The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-07-05
Farmer Browns ThOughtlessness.

Twas even, and the setting sun
AS though 10th to retire
Seemed to linger on the horizons line.
Where he shone a ball Of fire.
His blushing face seemed to portend
Fair weather and heat for the morrow.
An omen good for twas harvest time
And there seemed no trouble to borrow
As Farmer Brown walked slowly home
From the field, where all day long
lie had abored with his men
And pushed the work along
His little sou Dan, his only boy
who had scarce ten summers known,
Had gone to fetch the cows from the field
And see that the chores were done.
lie had carried the water that day for the men,
lie had heaped the hay into piles,
And think If his steps had been counted all
They would surely have covered miles.
But he'd done II all with willing heart.
And had trodden as If on air.
For his heart light as his soul was pure
That shone from his face fair.
For was not he on the morrow to co.
Along with the boys of the school
To their annual picnic in the grove.
AS had been their wonted rule?
His father had promised that he should 20,
quite long long time ago,
And visions OF chicken and cake and finn
Had sustained him the long day through.
" tell you, my boy" said the farmer that night,
When their evening work done,
of the weather be fair till tomorrow eve,
The hay will he safe in the barn"
" Tomorrow" said Dan in trembling voice,
"Is the day of the picnic you know,
And, father the voice was fearful now
you said-you said I could GO"
What! go to picnic in harvest time,
When the work is but begun!
Twould be folly my boy. to leave the hay
For the sake of bit of fun"
Dan climbed the stair with heavy heart,
And though he'd not noticed before,
His tired limbs ached and his head was throbbing
As it never had throbbed before
cont if mother had lived! and he closed his eyes
Tocheck the tears that would come,
Z" But must he faithful to father, know,
As she babe me when she went home"
Next day in the field, when the merry boys
Drove by in the height of their fun,
They waved their hats and cheered poor Dan,
Whose work had long since begun.
He waved his cap and tried to smile
But IIurrahl" he could not say,
Because of the lump that rose in his throat
And the blight drops that fell with the hay.
Another eve, and at Farmer Browns cot
Are soft steps and whisperings low,
For some one lies In the little bed,
Where, few short hours ago
The pillow wet with bitter tears,
OF ohilds disappointment and pain
Aid the cloud cast in that fair young heart
Can never be lifted again.
'Tis Dan, our Dan of yesterday,
The boy who had stood the test,
And sacrificed at duty's shrine
So much that a boy loves best.
They had carried him in from the field that day
Where he lay in a limp little heap.
" Overcome with the heat" the doctor announced,
In voice both solemn and deep.
DO you ask if the fathers heart moved,
All yes in the depth of his woe
Such remorse, and sorrow and anguish of heart
hope you may never know,
As there fell on his from those childish lips
AS he knelt beside the bed
al have been faithful to father"-a sigh,
And little Dan dead.
DO you think he did not love his boy
Because he had thoughtless been?
Yesi his was an error common enough
But none the less sin.
oh, fathers fathers of boys meant
Don't think that your duty is done
When you merely clothe and feed your boy
For tits scarcely more than begun.
And is not thoughtessness a sin
That must surely be answered one day,
" When we know all things as they are known
And the mists have cleared away?"
-StOckEndH and FtstMer