Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-04-27
"REUBEN'S FARM"
CHAPTER I.


work, and 90 up to the house"
But father" replied the lad,
"we'll be down to the other end Of
the field long before sundown."
II snow that, my boy" returned
Farmer BemiS, "but we have the
chores to do, and want an early
supper, for you and l must take a
ride to the village this evening"
Reuben's face frightened at the
mention Of the proposed trip, and his
hoe struck deep into the soil of the
potato hills As lie hasteued to COM
plete the task so that he and his
father might the sooner be on the
road leading to the center of the little
country town.
The tOilers had nearly reached the
old stone wall, which marked the
southern boundary of their farm,
when the elder BemIs paused and
leaning upon his hoe-handle said:
Reuben, thea, is matter on my
mind of which / wish TO speak to
you. You are growing fast. almost
sixteen now, and it is time that you
knew how our family are situated,
financially"
Yes, father" answered the youth,
looking up with an expression of sur
prise on his handsome, though sun.
Drowned features.
Il have always told you," resumed
the farmer, that you came of the
good, old New England stock You
are the descendant of a line of ances-
tors Of whom any American boy
might be proud. Yet, we are poor,
Reuben, and as you know it is only
through hard labor that this farm is
made to produce enough to support
your mother, your sister and our
selves"
"Yet, father, we have never wanted
for anything" interposed Reuben
eagerly. "And work is fun when
you're interested in it"
The farmer smiled a little sadly, as
he replied:
II am well-pleased to hear you.
speak in that way, my son, vet you do
not know the anxiety which your
mother and l have felt at times.
What should we do if the crops were
10 fail, if but for a single season, or
If the buildings should be destroyed
by some accident?"
II don't know" and the boy be-
came serious.
'Look about you," continued Mr..
Bemis. ga century ago the land
from the base of Mount Wachusett as
far as you can see, from where we
stand, belonged to my great-grand-
father. The one for whom you were
named, Reuben. And the house in
which yc now live was his homestead.
That was in the old Revolutionary
times, and your great-great-grand-
father was sturdy patriot; he held
COlonels commission in the Continen-
tai Army.
"While he was fighting gallantly
for the independence which we now
enjoy, his family were prosecuted by
the Tories in this section. When he
left his farm to battle against oppres-
sion he deposited with his wife what
was supposed to be his last will and
testament.
Years passed, and at length the
sorrOwful news reached this place that
the brave Colonel had laid down his
life far away to the southwark, on the
battlefield Of Trenton.
"After the first grief was over, the
widow thought of the will. She took
the document from the secretary,
same one which now stands in our
little parlor, and read,-
Il give and bequeath my farm. situated
ct the foot of Wachusett Mountain. in
Princeton, to my heirs, to be held by them
and their forever. | enjoin them upon no
account to part with the homestead. IL
necessity demands. they may sell the land.
but beseech and implore that for no rea-
son whatever. shall they allow the home
stead buildings to go out of the possession
Of the family. This Is my dying request
"My grandfather was about your
age, my boy at the close Of the war,
an only child, yet he and his mother,
though possessed Of much land, found
themselves in very Strengthened cir
cumstances, and were obliged to
sacrifice many acres to get the neces-
stiles of life. The son, however,
when he became man, labored hard,
yet never was enabled to accumulate
any money, consequently at his death
he left my father nothing but the
farm, impressing upon his hlind the
fact that he must never part with the
homestead.
'My parents found themselves in
the same condition through which
the ColOnel's son had struggled.
They, in their turn, were compelled
TO relinquish acre after acre of the
once broad domain of their ancestor.
'tAs youth, / can remember see
Ing woodland and pasture, field, and
Dowing. slip away foot by foot, and
can recall the sad expression on my
parents faces as they affixed their
signatures to the deeds Of sale, until
determined that if ever l came into
possession Of the slightest portion of
the land l would never part with it
unless actual starvation stared us in
the face
II have kept tony resolve, although
many times l have been tempted
10 dispose of all and seek home else
where. Yet, | could not bring my
self to be the one to disregard the
dying wishes of the Colonel. So, my
son, when | go, all that / can be-
queath to YOU and your sister, is what
was left to me- this small farm and
the buildings thereon"
'tAnd, father" spoke up Reuben
earnestly, las long As | live, no man
shall be master of this place but
Bemis!'
"Thank you, my son, thank you for
those words" and the eyes of the
farmer filed with tears, as he grasped
The hand of his boy.