The Penn's Grove record., 1895-11-29

ZdIumefmhu Oh 6Outuoo-
That's his pillowi
New York Sun.
1.-THE BIT O,MEADER."
Old Davy King stood in his doorway
laughing. To look at the broad wheat
fields surrounding the farmhouse; to
take In a sweep of the corn waving in
the summer breeze: to watch the flock
Of turkeys summing themselves In the
lane, all these things were enough to
make an old man laugh. but pavy King
was looking inside the house ~ he stood,
In the kitchen doorway.
They're thinkin' about hringfn' the
subject up In o meetn', what you think
O. that, mother7 Better be e~encentrat-
In their thoughts on gettin' the wheat
crop stacked before the rain, hahf
Howsumever, they got plenty a-time a.
Sundays" Again the old man laughed
Someone inside the kitchen laughed
too, a shrill, contagious little laugh.
"Ha, ha, hal" roared the old man.
"He, he, her shouted little Davy.
Mrs. King did not speak until little
Davy's laugh had died away In the
kitchen, then she said decidedly, as she
took two apples from the cupboard and
laid them upon the brown tablecloth
spread for the midday meal, IT don't see
the sense O. nelghbors continually peck
In and bickerin' at one another fer
nothin', and 1t don't do no good, fur's
/ can see, to learn a little Teller 5 years
old to like sech things. Some folks say
It'll be all the same in a hundred years,
anyway"
"Waal," remarked old Davy, dryly,
81 reckon even In a hundred years once
upon a time Davy King will have had
the biggest right-a-goin' in the bit O.
meader yonder, hahT'
"Twouldn't hurt to give IN the road"
said Mrs. King.
4They can drive through 1t; 1 amt a.
hinderin', but the gates is got to stand"
"Sam Dove, he's willin' to give the
road through the whole Of his farm,
didn't you say? I" inquired Mrs. King.
YES" replied old Davy. SANS
ready to act the big man all around. He,
lied on me up to the polls; give 1t put as
/ was thinkin' one way and votin'
't'other fer spite. 1 reckon as I'm
thinkin' and actin one way about the
road; I'm thinkin' they will run no pub
lie road through the meader, and I'm
ixin' up the gates. Them two things
correspond purity good together"
"Sam Doves a foolish man when
he's angry" said Mrs. King, placldly.
''but he amt the only man thataway.
All the church people wants the road
well as Sam Dove"
That's So" said old Davy, content
eddy, 'they all wants II. How many
o. the church people stuck up fer me
around the polls? How many o. 'em
weren't a-clamorin' ON behind Sam
Dover"
"You amt goin' to give 'em the road,
are you. grandpar' cried little Davy's
shrill voice.
4You hear thatf" exclaimed Mrs.
King.
Here's a chip O. the old block, sure,
the boy Is" said the old man, proudly.
"After my time You amt gunno let 'em
have II, neither, air you, honeyr
"You bet l amt" said little Davy.
you'll let 'em pass through fer ac-
commodation, mebbe. but you'il keep
the gates whar grandpa put 'em, eh,
honeyT
yes. sir-ree," said little Davy.
Little Davy was so very small that
when he sat up at the table his mouth
was hardly within sight, but his clear.
china blue eyes smiled at his grandpa
during his homely meal, and his little
white head bobbed under the table e v
cry now and then In full appreciation
OF ~grandpa's Jokes.
you'll bring the boy up in sech a way
that he'll think all the neighbors Is
FOOLS" remarked Mrs. King, reproving-
ly. His mother give him over
to you fer that"
The old man had showed back his
chair from the table; he VA standing
In the door again; the expression Of his
face had assumed that gentleness that
one likes to see In an old man.
WAL, / dunno. Davy." he said, "as
I'd be so hard on the folks II Sam Dove
weren't in II. I've lived among ZEN
all my life and six Of ems gunno carry
me to the grave. But they've sort o
TOOK up Sam Dove as q leader. Hullo,
thar. you shet that gater"
The old mans voice rose In q perfect
% rs he uttered the last words and
his eye grew furiously angry. "You
shet that gate" he called out again,
cor go round by the pike; that amt no
public road"
Hes done shut It," said the small
boy. peering down toward the meadow.
"Can you make him out, honey?"
asked old Davy. "one o the cap'n,s
men. weren't hep"
'tNo," said the small boy, truthfully,
81 wasn't nobody but a niger boy"
II thought you was gunno raise the
foof of the house the way you holler-
ed" remarked Mrs. King evenly. "If
Dove can spare a two-mile road, 1
should think you could let the bit o.
meader so; besides, folks Is feared to
pass through on account Of the Durm."
'gThe Durm amt gunno to hurt mo-
body" said old Davy, "than amt no
more harm in him than a colt. II they
set down on the Durm at the meetin'
IN have my say about Doves dogs"
The old a was sitting in the door
way now, the small boy close beside
him. Little Days head was resting OF
bis grandpa's knee: his china blue eyes
were closed; his breath vas coming
soft and evenly. Old Davy looked down
At the little face. and then his gaze
wandered toward the wheat fields, yell
so rapidly, took in the sweep Of
eorn, saw the turkeys hunting worms
IN the lane. WAL" he said, speaking
10 himself. "leavin' the cap'n out, they
Amt a bad set o. folks. Eff they'd been
satisfied with the fust arrangement,