The Delta independent., 1890-01-07
THE HOME FARM.
A New lerr's Errand.
BY nARKLEY HARKER.

why not keep it?"
What? Just for show l. that thrifty?
You boys are all gone now. Mother and
cant stay here another winter alone. You
children would only use it for summer
resort. Let it 60"
Yet the old man smoke with trembling
accents; he walked ,nourniully to the win.
dow and gnzsd out. The last words fell
from him as from pleaaer who speaks one
thing, hoping that his real moauing may be
understood rs qaite the contrary. In fact
his Let her 20" was meant to provoke
George to protest.
"Father." cried George, springing to his
fall New Hampshire height of si1 feet two,
"l'll buy the old tarm. 1t shall never leave
the family! I'll deed it to my oldest son,
with the stipulation that he is to deed it to
his oldest child. You know how our Eng,
lish ancestors did such things. That's wha.
l mean. Send for y lawyer. Let's FIX i,
now. Tomorrow will be tn. first of Jan
uacy,
Then and there occurred a scene that no
painter could quite do justice upon canvas
The aged farmer, gray rs the granite of the
old hills. turned about, took off his specs,
which we're dimmiug fast with tears stared
blandly; then with a spring like u boy,
caught up his white. haired. beautiful mat.
from her splint-bottom chair, hugged her.
kissed her, held her at arms length in elo-
quaint silence. Tnet,, with Y sweep of his
right arm toward the grand old acres that
lay out of doors, he brought his hand down
OIL his son Georges shoulder, while yet his
eyes gazed on the old wife.
"Mother, do ynu hear that! That's what
comes Of yonr bearing such son! Thank
Thee, oh. God!"
/ never shall forget the scene. OF course
there was more to it. George was curessed
till the eyes Of the rich Boston newspaper
nj n, whIch had almost of late become dry
eyes and hard. filled with boyish tears. The
evening lamp was lighted, and over from the
adjoining farm came Philauder, husband of
Hittie, VINO was the girl of the family. In
the days ihat followed architecfs and and
builders were csnsuited. Last spri.g the
work of repair aud restoration began. The
snsisit nest vi this interesting family is to
Le preserved almost wholly in the shape OF
former years. Only such Changes have been
in,; iuteL as are absolutely necessary fop
m dern comfrotS. 1t is to be the rallying
po'at for the muster of the clan every SUM
msr. George. the "ul, wealthy child, gives
every brother and sister permission to bring
eve chick and stay as long as they will.
with all the hospitality of q prince of the
blood royal.
Why don't you do likewise, reader? /
mean you of the fine fortune made or making
in the .ity. You, the only brother who has
the means. Or, for the that matter, you, the
euly sister with rich husband, Why do
NJ, go on with the old country s2le and buy
back the farm where you were BORN? Does
IL make you blush to think Of the strang.
en- who are to-day desecrntins with careless
J. usslset t!.s -shayhaers ef your birth, the
- s. on which you first learned to walk
from, mothers, then young and beautiful
arms to fathers strong and outstretehed
hands? Does your heart never ache to think
of the room where your sister was wed, that
happy rural festival-the room where your
younger brother breathed his last-in the
possession of strangers? Who sits to-day in
that sun-lit southern windsw where your
mother sat so long? wtat unknown face
nav appears at the door of the vine-clad
stoop VIII r your fathers honest features SO
long greeted the knock at the door?
Aud YOU pile up your wealth in bricks and
morter of the unpoetic town. You cannot
make home in the modern city. Your
hne costly residence on Fifth avenue of to-
day 10 ''down town" tomorrow and turned
into shop or factory. The streets do not
know you like the moulding hills about the
ho,n. Of yonr soyhood. There is no reruem-
oe1anes of you in the dull brick that lines
the vista from your costly plate glass win
dows. Think how the little brook up yonder
bubbles your name. Think how the winds
sings your name through the old sugar
naples. Net SO the wash of the East River
or the hiss Of telegraph wires In city breezes.
You young people. put this in your smbi.
tim, saw last night Il graceful and lady
like young girl issueing from the door of a
vast and ele2snt conservatory concert hall.
It was ten o'clock at night. She had her
note book. She was rep r;er on one of the
largest metropolitan journals. THAT young
creature" remarked = gentleman, "hus paid
of the entire mortgage on her fathers farm.
She has saved the house. She is now paint.
Ing and reiurnishing it, The country people
up there look at her as wizard, n worker of
miracles. There were three land speculators
land shorks call them-who had their
jaws all oprnel tn swallow this poor mans
fum. But the girl choked them off with
the gold dust" Hurrah, my heroine!
believe your aged parants would survive
lnnger IL left to breathe the natal air of the
far,nside. so only you for them there.
than II brought to the city to pine in the
close splendors of a traRsplanting. i believe
there is no snch snntnrinn In which to lodge
aud broken down member of family as the
old farm. What family is without some
member Of weak body or mind, or who has
bsen broken down by the world's battle? 1t
j. your uncle. possibly a younger brother,
or a nephew. The disgrace ofthe poor house
the horror Of private asylum or any hired
placel But on that old home farm the
wounded spirit can he guarded, and it may
be Gods angels Of quiet repose would there