Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-02-20

| WILL GALL tOt fAN TN Hh'his
brings 2 cents q pound over the market
price and that folks -end fur thre. miles
around 20 Kit my soft soap, and where
would c.ldecashun benefit me anyY'
In January. iss-. Farmer Simmons
took ON" a hired man named William
Burt The man was fairly well educated
and q great reader. AMI on several occs-
,ions he rad extracts from different
books 10 the farmer and his wife. Both
Of them were quite interested In the life
Of Washington. and the farmer himself
became ~ enthusiastic over the doings -
the great patriot that one evening hs
SLAPPED his leg and exclaimed!
"wall. I swan. la, be- was consid'
cradle 70 q fcller after all. and mebbe
he'd hev made purity good farner' Say.
Bill. wa. be s.lf made mann
Il guo.s he was"
Then he was all right. and me and
him wouldn't hey no trouble. Licked
the British Ia most every light, you sayT
"IIe I'D
Crossed the Delaware with the Ice
Jest a.booinin down. ehy
"Yes.-
And finally go, to be presiden, Of the
United States
"Yes."
wall. that's purity smart purity
smart-a leetle better than ! hev done
myself. though he pobably never had -
run of typhoid fever 10 sot him hack.
A day or two before washington's
birthday the hired man hal 10 20 away
tor several days Farmer Simmons bal
,nly one holiday and that was Fourth u
July. and even then ls didn't knock of
work until 4 o'clock In the afternoon.
lie knew about the anniversary, because
he had heard some one speak of u. On
the ed Of February he was repairing the
BARNARD gate and thinking what the
hired man had read about Washington
when stranger on foot came along. lie
was a tramp Of the first water. but be
knew q thing or two about history. by
way Of introducing himself he loosely
,aidi
"Bein it's my birthday. think you
orter set me out square meal and GIN
me pocketful of apples 10 boot.
"Your birthday. ehy' queried the farm
or. why. bless me. but You cant 10
lieorge Washington
Cant II Why noty'
"Because-why. durn sy hide, but
you may BE-, after all! Did you lick the
British
~ dozen times over. and viii do II
again II necessary"
"Did you cross the DELAWARE
"You bet!''
"By gum. bu, Bin read tha, to me
outer book."
"yes. its right In the books. rmtrav'
elm around the country 10 see how folks
rt along. Excuse my looks. but I'm In
disguiss. don't keer about everybody
KNOWN who am. as they'd raise great
fuss over me-"
II see" thoughtfully replied the farm.
or. "Accordin to what BILL read In the
book You was 'iected president. Couldn't
hev bin lately. ~ remember back to
Buchanan"
THAT was an error In the print, eh'
planned the tramp. They offered 10
make me president. but declined with
thanks. I had too much other biIness
on hand. Some Of the book, hey got II
that I was actually elected. You seem
A. BE- q smart. 20 ahead sorier feller.
Reckon You are gi,tin along the best OF
any farmer In this county"
Il don't want to brag," replied the
farmer. highly pleased at the words,
"but I don't think I'm fur behind the
best Of 'em. Never went 10 skule but
three days. and I begun life on shillins.
and yet here amr'
"wonderful-wonderful! II docs me
sooi 10 meet ich man. think III
stop and take dinner with You. Yon
must promise, however. 20 call ma
George. There must be no Formally.
you know. What's your given nameT
MY names Samuel
"weli, Sam, I'll stop and hev Q bite
with You. Iwant 10 talk with you and
git your opinion on how this country
orter be run. An opinion from sich
man ~ You IA Of more value than ths
opinions Of &C other men comb.ned.'
No one had ever told Farmer simmcn'
that George Washington WAS dead, and
the hired man hal read nothing In thu
book 10 that effect. He had dim iiea
that Washington. Grant and Lincoln al
had something 10 do with the late war
but he wasn't sure whether all ~ers
dead OF whether all were living. lie ac'
cepsed the tramp for what he claimed tf
Be and led the way TO the house.
why. Samuel. We haint nuthin iul
trsinps!" exclaimed the wifc n sh'
caught sight Of the stranger.
MADAM, let me explain" smiled tn
fellow. awhile I an In the disguise o.
. tramp 10 10 Tor purpose. ] am Geors'
Washington. I shall call your husbant
Gam. snd be will call me George ol