Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-06-13
WAITING FOR 4 FARM

mcnts, since the increase of population
and the times demanded il.
Steve Hall had inherited it from hi,
father, and. having come into possession
year before married the girl he lovct
and settled down, which happy course
of action he was constantly urging upon
his old friend, Jim Randall
IF you love En- well enough TO hav,
her, why don't you marry at once, i'll
stead of spending your best years in
counting and waiting:" asked Steve OF
his friend.
'Oh, / can't afford itr' answered
Jim, STOPPING to knock the ashes from
his pipe. Ems good girl and ha.
promised to have me; but l told hei
| she, or rather we. must wait until
could see my way clear to support {;
family
"What did she say to that" inquircc
Steve, with Il curious expression ON hi,
face.
| ''Shc said of course we couldn't Cx-
| pcct to marry ut oncc-vuu see. that
was five years ago-and She was will
ing To- wait. but didn't want me t.
think she cared fer money. To be will
me poor would bc happiness enough fol
her, and 50 IN. You know how girls al
ways talk under those circumstances.
Yes, and know Emma Willis al
ways means what she says. Jim, if YOU
had married her four years ago. you
would have been II rich man now.
"A rich man, How"
"Well. to tell the truth, | see a good
many signs e neglect about your farm
which | know would never exist where
Emma Wills lived. -
Jim colmcd at this intimaiion Of hi,
indolomcc, and answered stiiily:
"Wcll. whom its all my own. III
take more pains with the old place. and
marry I'm in the bargain. "
Don't wait for that, old boy ID,
both right away, and. my word for it,
you'll never h" sorry
These words rang in Jim Randall:
ears as he walked back in the starlight
to the culy home he had known since h,
was boy.
Here he had lived with his grandfa,
thcr and the I'D house keeper ovcr since
first going to school then assisting in
the care of the farm until the whole
charge gradually fell upon him. But he
never took III / interest in tit wa.
too much l;l,c ing for nothing.
Wait until II Is :. own. =" he would
say 10 himself; then yo.. see some
thing worth locking at. For " wa,
his grandfathcr's expected heir, d. !
some day. not far Off perhaps, these acres
would be i'll his possession. Then hc
would bring his wife here and fix up the
old place and show folks what he could
do. But now he might as well take the
world easy and not work himself to
death fer his board and clothes
Thus he had always reasoned. until
tonight he began 10 wonder whether he
hadn't done wrong.
Wife, said Steve Hall that night,
~ do believe Jim will live on and on
in the Old place until the old man dies,
before he Will better himself. He has
fallen in this careless. indalcnt way Of
letting things 60. until il wouldn't sur
prise me TO hear that En- herself slipped
away from him. "
. 1t is IA shame. rcJoincd Mrs Hall
warmly. "'to let such sweet, pretty
girl as Emma Willis waste the best
years Of her life waiting for such man.
declare I'd marry somebody else just
i'll spite!'
No. you wouldn't. my dear But il
is too true that Jim doesn't seem to
know what he's waiting for. cant see
that his prospects improve at all. "
They may before long. for old Mr..
Randall has seemed unusually feeble
lately"
Even ;.s he spoke. Jim Randall was
| trying To rouse the old man from sleep
i'll the big chair, where he was surprised
To find his grandfather at this late hour
But in vain. No earthly power could
arouse the old farmer from the sleep
that had come upon him alone and un-
expectcdiy. So the news later spread
| throughout the town. and few DAYS
later they laid him beside the compan-
ion of his youth. who had gone years
before
Then Jim Randall felt dcsolate
enough. and his only comfort was i'll
the thought that the farm was now his,
and he could do rs he pleased
The relatives assembled after the fu-
neral to hear the will read, which
seemed mere matter of form to most
of them, rs Jim's expectations were
shared 10y all.
After several small bcqucstS the law
yer rad the astounding passage
Ia consequence Of the apparent dis
ike II my grandson, James Randall, To
The pursuit Il agriculture. hereby give
vnd bequctlli my farm. consisting Of
% acres. W.,h the house and outbuld.
tugs thereon, To- my brother, William
Uandall, and 10 my grandson. James
Randall, the sum II q. 900, 10 be paid
lne month after my dpcca>c
1 Everybody in the room sat siupcficl
until the lawyer commenced rolling VI
the parchment which had brought such
confusion iii the camp Their general
| uovemcnt took place, and the less Tor.
slnatc lcgatees took their leave.
William Randall came up to james,
and taking him by the hand said:
"This was entirely unexpected and
undcsired by me. ! supposed and had
no other wish than that you would be
| the fortunate one.
This was said in broken voice, with
tears standing in the speakers eyes, for
he was plain, hardworking farmer,
and entirely overcome 10y his good for
tune.
James graspod his hand. and said
! hoarScly:
You are wclcom" t. it. Uncle VIII
liam. ThCrc is no one else would rath
or have it gat1. III see You tomor
row. turning hastily away.
When hc was lift alon,. he covered
his face with his hands a,l Cranod
Where were his prospects nuw: What
:1ld become of all his fine plans fcr I'M
Dr8vcmcnt? When would Emma cycl
J-comc his wife:
These and Other things connected viii
thc modification Of having it known
that his expectations had been disap
pointed caused him - feel mis-, rahlc
The 81 0OO. which was surely his SAM
into paltry inSignificance beside th'
loss Of farm worth fi00 an acrc-ant
all lost through his own laziness Ill