamed could run.
The man was milking in the barnyard
and he looked up with "A grunt when
came. We had to call him OrnrOd be
cause he wouldn't answer TO Conrad.
Al didn't appear to breakfast; but sh,
is such an irresponsible creature any
way, that we supposed she was sketch
ing some stump, so we kept her chops
warm, and washed the dishes so as tC
ehurn before il became too hot.
About ten o'clock ! went out to hun
eggs. and was sure that heard m,
name. i'm accents wild. ! called "Clis
syr' and "Cornrod!' and we followed
the sound U.:til we could see the pool
girl perched in little. shaking thorn
tree, about four feet from the ground
while murderous old ram stood guar,
below. She had been there tire,
blessed hours. Conrad threw picc,
of earth at him. and he walked away
and the poor child limped home will