The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-05-23
Stacking Up "The Costs"


Now. what would it cost the old man
10 Spite out and swap places with the
boys? You would then have a home
with the old folks, but you wouldn't
have a foot of land, nor horse, nor
cow, nor a pig-nothin which you
could call your own in your full and
proper name. You could play little
around the edges, as it were, but you
would have to work a whole tremen-
dins big lot. You would have TO take
holt and turn off all the various and
sundry odds and ends and jobs that
mought naturally fall to a peart and
handy boy. And that wouldn't be so
very internal nice and pleasant, would
1t? Blamed if the very thoughts don't
make me tired and hungry and sleepy.
But that amt all, by whole lot. II
we was to take and Spite out for new
deal you wouldn't have mother and the
babies. How in the round created world
could you put up with that, you blasted
old idiot2 You mought maybe come
over the old trail and fall in love with
the same girl and git married to tho
SEINE. But there amt no tellin. Men
amt quite altogether as skeerce around
Rocky Creek as they use TO be. Some
other youngster mought pull in ahead
and turn up Jack and block your game
next time. Then you mought have to
wiggle and worry through without
mother and the babies. Nobody 10
smooth down the wrinkles, and pull OUT
the silver threads, and let in the sun
shine, and brush away the tears, and
sew on the buttons, and darn the socks.
and patch your Sunday breeehes. No
body to pout and cry for dolls, and pic
ture books, and new shoes, and beaI
stories, and swings and playhouses and
rocky horses, and the good Lord know
what not
No more of that, Rufe, says l to my
self. The Spite out don't go. 1t would
cost too outrageous much.
You are a bloomin, beautiful old
rooster to be raisin a rumpus with fate
anyhow, [ went on with myself. This
world has been monstrous kind and
rood with you, Rufus Sanders. You
have been young oncst, and now you are
cid, but we have never yet seen the
righteous man around at the kitchen
window begin cold grub. You raley
ought to spend half of your time readin
the Scriptures and sayin Amazin Grace.
We have been wild and hayward in our
generation, and in spite of all that could
be said or done our wanderin feet have
sometimes struggled ont of the good and
narrow why. But so far as the record
runs we have never run up the white
feather in fight or took up with any
thing that didn't belong to us. We
have met the enemy at the dead line,
and no man ever come around by our
house spilin for fight but what he got
accommodations. We have helt up the
good name and standin of the Sanders
generation, and we have never yet got
called when we couldn't show down.
We have got pleasant place to live,
with clothes TO wear and plenty to eat
The time has now come, Rufus, when
about the last thing we can do is to let
the checkrein down and take good.
safe, steady gait. The faster man goes
and the higher up he climbs the worse
it will be for everybody if somethin
happens to slip and break his holt
Sometimes, il you notice, the good Lord
lifts man way up yonder in orderment
TO show he can fall the further and hit
the harder when the grand smashup
comes. 1t won't do to git too alfred
peart and proud and prosperous in your
old age. Set the back band right. Take
your time.