Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-09-08

/ also want my boys TO learn to love
the farm. So | got them TO put into
crop small piece Of ground and agreed
to pay them high price for their vege-
tables. Being busy man, have not
paid much attention TO the process Of
their farming, but | have bought from
them SIS worth of truck which could
have gotten of the neighbors for S3l. 80.
and which my young agriculturists,
am told, did buy at even less than that.
l hate to see boys do that way to a
man who has always been regarded as
first class parent in every way.
Ny farm animals consist, among other
things, of rather coarse but well mean
ing COW, which we bought here. She
was born at the south, and some of the
best blood of this country flows in her
veins. Ideality is small, but her alimen-
tiveness and inhabitiveness are large.
She has a vivacious way with her that
wins every one, but she still retains a
feeling of intense hatred toward the peo-
pie of the north. Though / had nothing
TO do with the war, and did not favor it
at the time, this COW holds me respon-
sible to degree for the results of the
war, and | have never been able to get
en- rapport with her.
1t is the same with little mouse col
ored ass, or burro, which | bought for
use on the farm and for ornamental rid
ing over the highly inhamed roads of
North Carolina. His name is Juanita-
pronounced Whaneeta. Whaneeta, in
the language of Patrick Henry, lis dead
sore on the war;" and regards me as
having brought it on, whereas did not
do SO, but, on the contrary, did all
could honorably to evade it. wrote to
a paper in 1860, being at that time at
Winnipeg, that unless the war was pre-
vented in some way ! would stay where
was for long time.
But Juanita gets mad about the war
and broods over it, and mourns and
mourns and mourns. Juanita is also
childless, and that makes him feel the
war worse. think, than he otherwise
would.
Juanita was owned by neighbor of
ours here named Nettles Mr. Nettles
did not seem to want to part with Jua-
nita, but did finally, and last week when
! offered to let him have the little pet he
said, mo; the wound is healed over
now. Do not tear it open afresh by com
pelling me to go all through it again. /
have learned to live without Juanita
now. Do not jar my newly healed heart
strings any more. Take him away or
will set the dog on you" So | took
Juanita home again.
When we first let the children ride on
him he did not seem to brood so much
over the war, but we noticed that the
children felt uneasy about something,
and pretty soon | discovered that little
souvenirs of the late war were to be
found in great numbers all over him. So
had to disinfect him and renovate him
before we could use him. But he regards
himself yet as my superior, can see
that Though poor and measly, with
large bald places on his person where he
has rubbed himself against an upright
farm while trying to forget the past and
get rid of the results of the war, can
see that he regards himself as unfortu-
nate, but refined.
Juanita regards me as low, coarse
Yankee, whose oats are reluctantly taken
in exchange for his refined social infiu-
ence. He does not have much fun, and
ever and anon he bursts forth into a wall
that shows how keenly he suffers. He is
the worst sample of motheaten respect
ability and unlaundried hauteur that !
ever saw. He has the pride of Lucifer
and the personal habits of DIVES. He is
most unfortunately made up of strange
contradictions and unhappy warning ele-
ments which fill his breast with wild
tumult.
once wrote some lines to pet mule
of mine, among which occur the follow