Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-07-13
The Good Old Times

IasClOlc man, anu nc uSeu u Wcit u
ed comforter around his neck and red
aannel earlappers on his plug hat when
ne went to meeting in winter. He was
Always ready TO argue that these mod
srn times were awfully bad. and that
he good old times of a hundred years
ago were just right. He would decry
Invention and Improvement aud say
that the world would be better without
Them. He took newspaper on pur-
pose 10 count the murders recorded in
1 and tell how bad the world had
grown. He would stand for hours on
corner in the village and retail his
grets for the past.
One day he had whipped the minis
ter in argument, aud as he had his
dinner and the minister had gone away
mad and the women were at work in
the kitchen, he tipped back his chair
irew red silk handkerchief over his
head to keep off the e es and went to
sleep. He had not slept over five min
N.es before his son John came il and
SAID:
Come, father, we r!vst cet a; that
piece of wheat and cat it,
Blew tt 90. up and yawued end fol-
owed b son To the isarnvurd. where
mis- two sons sat on a l"g Hinge couple
Of scklcs.
What in the natiou are VOC doing
with those old sickle>?" said Blewitt.
One of the boys looked Hstonished
and said; DO IA? VII we are get
ling ready to cut the wheat
Blewiit stared moment aud then
said: 'Why III thunder dent YOU hitch
On 10 the reaper and stop fooiin' with
Them sickles?"
The boys looked at each other in
surprise. but said nothing. Bile witt
ran to the shed, but there was no
reaper there. He came back. The
boys had got over the fence and were
On their knees reapiug Tie wheat and
carving | N gaveIs.
BOYS" said Blewitt. what do YOU
mean by this fool shue-sP Where is
that reaper?'
Charley. The second boy. looked at
ns father pityingly and then tapped
as forehead and looked over to John.
who NODDED aud looked sad.
''Why, darn it," sad Blewttt, you
can never run those bua5les through a
threshin machine.
.'Threshin' machine" said Charley;
why. you know a. well AS do that
will have 10 fail this wheat out morn
ings and nights while going 10 school
this winter. What ails YOU. father?"
Blewitt, as we said, got mad easily.
and now be just hoped zap and down
and said:
Flall it out! II must be threshed
ready TO sh p on the ears 0cxt month.
Cars. CARE said John. Dom
know what Is you. father, or what
YOU mean. | know | shall have to
team this wheat down to Albany and
cell it for what il will bring. Here you
come on: talk n about reapers and
cars and threshin' machines, and
darned If don't believe YOU are crazy.
so now
Blewitt pinched himself to see if he
was asleep. and strobe angrilv to the
house. As he approached it he beard
roaring and rumbling like the wind.
and he looked into the kitchen and
there was his wife spinning. Who-o-e
went the b'g wheel. and Blewitt sask
into chair and yelled:
Now. Mara. what under the
canopy are you doin'?'
"Doin'?' said III wife, ''wlic.
spinnln'. of course. | must get oui
forty yards of full cloth fer you and
the boys and twenty yards of pressed
flannel for me and the gals"
Blcwitt looked down at his legs and
saw them incased in full cloth of coarse
texture. and the seat of his trousers he
felt reached clear up to his shoulder
blades and the legs were as wide as
two-bushels sacks.
well. III be darned! was all he
ead.
Dreamily he sauntered out again "a
the wheat field, and John halted him
Father. il YOU amt going to heir
cut the wheat suppose you yoke the
oxen and 90 up TO the woods and draw
q draft or two of logs for wood?'
Blew II was composed. but he said
II had intended to burn coal in the sit
ting-room and parlor. and not cut mucl
wood"
Coal. coalr' said John, angrily
now see here, father, l don't wan
any more of this foolish talk. ! am go
ing 10 GIT uoctot.
Blewitt began to think he needed on,
himself Here his boys never heard o
q reaper or threshing machine o.
cars. He felt of his full.cloth pant
and groaned. On the lounge at tn,
house he laid himself down and trieC
TO calmly think things over Wher
the doctor came he called for pai
and barred Blewitts arm. He took on
his lance, and then Blewitt groanet
again.
II must take q gallon of blood.
said the doctor. land then he will cain
down and be all right.
Don't you know bleedin' wa
played out fifty years agoP" said Blew
lit.
How he wandersr' said the doctor
and plunged in his lancet. Blewit
tainted. When ho came 10 himself b