The Florence daily tribune., 1899-02-24
HIS SEVEN SONS.

puts me in mind of old man Free
man said Mr.. Teakwood reflectively
as he shaved keener edge on the
wooden sword he was making and
sighted along the blade with discern
ing eye
Old man Bolivar tilted his chair back
at a more reassuring angle and clasped
his hands about his knees in an easy
attitude for listening. George Smith
ceafed the soft drawl which he had
been droning into the ears of the store
keeper, and Pendarvis brought in his
buggy cushions and made himself com.
Portable on cracker box.
well, what about ole man Free
man - HSl.ed George Smith at last in
an eSssporated way.
"Oie man Freeman, he's back ON the
ole place, the story teller finally be-
gan, IAN that boy o. his H. that Jim,
he = in the little cabin on the Hi Wat
ters place that cabin where the gal rvs
done fell in,
what made i'm mover asked
George Smith, whose weakness il was
to try to help along with fstuous ques.
tons
II been a-knowin old man Freeman
for nigh ON tn n real long time, pur-
sued Mr. Tnal;wood meditatively, IAN
it looRt to me like he could do mighty
good job now if he could 20 back an
bring up his boys over again. It's
powerful pity, il seems like to me. that
man emit have but one chance to
raise his children, an if they don seem
To pan out right that time there amt
no more show for him. l reckon it was
n mighty bad year when ole man Free
man = boys begin to grow up.
'They was a-plenty of EN-, sech rs
they was remarked old man Bolivar
with quite unusual and unexpected
candor
The ole man had seven boys. Nh.
Teakwood went ON, with dry inward
chuckle at some memory, IAN if the ole
folks had IA raised en- right he could
n set back in his easy cheer an never
done no more work as long as he lived
He did try the easy cheer game, but it
was everlCstin'ly too late, Them boys
had grew up to think that the airth
was pretty much made SOS they could
have good time an nothin to do.
They amt one o them seven boys
that's worth KILN today. an the ole
mans 5 worilin harder today than he did
20 year ago,
"But reckon he thought Jim vas
goin to he snmethin. Long last winter
Jim began to shine up to one o them
Forstall girls the one with the turn up
nose e-an it would n made any body
plum sick to have saw the way the ole
man took on,
q I tell you, they $ outcome to that
boy o mine. that Jim, he says to me,
rubbin his hands together, pleased as
pie. 'Eou wouldn't "a thought they
was that much spunk in Jim, would you :
An there he is, sparkin up to that girl,
an her gran pa was n member o the
legislater An shore as yer ivin Jim Il
be in the legislator himeslf some day.
fur he's got the nerve to try it.
1T pears like | come to know all
about this Freeman business kinder ac-
cidental like. Hou see, long middlin
airlr las spring | got ole Nance one
day an rode over to ole Freeman for
TO borrer his harrer. was agittin my
garden ready, an it was that grassy it
was plum houn for to be harreyed
when / got over there, Squire Diggs
an some more men was jes' ridin away,
an the ole man met me in the gal 'ry
lookin like he d been a-cryin an says he;
- 4 III a-fXin for change, Lie, says
he. 'Jim's a-goin to get married Sun
day, an me an the old woman is jes'
decided this place, an him an his wife
is a-goin to take keer o. us the balance
o. our days You don't know how happy
it makes me feel. III a-goin to have
me big cheer an set out here in the
gal 'ry where l kin watch the cows goin
to paster, an Jim plowin in the fur
field. an where the ole woman kin listen
to Jim's wife potterin round the house
you know, an l kin kinder oversee an
tell him how to do things, fur Jim don't
know so pesky much about arnin.
You better hol' on to that deed till
you die. says in warnin voice, and
let the takin keer come first, an. gra-
cious, the ole man was so mad he come
mighty nigh not lettin lne have the
harrer.
''Well. shore enough. Jim he married
an brung his wife home AN got his deed
safe an SCUM. an for good while
ever thing was as nice as pie. Ever time
passed there the ole man an ole wom-
an u d be settin up in the gal'r in two
big cheers, lookin like they owned the
earth an a good sized chunk o. the
moon.
'''Stid o fadin away an dyin as any
body d "a thought they d "a done, the
ol., man ur nla Woman haoip To y,aurtap