The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-02-06

after your brains lett the place. IhouSh
had always thought that an education
was of no benefit to farmer, | could not
help admittin' that it did pay to keep in
formed through the papers of what was
goin' on; for had stopped the county pa
per you had always taken because | didn t
think | had time to read, and soon got
taken in by lightnin' rod swindle that
cost me three hundred dollars, and this,
too, week after the very same swindlers
had been exposed in that paper of yours |
had stopped Then we bought Deacon
Asher's medder We paid the thousand
dollars of yours
"Not mine, father | smilingly inter-
rupted.
"Yes, my boy, it was yours, and you
ought to have had it; but let me 90 on with
my story. We paid that down on the
medder lot and | gave mortgage fol two
thousand dollars to pay the balance, on the
old place Things since then haint gone
right | had the deed made out in the
other boys names, thinkin TO encourage
them, but it was mistake. Jed took to
drinkin', and the other two sold out to him.
He has run through the entire place, and
now, Preston, the old place has got to GO
to pay off the mortgage and other debts the
boys contracted, an | signed for, an your
mother won't have dollar for her old
age"
"But, father, | have you left, said the
faithful little woman. "YOu are like you
were years ago, and that is better to me
than money; but can't bear the thought,
Preston, that you father must begin hard
work again at his time of life.
''Tut, tut, mother" replied my father
as he tried to wipe the tears from his old
eyes. "Taint for myself | care, but | can
bare to see you left with nothin' when I'm
gone. If I'd listened to you oftener, es-
pecially that time when you was talkin' to
me so sensible by the milk-house, things
would have been different. That thousand
dollars | wouldn't give to Preston has
brought all of our bad luck. 1t will kill
me to see the old place sold under the ham
mer an Preston, my boy, l came on here
to ask you to forgive me the wrongs | die
you. | suppose you haint nothin saved
ahead, but | know you'll look out fol
mother better than the others, for they
haint got nothin' an mother would fee
more ike liven on you, since she helpec
you, you know, in goin' to school, when
was so mean an wouldn't If you hadn't
fooled away all of your time goin to school
may be you'd have somethin' now to live
on instead of boardin' around. Who's,
place is this, ennyway, Pres?' he sudden
| iy inquired, for the first time observing th'
rolling meadows and waving grain in tn,
fields back of the large house. As | ig
nored the question, he perhaps thought
had not heard him, and continued:
~ yum, believe | could live on sech ;
farm as this, but 'taint for sech as / am
Say, Pres, what kind of man owns thi
farm, ennyway, so near the city, yet righ
out in the country on the other side of th'
house.
"Oh, he is man about your size,
replied.
s'Is he-that is-did he-say, did h,
ever go to college?"
81 believe he did fool away some of hi
time at University" 1 replied, smiling a
the look that swept over his face, while tn
only remark to this he could make was hi
familiar II yum"
In this one expression, all the convic
tions of years seemed swept away, but i
needed one more test to Danish them all
[ had whispered something TO my mothe
that had driven all care from her dear face
but was not yet ready to divulge to M,
father what was said Neither had lait
away their wraps, but sat holding them il
their hands as if expecting soon to leave
At last father said
"Well, Pres, since you have stopped
here till I've told our story, may be w
better be goin up to your boardin house
The family here don't seem to be comm
home, an may be you can run in agin i
YOU were waitin' to see them. I'm frai(
mother is pretty tired after her long rid
on them tarnel cars, an we better get on.
"Oh, no. | replied smiling. "The fam
lily are not away The farmer is at home
Lay off your things and come out to sup
per.
"Why, what don't understand, h,
replied, looking helplessly at mother thel
seeing her smiling face, he was more as
tonished than eyer, until, to ease his anx
iety and hewilderment, | explained
"This place, my dear father, belonged Il
me; but when | heard, through one of tn,
neighbors, how things were going out al
the old home, l had the deed changed, ant
it is now made out to Mrs, phebe Astery
Thinking you might not like to live witt
mother if she owned all the property in the
family, have also purchased the old home
farm, and here is the deed made out tt
Joseph Astery, so you can, in the future
live, live on just whichever place you please
only if you stay on this one, | may board
with you for a few years, while | fool away
some time inventing machinery" Hi;
only answer was: