St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-03-03
Town." Not particularly poetical, but
a very aDprODriate name.

Perhaps you would like to know why
Bald Hill was called Bald Hill? 1t was
so called because the top of it stuck up
like the head of a great bald eagle and
could be seen for miles around as bald
as old Uncle Ned, who had no wool on
the top of his head, in the
place where the wool ought to grow.
| did not have high grade certificate,
but got through all right and drew pay.
[ was quite surprised at the close when
some of the leading citizens of the hill
offered to build a twO-stOry seminary
and make me principal for life If l
would remain. They seemed to have
more confidence in me than had in my
self. Fearing indoor confinement might
not agree with my health, l declined.
The great Kankakee marsh. This is
place where the oldest inhabitant will
get lost in an hour, and if not lost,
would be eaten up in summer by flies
and mosquitoes. 1t may be it has
changed since left, or that the spirit
of St. Patrick has passed over it and
freed it from all annoyances. We will
not dwell on the great Kankakee marsh.
1t took dad forty days and forty nights
to move from York state to Indiana in
his covered wagon, just as long as it
took Noah to go through the flood. But
like Capt. Noah, he got there just the
same. and the trouble was he never got
away again.
FOR FORTY LONG YEARS
he struggled on that farm and the fam
lily struggled with him, never once
dreaming or thinking that muskrat
houses are not the best evidence of a
good agricultural soil. and that wheat
and beavers can not be gathered from
the same field. 1t was not until this
farm had been sold for taxes and the
surviving members of the family seat
tered on a Dakota prairie in the Red
river valley that the theory of the rat
house was fully exploded and given up,
Gopher hills are sometimes considered
a favorable Indication of soil, but steer
this letter, [ wish to say most sincerely
that it is with no lack of reverence or
want of love that refer to the old and
early home. 1t is true it was humble,
almighty humble. bnt it was far from
being all shadows and no sunshine.
The Sunbeams of happiness sometimes
find their way farther through the
cracks of log cabin than polished
glass in gilded palace.
IF DAD FAILED
on that farm it is because no live man
could have succeeded. Who could sue
coed on farm when everything put on
top of hill to enrich and fertilize it
would be washed out and carried away
by the first rain, and the hill left full of
holes and gullieS where the water tore
down it? This was the fault of the
land. not dads. [ have seen him work
week, sweeping the barnyard. to get
hill in condition for crop. Then l
have seen him 60 out after heavy rain
and look at the long, deep gullies made
the marsh below at the expense of the
hill top. Then l have seen him turn
away and heard him say:
"Honor and shame from no condition rise.
Act well your part, there all the honor lies"
He considered he had done his part
when he plowed the hill and
dressed it like a garden; he
did not hold himself responsible
for damages and results afterwards.
You may wonder why he did not take
the second thought and give that farm
away and move to Dakota. The rich and
fertile he'd river valley, where hills are
not known and fertiliZlng is not
needed, at that time was not open or
known. If he could have got farm
like one to be gotten here, what might
the condition of the family be to-day?
They would
ALL BE IN CLOVER,
wearing diamonds, sure. 1t is hard to
meet fate sometimes, and bear with it
patiently and cheerfully, but when it is
done manfuIly and bravely there is a
virtue in heroiSm and manly suffering
which brings pleasure and reward, and
hardships borne to attain noble ends
are forgotten in the triumph of success.
think the nearest dad ever came to
having touch of the blues was one day
when he went to Sock Town and found
letter in the poStoffice, and he could
not negotiate a loan or make financial
connections to pay the postage and get
it. The mail service was different then
from what it is now. They did not
come daily. Once in two weeks or a
month was considered pretty lively get
ting around. Postage was charged ac-
cording to the distance the letter was
carried, and the postage was usually
collected from the person to whom the
letter was sent. 1t was hardly ever pre-
paid.
THEY CAME G. o. D.,
the same as express packages, and the
postage Oh single letter was some
times as high as so cents. This lettsf
sent to dad was an unusually fat one,
and the postage was up to the top
notch. The postmaster did cash BUSH
ness and would not deliver mail on
time, and refused proposition of half
cash and the balance as soon as the
swamp frOze over, so dad could get out
a load of fence posts. Everybody in
Sock Town knew dad was honest, and
offered to indorse for him, but the post
master said that would not help the
matter in the least, that he would be re-
moved from Office if he sent their note
into the department instead of money.
So when dad came home, mother saw
: he was not feeling very cheerful and
she asked him if he had received any
bad news. He said no; the trouble
was he could not see the news.
Then he told her about the
letter and his not being able to get it.
This seemed to completely overcome
mother, and she asked him what he
could say over such fOrlorn situation?
She had no more than asked the aues-
ton than he mounted stool and COM
menced reciting:
Full many gem, of purest ray serene,
The dark. unfathomed caves of ocean bear;
Full many flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air"
Mother said she never felt so much
like blushing ''unSeen," and never
realized so fully before the extent and
bOundleSsneSS of the 'desert air.
BCDD REEVE.
A REPRESENTATIV EDITOR.