Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-08-25
SRAEL TOA1P-
KINS, an old
fashioned New
England de a.

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III ETE "a fashioned New
E@4@zSSSSE@ England lie "a
con, had been many years married before
a child was born to him, and when at
last there came fine healthy boy ba by
the good man reverently named him
Tobias, which, as my young readers
doubtless know, signifies, in Hebrew,
1.-THE goodness of the LORD. ,"
Two years afterward the little family
was furthet increased by the advent of
daughter, to whom the happy parents
gave the name Anna, in Hebrew,
gracious" No more children were
added to the deacon's household, and he
and his wife piously resolved to bring
up the two they were already blessed
with in the fear and admonition OF the
Lord" which, in the deacon's infiex-
iblc creed, meant constant work and
study and a total abstention from the
pomps and vanities of the world. The
mother, however. was wiser in her
generation, and the lives Of the little
ones were not by any means devoid Of
innocent pleasures.
One springtine, when the brother
and sister were ten and eight years of
age, respectively, TO Toby was given a
small piece of rich garden ground to
work and crop for his own benefit,
while Anna was made happy by the
gift of an orphaned eve lamb, whicss
she was to raise by and, and its wool,
as well as that of its progeny for three
years, was to belong exclusively to
her.
Toby, with a shrewd eye to the pos
sibilities of Salem market, planted his
six square rods of black soil with the
best varieties of wat err and musk mel
on seed. He very faithfully cultivated
the patch and zealously guarded the
growing vines from the ravages of
chinch bugs and cutworms, so that by
the first of July they completely COW
cred the ground and gave promise of an
abundant crop of fruit.
Anna and Toby held many grave
arguments as to which of them was
likely to profit most by their respective
properties; she stoutly contending that
in the three years, she could make
fortune from the sale of wool, and he
as strenuously insisting that, within the
same time, his melon patch would
bring him fabulous wealth. But, what
ever their success might be, it was
firmly settled between the children
that they were to do wonderful things
for the good of mankind generally with
their money and especially for their
parents-little imagining that, even as
they went along, they were reaping, in
the way of happy, healthful occupation,
the richest reward they would ever
have.
Aided by his fathers advice, Toby
spared no pains to force his crop to
early maturity, SO as to make sales
while prices were high, and one even
ing III the middle of August he gleefully
announced that next day he should take
to the city half dozen cantaloupes and
as many red-core watermelons, now ripe
enough, he said, to sell. Father,
mother, Anna, just come out to see
them!" he concluded; and the whole
family, including. of course, the pet
lamb, adjourned to the garden.
There they Toasted their eyes upon
the deeply-ribbed, yellow musk and
shiny green watermelons which, still
reposing among the luxuriant vines,
with hundreds of less mature speci-
mems, did indeed look ready for market.
swell, my son." said the deacon, 'syou
can take the old horse and spring wag
on and go to town all alone tomorrow.
We shall see what kind of q trader YOU
will make"
The eager boy retired early to bed,
so as Ito make morning come quickly"
and the first beams of the rising sun
had hardly kissed the dew-laden vines
when he was on the spot, ready to
pluck the first fruits of his harvest.
Then, oh, horrori he stared in amaze
ment, rubbed his doubling eyes and
looked again and again, until the sad
truth forced itself upon his brain. The
tender foliage was not in any way dis
turbed or injured, but every fully ripe
melon was gone! Sobbing now with
grief and disappointment, poor Toby
ran back to the house and reported his
loss.
IAN enemy hath done this thing, -
observed the angry deacon, and at fam
lily worship that morning he earnestly
prayed that "an evil doors might be
brought to confusion"
After breakfast, Anna aud her lam b
wandered off as usual, while Toby and
his father went out to the despoiled
melon patch with a view of tracing the
thief if possible. For some time their
search was in vain, but by and by they
discovered, just on the soft edge of an
onion bed, the imprint of naked foot.
No tracks, however, were to be found
on the hardened walks, and. for awhile,
the amateur detectives were at fault.
Al last, upon extending their beat,
they came 30 field planted with pota-
toes; and here, between the rows,
prints of the. same foot were numerous,
and all appeared to lead off toward the
''pine woods" within the depths OF
which dwelt at all times old Uncle
Jake" and Aunt Liza" an impover.
ished colored couple, who lived, people
hardly knew how.
Toby" said Deacon Tompkins. i'm
pressively, II suspect those shiftless
niggers are the thieves. Well go over
to their cabin, and if they're guilty III
Jail them, sure"
So, off through the solemn pines
went father and son. the one intent
upon summary vengeance and the other
secretly hoping in his young, compass
sionate heart that the robbers might
not be found. The half murmurine
hush of the grand old woods did mo-
whisper of III Grey to the de
He strobe sternly on, feeling grim
. satisfaction in the belief that he hao
been chosen as the instrument of divine
justice The negro hut lay fully two
miles within the recesses of the forest