Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1899-04-18
HIS SEVEN SONS.

Puts me IN mind OF old man Free
man, !" said Mr.. TealIwood rehectively
as he shaved a 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
ceased 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 n cracker box.
''Well, what about ole man Free
MANI" asked George Smith at last in
an exasperated way.
sole man freeman, he's back on the
ole place, the story teller finally be-
gan, can that boy o. his'n, that Jim,
he's in the little cabin on the Hi Wat
ters place, that cabin where the gal'ry
done fell in
''What mado i'm mcve2' asked
George Smith, whose weakness it was
to try to hslp along with fatuous ques-
tions.
81 been a-knowin old man Freeman
for nigh ON TO real long time, " pur-
sued Mr.. Teakwood meditatively, can
it lookt to me like he could do mighty
good job now if he couN go back an
bring up his boys over again. It's a
powerful pity, it seems like to me, that
a man can't 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. reckon it was
mans boys begin to grow up"
They was a-plenty of 'em, sech as
they was, " remarked old man Bolivar
with quite unusual and unexpected
candor.
1.-THE ole man had seven boys" Mr..
Teakwood went on, with a dry inward
chuckle at some memory, ian if the ole
folks had raised 'em right he could
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 everlastin'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 workin harder today than he did
90 year ago.
''Bpt 1 reckon he thought Jim was
goin to he somethin. Long last winter
Jim began to shine up to one o. them
Forstan girls-the one with the turn Slp
nose-an it would "a made anybody
plum sick to have saw the way the ole
man took on.
'' 4 tell you, theys outcome to that
boy o. mine, that Jim, he says to me,
rubbin his hands together, pleased as
pie. You wouldn't "a thought they
was that much spunk in jim, would you !?
An there he is, sparliin up to that girl,
an her gran'p was member O. the
legislaterl An shore as yer livin jim Il
be in the legislator himeslf some day,
fur he's got the nerve to try it.
ut pears like 1 come to know all
about this Freeman business kinder ac-
cidental like. You see, long middlin
airly las spring 1 got ole Nance one
day an rode over to ole Freeman g for
to borrer his harrer. was a-gittin my
garden ready, an it was that grassy it
was plum boun for to be harrered-
''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:
'' I'm 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. I'm a-goin to have
me big cheer an set out here in the
gal'ry where EEtl 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 kin kinder oversee an
tell him how to do things, fur Jim dom t
know so pesky much about ar1nin.'
'' You better hol' on 20 that deed till
you die, says in warnin voice, and
let the talin keer come first, an, gra-
cious, the ole man was so mad he come
mighty nigh not lettin me have the
| harrer
''WeII. shore enough, Jim he married
an brung his wife home an got his deed
safe an SCUM, an for a good while
ever thing was as nice as pie. Ever time
| [ passed there the ole man an ole won-
an 'u'd be settin up in the gal'ry in two
big cheers, lookin like they owned the
earth an a coed sized chunk o the
moon.
'"Stid O. fadin away an dyin as any
body'd a thought they'd "a done, the
Gle man an ole woman begin to Pearten