The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-04-04
The FarHer."

Remote from town, the farmers broad do
main
Stretches away in fields Of waving grain,
Rustling so gently in the summer breeze,
That shakes the blossoms from the apple
trees
Far down within the woodland shade 50
The COWS stand knee-deep in the sedgy
And chew their grassy cuds and while
away
The long. warm brightness of the summers
day.
And when the sun is fading far beyond
They leave their cool retreat within the
pond
To the old barn-yard. where the milking's
And where the thrifty farmer fills each
trough
With hay from out the spacious stable
loft
The sweet brook gurgles in the noisy dell,
Where many frogs in bles, ret.r, meur
dwell
Their creed is silence" when the day is
bright
But serenade the farmer in the night.
All tones within the fairy choir are heard;
They drown the voice OF the benighted
bird,
oh. listen to the mastirr that defends
The poultry, whore he numbers many
friends
And over all this varied music hear
The growing Of the vain, old chanticieer.
The night soon comes apace and silence
dwells
/. save. where the music in the valley swells.
or where the loud note OF the whip-poor-
will
Is heard reverberating from the hill
or where the insects murmur in the dew.
And the horned owls inGulring loudly,
.'Who?''
sleep
Remains unbrokon through the midnight
deep
What though the revel Of the city rolls
On through the darkness with its freight
Of souls
Lost and polluted with their weight Of sin.
Rolling i'm dens where awful demons grin .
CWhere will they stop-these sons and
daughters fair?
Go to the mad house and behold them
there9
What though they bask in shades Of sullen
shame.
The farmer sIumbors on and on the same,
IpAA WHEN Rli' nuns va NiA' 'iiN Nfii'h
poor-win
Is silent from his covert on the hill.
But hear the bee among the pasture flowers.
The noisy crow among the woodland
bowers
But over all. sweeter sound is heard
Than murmur of the bee or voice Of bird.
Is the milk maiden. as she leaves the house
And goes out to the bars TO call the cows.
God bless the farmer as he tills the plain
s.1T ta,oi,s r-nfr- In
No scene Of suffering as he walks along,
No plea Of vagabond to mar his song.
At night he sits beside the chimney place
And smokes his pipe with independent
grace
Or reads the news or ponders on the page
OF some old book. dim with the marks of
age,
That he we'll knew when but a hoy. he trod
Near the bright throne of Onnipresent God
The good wife labors on some garment old,
Or to her daughters does some tale unfold,
or early love hardships in the wild
When she was but a Supplemented child.
She tells Of her first love affair in days
Now long departed, and the grandsre' $
gaze
Leaves the old volume for a moments
space
And wanders to his dear old companion
face
As he looks back upon the years so dim
He wonders II she is less dear to him.
With glasses on her eyes and locks Of
snow.
Than when he met her forty years ago.
Thus lives the farmer in his calm retreat,
Far from the city's sorrow. crime and heat.
All fair and bright his simple way appears
AS he wades onward through the depth OF
years,
When. 10. an angel cometh from the skies
And takes a seraphim 10 paradise.
WILLIS WILFRED FOWLER.
Wilbur Ind.