The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-12-17
GRANDPA's STORY
The American Rural Home.

The American Rural Home
"What's Illuminating animal,
grandpa?" said Earl. looking up from
his paper as he turned fresh page.
Gan herbiferous animal which swal-
lows its food without mastication and
afterwards by muscular action
throws it back into the mouth, where
it is ground and again swallowed; or
in other words, an animal which chews
the cud."
Big brother Fred, sitting just across
the lamp-lighted table, reached over
and playfully pulled his little sisters
bangs, saying with mock solemnity:
"Behold an example! l am most
glad, grandpa, that you explained it
to us,for we now know that our sister
Cora is Illuminating animal"
Cora was industriously chewing gum,
but paused long enough in the opera
tion to flash back n reply to her
brother.
'Thank you. lam not an ANIMAL"
she said.
"so?" exclaimed Fred, "pray tell us
then what class OF vegetables you rep
resent? or do you claim to be q min
eral? precious stone perhaps; there
being only three kingdoms into which
the matters OF our globe is divided,
you must OF necessity belong to one
OF them"
The little girl was visibly puzzled,
for she was only eleven years old and
had not gone deep enough in the
sciences to explain her brothers
words; in answer to her look OF ap-
peal, grandpa only smiled and
gave her % little wink OF
his merry eye, which said as
plainly as if he had spoken audibly,
"never mind, l will explain it all to
you some time" which mute reply
satisfied the little girl quite as we'll as
if chad spoken the words; for grand
pa was the children's oracle, and, al
though ne had long ago ceased to
take any active part in the busy
work-a-day life OF the family, yet he
was very useful member of it.
Earl, quite oblivious of what was
passing on around him, read on; the
click of Cora's pencil was the only
sound for some minutes, in the pleas.
ant sitting, room, when Fred left his
seat at the table and sauntered to
the window overlooking the streets,
pulled aside the shade and looked
out; soon he turned and took down
his cap and mutfler from the rack.
Grandpa seemed to have fallen into
reverie, but reused himselfand said:
"Earrs question brings to my mind
an incident of long ago, when the fact
that the COW is Illuminating animal
saved me the loss OF almost eight hun.
dred dollars"
ollj w CCil l5 SiUcttb IL. eSCldlul-
ed Cora, pushing away her slate
"Have you much to read, Earl?"
asked grandpa. -.
"Only about dozen lines"
"Well, Cora, you may shake down
the fire, and if Fred will get us a pan
OF apples to keep your mouths busy,
so shall not Uninterrupted, you shall
have the story"
The big brother liked grand
pas stories quite as well as the
younger children, and lie hesitated
only an instant before he restored
his cap to its accustomed peg, aud
taking light, went whistling into the
cellar; while the thought dancing un.
der grandpa's gray locks was: eve
will try to make home more attractive
tonight that the streets"
"When was first married." he be-
gan, after they were al! settled in
their favorite places, and provided
with juicy apples, ~ owned store in
Fayetteville; a brick block now GOV.
ers the site OF the building, but it was
then only q plain story and a hall
WOOtcL SCIuCLuIC WlUll llNlIlg rooms
above and a heterogeneous stock OF
groceries, dry goods, boots and shoes,
and produce below.
81 do not suppose we took in, in
one week, with all of our branches OF
trade, us much as one of the groceries
down town does in dag; still it was
considered then quite thriving bust
| ness, and when, on account of failing
health, we concluded to sell, and get
my weak lungs and two strong bows
on to a farm, we found a purchaser
readily and sold ut what I considered
good price, although we had to
wait for some years for most OF the
money.
with the cash which was paid
down we came out into this county
| and bought the Belceuin farm, includ.
ing your Uncle Ben's one hundred and
sixty, then all raw prairie, for seven
| dollars per acre"
"Whew!" whistled Fred, Belgeuin
for seven dollars! should like to buy
| land as good as that at such price. ).
"Plenty of land at even lower figures
out West, and just as good, too; which
will not take half the time to grow tC
an equal value that it has taken the
old farm; bnt you mast remember il
was entirely without improvements
then, not even a foot OF it broken OF
fence post setup.
HYolr father was fen and his Iroth