The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-01-02

IL was n fine afternoon toward the end of
June Abraham Leigh was staining by the
gate of the field known as the home
meadow, looking at the long ripe grass rip
pling Is the sumner breeze swept across it.
H. was thoroughly good specimen of a
Slmers It hire farmer A big, sturdy man,
whJie movement; were slow aud deliberate.
His fac. il heavy and stolid, not BY any
means tao face of fool No doubt a man
OF circum,crlbel views-she world, for him,
extending eastward to the Bristol channel.
Nevertheless, re,p.c.el In his little world
a wonderful judge Of beast, great au
tlorIUy Oh tillas53, and, above all, a man
whj Away had balance i'll his favor at
the som Sc SHIRE bank a type of that ex-
tinG5 race, ths prosperous farmer, who
lootsl ON all town,mel with contempt,
Think V. as all farmers should think, that
thu owner of broad acres, and those en-
gagol III agriculture, were alon, worthy OF
respect.
Ne., to-day. in spite IF his advantages
anu requirements, Farmer Leigh looked on
the iiftueh-acrt meadow with puzzled AMI
discJntentei expression On his honest face;
and moraove. murmurs OF d,ssatis faction
were proceeding frcm his lips, Farmers
Scmersetshlre farmers especially-are pro-
verbal grumbier5, tut IL Is seldom they
grumble without al audience. 1t is out
siders VINO get the benefit of their COM
plants. Besides, one would think that the
tenant of Watercres, Farm hal little. at
present, 70 complain of. The drop of rain
so badly wanted had been long in coming,
but it had come JUS In the nick OF time to
save the grass, and If the crop, outwardly,
looked a nttle thin, Mr.. Lsigh's experienced
eve told him that the underground was
thick AMI that the quality OF the hay would
be first-class. Moreover, what corn and
roots ne. had looked promising, SO it seems
strange that the farmer should be grum-
bling when he hal no one to listen to him,
and should lean So discons olately upon the
gate of the field when no one observed him.
81 can't make him out" he said Good
boy he he, too-yst instead o helping me
with the lani, always going about dreaming
or messing with mud. Can't think where
he got his notions from Suppose it must "a
been from the mother, poor thing Away;
fond o gimcracks and such like, she wore
Gave the lad s1ch al outlan1ish name I'm
ashamed to hear it. Fathers AMI grand
father name.ought to be good enough for q
Leigh-good boy, though, he be, too'
A soft look settled ON Abraham Leigh;
face as be repeated tho last words; then hi
went deeper into his slough of despond
where, no doubt, he battled as manfuily a.
Christian, until he reached the othel
shore, and fancled he had found the solution
of his difficulties.
His face frightened "Eell 'se what b,
said, addressing the waving grass in from
of him, 'rli ask Mr.. Herbert Squire's
man who have seen the world. I'll take hi
advice about the boy. Seems hard like OF
me. too. No'er a Leigh till this one bu
what were farmer to Tia, backbone!'
His mind made up the farmer strobe of
to make arranSamen with mowers. Hal
he been troubled with twenty Immature
and incompetent sons, the hay must b
made while the sun shines.
Although he had settled what 10 do, i
was some time before the weighty resoiv
was carried into execution. Folk, abou
Coombe Acton do not move with the &c
lerity of cotton brokers or other msn o
business. Sure they are, but slow So /
was not until the September rent day tina
the farmer consulted his landlord about hi
domestic difficult the possession of a son
an only cnllu, Ol hDOut IL, VIII lusteau
making himself useful on the land, did lii
tle else save wander about in q dreamy way
looking at all objects in nature, animate o
inauimate, or employed himself i'll the mys
terious pursuit which his father described q
amessing with Md" Such conduct was
departure from the respectable bncolic ira
iitions Of the Leigh family so great ttat
times the father thought 1t an infiictiol
laid upon him for some caue or other L!
an inscrutable Providence.
There are certain Spanish noblemsn who
on account of the antiquity Of their famlile
and, services rendered, are permitted .
enter the royal presence with covered heads
Il was, perhaps, for somewhat similar res
kons q custom handed down from father t
Ton and established by time, that the tenan
81 Watercrers Farm paid his rent to th
| landlord in person, not through the ms
Hiuf, Of an agent. Mr.. Herbert being a
! Important man in the west country. "a
1irh family valued his privilege as highl
N \; aver hsa algo valued tbs one above mel
Mr.. Herbsrt, a.refned, ntells
.eoking man Of about 70, REG
gis5 "a ,rtsdlv, and, after the reg