Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-02-22
land-Poor.
From the Rural Sun.
BY ROBERT ROLLINS.

low many thousands in the S0utf
can bear witness TO the truth of the
sentiments expressed in the following
beautiful verses! All over our land
are found farmers who are poor from
the weight they carry in land.
Many poor woman has spent hel
days and nights in toll and want be.
cause of the grasping disposition Of
her husband. 1t is poor economy for
farmer to tax the powers ola devot-
ed wife beyond endurance in order to
extend his acres to limits where they
cease to be profitable. More of the
sunshine of happiness would be
secured in farmers home by keep
ing free Of debt aud living in inde-
pendence, than by grasping for pos
sessions that can only be obtained by
denial to his family of all the com.
forts, enjoyment aud social pleasures
that go to make life itself endurable.
A man always on his strain grows
peevish. For him there is no rest.
His moral nature becomes diseased.
and years creep upon him and there
is no pleasure in them:
I've had another offer, wife-a twenty acres
or high and dry prairie land, as level as a
floor.
thought I'D wait and SEQ you frat, A. Lawyer
Brady said,
To tell how things will turn out best, vomnn
is ahead.
And, when this lot is paid for, and we have got
the deed,
pllsay that am sati,1ed-it's all the land we
nesd;
And next wen see about the yard, and fix the
house up some,
Aud manage In the course of time to have a
better home,
There is no uss of talking, Chsrles-you buy
that twenty more,
And Wen so scrlmping all our lives, and al
ways DO IAnd-Poor.
For thirty years we've tugged and saved, do.
pying half our needs,
while all we have to show for 1t is tax receipts
and deedsl
I'd sell the land II 1t were mine, and haze a |
better home.
with broad, light rooms to front the street, |
and take life as II come.
II we could live as others live, and have what |
others do,
we'd I've enough eight plessanter, and have
plenty, TOO.
While others have amusements, and luxury
and booAs,
lust think how etingy we have lived, and how
this old place looks!
at IA ~ al. |
took so many years
u cler ing up and fencing in. has coat me
many tears.
les, Cls,les, I've thought OF 1t, n hundred times
OF more,
md wondered fit really paid to always be
Land-Poor;
hat had we built cozy house, took pleasure
as it come,
'ur children. once go dear to us, had never left
our home.
erieve to think of wasted weeks and years,
and months ana days,
While for it all we never yet have had one
word OF praise.
len call ne rich, but we arc poor-would we
not freely give l.
he land with oil its fixtures, for better way
to liver
ont th nix I'm blaming you, Charles--you'ro
not whit to blame;
We pitied you these many years, to SEQ you {
tired and lame.
70 just the way we started out, and plan too
fai ahead: (
'c've worn the cream of life away, to leave
TOO much when dead.
his life is short and full of caro-, the end al
ways nish.
70 seldom half begin to live before we're .
doomed 10 de.
Tere to start my lie again, I'd mark each !
separate day, I
nd never let single one psss unmarked
away.
there were things to envy, I'D have them
now and then,
nd have home that wPs home, and not I
cage or pen.
d BELL some land il it were mine, and At up J
well the rect,
We Always thought, and think 80 yet-small d
farms well worked are bestl Q