The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1889-06-14
FARMER JOHN.

great wooded belt of Central Wisconsin
The heavy timber of nearly two hun
dred acres had melted before his brawny
arm, and months at a time the ring of
his heavy axe had accompanied the sun
from its rising to its going down. Great
farm buildings mad risen slowly by the
rude sheds which were first called home.
and droves Of sheep and cattle fed where
the one COW and unbroken. steers first
found pasture
Farmer John had fairly met all the
discouragements usual in pioneer life,
and, aided only by his equally energetic
wife, had honestly acquired a compe-
tence. That he was an honorable neieh.
Dor and fair dealer none could denv.
but somehow, as the years passed and
the farm was improved, there had grown
up toward him on the part of his neigh :
bors feeling Of distrust and aversion.
As rule, they called him honest but
"close." Some of them thought him
selfish. ''The almighty dollars all he's
after, was the often repeated remark of
lncharitable neighbors, who, less thrifty
and industrious than he, found it hard
work 10 feed their large families, much
less accumulate stock buildings and
machinery, as Farmer John had done.
The fact was, when John Sanbourn
came into the new country, times were
extremely hard, and it required strict
I economy 10 make the few dollars he had
brought with him from the East provide
for his wants until he raised the first
crop. A poor harvest and still poorer
market the second year caused Farmer
John TO pinch almost to the verge of
nakedness and starvation. A habit of
closeness was thus formed which time
did not diminish, and which grew in
the eyes Of his neighbors into fault of
/ the most exaggerated dimensions.
One little grave had been made dur
I ing these troubled years, and another
trouble which we shall presently mention
had contributed to leave the old man as
we find him-oTerworked, morose and
selfish.
On this particular morning he ap-
peared rather more surly and gloomy
than usual 1t was Just as the springs
work was beginning, and the reverend
ing round Of toll was swelling into even
! greater proportions than usual. On every
hand, look where he would, there was
something to be done, and to his business
I eye there was no more chance of a rest
ing spell than there had been thirty years
before.
Something must be wrong, yes,
something must be wrong" he repeated
TO himself, as he walked on up the wide
lane leading to the old barn.
Something was wrong. Like a good
many men who are anxious to do well,
and have little TO do with, Farmer John
had saved and worked till he thought of
nothing bnt saving aud working. Ambi-
tioas as he was, he dreaded TO see any of
the boys start out in life unless he started
+ well, and above all he could not bear
the thought Of one Of them marrying
iato family not well supplied with
money or land. So when the Oldest
liiy Oh the Widow baldwin's bright
( little Helen, it surprised no one TO hear
that his father had told him to stop
going there, or TO leave the farm.
VIII was deeply attached to the old
I place, and had worked faithfully every
day since he was big enough to pile
brush So one morning, when the old
man found the breakfast little late,
and Wills mother trying 10 hide the
tears when she called him, he was not
prepared to hear that he had gone-gone
no one knew where.
Although in his heart the father felt
as badly as any one, he was still in
ezorable, and declared that no boy of his
should marry beggar; no, if he never
saw him again. So VIII went away, and
the sutumn and winter came and went,
and the springs work was upon them,
with all the extra labor Wills absence
entsiled.
Thus things stood when we find the
old man talking TO him elf along the
path 10 the great red barn. The boys
had goneover TO the hill pasture to repair
the wall before turning in the stock,
which, impatient to 90, was still fed at
the barn.
Farmer John had come up in the
middle Of the forenoon to look after
things, and carry back Jug of fresh
water, and while there he stopped at the
barn 10 feed out little before going 10
the house. He had thrown some stalks
over to the sheep and cows, showed a
bright bit Of hay to the new bossY, and
now, after giving old Kit all the oats
she needed, found himself with large
torkfui left.
Just what to do with it did not seem
10 come 20 him az once. So, mechanically
leaning his fork against the pile, he sat
down upon it. Yes, sat down to think,
and the way he did II, and that he did it
At all, showed he began thinking before
be sat down.
That Farmer John should stop work,
and above all in the middle of bright
forenoon, was something quite out Of his
usual way Of proceeding. Farmer John
seldom did think much, and what think
ing be did was generally done upon his
feet; but whether this particular morn
ing found him in a more troubled state
than common or the great pile OF soft
hay proved too much Of a temptation for
bis tired legs, here we find him.
swell, well, - he exclaimed. as he re-
moved the worn stray hat and rested the
sun-burned arms on his knees, "there's
no use talkingl I've had bout all / can
stand Of this. It's nigh onto thirty years
since we rolled up the old log stable that
used TO stand here, and sakes alive we
thought then l couldn't stand much
more
Herehe paused, and while the cool
breeze through the great doors famed
the wiinkled face, his mind seemed away
Blackjack ''nigh onto thirty years"
'Poor Maryl" and as he continued a
tender light came into the hard gray
eyes. 81 can see her now as she stood
that ght after they were all gone. How
good she wasi how hopefully She talked
You'll soon have the roof on john she
said, and then you can take II easier.
shan't we be glad when It's all over
WITH Yes, yes, we thought then til
sometime 'twould be all over with; but
that time sssms never TO come, never to
Gomez
The sunlight on the floor moved farther
along. Little Bright had lain down for
his midday nap, and still the gray head
was bowed, and no fresh water found its
way back over the hill 20 the boys.
Thus an hour passed. Then old Kit,
who had stopped chewing and with
drowsy eyes was living over colthood
days. was suddenly brought back TO the
present by the old man hurriedly getting
70 his feet.
beats all beats all what I've been
thinking about all these years ~ be burst
out We've had enough an'ter spare