Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1898-08-11

30 Il was seIIIeuI duu OOAh va
mond donned overalls and wide-brlm-
med straw hat, and, much to the dis
gust of some of his nsighbors, a pair
of gloves, and took up the work on
the farm.
"a fool idee, this" remarked the
neighborhood oracle, "educatin' boys
that don't know enough to appreciate
it. There's John Raymond now He
can talk Dutch and French, and there
amt many things that he don't know
something about, but what does it
amount to? 1t cost his dad pile Of
money and now John is ploughin' corn
same as my boy and yOurn. I haint
got nothin again John, he's good
boy. But with his education, if he
had the sand, he'd make his mark IN
the world. I'm afraid John amt
overly ambitious.
This was the general opinion Of
Johns neighbors. He was looked upon
as an individual who had missed a
golden opportunity. John knew this,
but only smiled and went on his way
rejoicing, for he felt that he was IN the
right corner.
Strong limbs and good judgment
soon began to make the old farm pre-
sent an appearance it had not worn for
years. Mr.. Raymond had been good
farmer, and so long as he was able,
kept the farm in a neat way /; but old
age and hard work had forced him to
allow the fence corners to grow up to
weeds, and the sloughs to wash out,
making great, gaping bitches, and the
hedge and orchard to 60 untrlmmed,
and fences and sheds to rack and de-
cay.
As the years went by the neighbors
ceased to sneer at an educated farmer.
They saw that John had better horses,
which ate less and did more work than
their own; that his younger cattle
showed unmistakable Improvement
over the old stock, or his neighbors
herd that his hogs were a better
breed, matured earlier and were easier
fattened than their own. They began
to inquire into the reasons, and to
profit by the hints John gave. In his
heart he was little exultant, perhaps,
but having keen insight into human
nature he was careful to veil all such
feelings.
The years passed quickly for John.
The little cottage on the Raymond
farm was made more convenient and
comfortable for his aged parents, and
there were granaries and barn, the
special pride of the old man, who had
aged but little since that summer eve
when he had turned matters over to
his strong, young son.
Just across the way and little
further up the shady country road,
another and more pretentlous farm
house stood. Back Of this stood barns
and cribs and feed yards, unmiStakable
signs of well-to-do farmer. This was
Johns farm, chosen and purchased
much against the gratuitous advice OF
neighbors.
John Raymond generally knows
what he is about, said the same indl-
vidual who had questioned Johns am
bition few years before, "but he has
sure missed it this time. That Jones
farm is the worst rundown piece OF
land around. Been rented and skinned
for twenty years"
But the old man was forced TO ac-
knowledge himself mistaken again,
There was not better farm around
than Johns. He had seen its capabili-
ties and the result Of his scientific
treatment of it proved that he had
made no mistake.
But Johns farming days were over.
He was sitting in his cosy little Parlor
one evening, looking over pile of let
ters lying on table at his elbow. A
pretty, dark-eyed little woman sat op-
posite, and looking up occasionally
cast half impatient glances at the de-
creasing pile. Her work lay in her
lap. and there was a little anxious
pucker of the brows whenever she
glanced into her husbands face.
Nellie, here is letter from my old
employer" said John, as he tore open