The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-09-04
We lust Made a Farmer Of Jim.
Four brave. brawny boys-and our fon
foolish hearts

Four brave. brawny boys-and our fono
foolish hearts
Beat high in their JOY and pride;
Four treasures immortal intrusted to us
TO rear and TO guard and to guide.
1t was ours to fathom the gifts of each MIND,
To study the depths of each heart,
And discern, if We might, just the labor OF
life
That Dame Nature des igned for their part.
We had poudered it long, but twas settled
et last,
That onr Charlie preacher should be.
And our John, You should see, for lawyer
was b IN,
And onr Joseph should make an N. D; -
But the fourth was SO quiet and queer in his
way
That twas hard to decide about him.
And We needed his help, so We said with
sigh,
We'll Just make a farmer of Jim.''
So the three went forth from the farm yard
In the kingdom OF books to toll,
To delve in scho asSic lore-while jim
He delred in the FARMS rich soil.
Twas eoodly sum We hal garnered by
For use in the hour of need;
Twas the savings slow Of the frugal years,
But twas spent with a reckless speed.
'Twa goodly sum-like the wind it went,
And the three never knew how we planned,
How we worked and scrimped and struggled
and saved
TO furnish their large demand
And .Iim-how he toiled through the ceaseless
round
Till each weariSome day was gone;
Undaun ted he by the scgthi & storm
Or the noontide's Scorching sun.
=,
With the plo@ and sickle, through crowded
days,
He wrought till the fields We're shorn,
And sir,,c,l in sheavcs was the harvest's grain
And garnered the golden corn.
1t was hard-So hard-through the weary
months,
Y,t not q complaint from Jim.
Though all went out to the three abroad,
And nothing remained TO hlm.
Deeds grand aud bold has the soldier done
In the midst of the battles strife,
Yet naught that is nohler will e'er be known
Th IN this patient, unse;fsh life.
But twas over at last. and from college nails
Came forth the children three,
Full of unknown words, and of high ideas,
And of hopes for the days to be.
and they went abroad on the worlds high
way
To learn that language Oeau
And that classic lore was worthless stock
10 exchange for their daily bread.
And what Of Jim? He had read in books
OF the great and good of yore,
OF the glories of empires passed away
And of nations to rise no more.
But it was from the pages of Natures book,
From the blossom and bird and bee,
From The soft. green earth and the tender
skies,
From the mounta' n and surging sea,
nat he learned of the deeper meaning of life,
Learned its scheme and scope sublime.
And in calms, that brood in the solitude,
Learned the needs of the soul divine.
unfettered by rule of measure or school,
His mind looked up from the sod,
and his thoughts grew broad as the universe,
And deep as the things Of God.
And,the people came and besought our Jim
OF his Kno&gs!eeaage to ;Gn rt7 na r
And be taught with the simple eloquence
That thrills through the human heart
And they bowed them down to this son Of toll,
And they cried that The nations need
Was bis SGea!y brain and his noble heart
And his honor ID word aud deed.
And they came from the near and they came
from the far,
Aud they wouldn't take "uo" from him,
But they crowned him With title and wealth
ana fame,
And they nade statesman Of Jim.
K
The years they are by, aud sit an sigh
O'er the fate of the children thre,,
For the worlds been unkind to The lawyer
born,
And the NJ D. and IL. D.;
think of their starving, struggling lives,
And then think Of jim
Aad thank the Lord that ne had the sen e
To make farmer of him.