The Newtown bee., 1897-03-05
Change in Farmer Joe.
BY SHELDON q. sToDDARD.

BY SHELDON c. sTODDARD. Twas the bright sunshine mornin' ot a pleasant day in June; The robins in the maple softly sang their sweetest tune; The sunshine through the branches glinted through the open door Maxim curious mottled patches on the oaken kitchen floor, And we were eatin' breaktast-I was ihungry And thinkin' of my corn crop in the meadow over there. But Jennie wasn't eatin'; just sat there sort O. still A playin' with a teaspoon in the way that women will, And now and then saw her lookiu' shyly up atme In & kind O wistful fashion, when she thought I didn't see. You see I only noticed in & kind O general way, Fer was thlnkin' busy of the work I'd do that day; And so I finished breakfast and gettin' up to When Jennie asked me softly: "Can we have
 the carpet, Joe?" guess I answered roughly, for you see I'd
 pad a bill, A big one-'twas for grass seed-snd another
 at the mill; eve can't be buyin' carpets and euch things
 all the while, And a-throwin' round our money" says I,
 ito keep in style. You women with your notions would keep an
 Astor poor" And slammed the chair I'd sat in as start
 ed for the door. My wife she looked up at me in a kind O
 mute surprise, Her mouth sort O tremblin' and "a grieved
 look in her eyes; But not a word she answered, only looked so
 kind O queer You see she'd been a-wa ntin' that new carpet
 tor year. hadn't somehow seemed to have the cash
 that could spare; So she'd fixed and fixed The old one and had
 darned 1t here and there. It did look rather shabby, butt viewed such
 things with scorn
 the corn. didn't feel just easy, and it seemed some
 how to me That the music from the robins in the sugar
 maple tree, As 1t came fioatin' down'ards, had kind O.
 plaintive strain, With little notes O sadness like they have
 before a rain. And then I u jed to whistle; but I felt bit
 torlorn AS harnessed up old Billy and started for
 the corn. The corn was rank and thrifty; it stood even
 on the ground; Not piece l knew could beat it in all the
 country round. And started up old Billy and commenced to
 cultivate. A.thinkin' how I'd rush things and work
 both hard and late. I'd lots O work awaitin', and what I'd
 planned to do Would call for 16 hours day the whole long
 season through. l liked that all the better, for I'd grown into way To think O naught but workin' the whole endurin' day. Some claims there were upon the place for me this made strite;' was bound to pay the mortgage if it took the dear sweet life And the workin' and the plannin' and the | savin' came to be i Such mighty powerful habit that it mostly blinded me. ot home. To the beauties and the glories that ever wait to come If we will only let them; but didn't know il
 then; l thought my vision pertect-ttis the wav, guess, with men. But as worked that mornin' back and tortt
 tp each long row. | did lot of thinkin', and don't know why twas so, a.-. . | But somehow, every minutes iu & way tC l bring surprise, I'd see the face of Jennie with the grievet | look in her eyes. And then my thoughts crept backward l through the years so swiftly flown; They'd been, knew. as worthless had
 travelled them alone, For in all the work and plannin' that I'd eyel
 tried to do, She always had stood by me, always just st | sweet and true-- In sunshine and in shadow. in health ant
 sickness too Always, always standin' by me, alway
 sweet and always true. Then in my mind I seemed to see tin, II little mound, Just o'er the hilltop wonder. in the littl j churchyard ground- A little mound that nestles there beneat
 the willows shade; Twas there one autumn mornin' our littl
 boy was laid. And then thought O partin's. and tn
 thought gave me stsEt, While a wave O. pain came tuggin' an
 strainin' at my heart; And seemed to fee1 the sorrow and tn
 angu sh that would come II the light that made my sunshine shoul
 be taken from my home. could seem to see the strangeness of th pictures on Inc wall; | could feel the solemn silence broodin' low
 aud over all. . I could see the sunllt patches on the floc | thai come and go- Then f kind O iDiat came o'er me and couldn't see tue row; i Then oar the e in the eornfield, the sc Ie
 ts Il rom my eyes Just like a fiager. softly reaehin' dowl ward from the skies, Had brushed, away the shadows that ha dimmed the way for me, \ And with new. born vision for she fir
 time could ace. h saw how poor man may be who lives { ! sIave and grind